Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-09
WASHINGTON CITY:
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE Q, 1853
~ The Office Of the "Daily Evening STAR
il on the south side Of D street, two doors
west Of 18th street.
Clark Mills and his Works.

zine OF the MeSSrS. Harper, an aftlcie pur-
porting to be casual letter from avisitor
to Washington which contains an attack
on the Equestrian Statue of Andrew Jack
son, by Mr.. Mills, the American artist.
In abiding to this mistaken and UNI
called for article, we are apprehensive
that we shall unintentionally give it more
notoriety than it deserves; but sense
of duty to our readers, and especially to
our gifted countryman, the designer and
executor of that great national work of
art, forbids that we should keep silence.
We write, however, it is but justice for us
to say, without the knowledge of Mr..
Mills; and our statements, therefore, are
wholly free from the least particle of
dictation.
The letter in Harper to which we refer
processes to be melange of gossip and
small-talk made up for the 6 Editors Easy
Chair by an old friend from Tioga
county" I'VE are at loss to conjecture
whether he is can old friend" of the
Messrs. Harper, or of Henry J. Raymond,
esq, the literary editor of the Magazine,
inasmuch as that gentleman represented
that or kindred county in the Baltimore
Wing Convention who states in it's OPEN
ing line that il" this is his first visit to the
Great Capital" We should think so
and by the way he speaks of * the Mills
Monument to Jackson, on horseback, y we
should think, also, that it is g the first
time" he ever saw or attempted to criti-
else great work of art
Hecommences by informing us, (strange-
ly enough, in view of his subsequent as
sertions,) that the statue e has received
deserved encomium." How this letter.
writer could say this when he knew in
his heart how he Immediately afterwards
intended to characterize the splendid
achievement of Mills, passes our compre-
hension. But, probably, as he further
informs as that s he is only simple mail
contractor from up North he meant to
treat his readers as he may have treated
the Government-giying the open contract
of criticism for the general benefit, and
preserving the secret one of personal feel
ing for his own pleasure. AS the gentle
manly Harpers' politely state that this
contract" looked to ga renewal"
we have right to infer what we please
with regard to the sentiments entertained
by the letter-writer toward the illustrous
hero of New Orleans. How far these pri-
vate opinions may have influenced the
Judgment of the critic, and impaired a
tinge to his pen, it is not for us to say
For the present, en- PEASANT.
The first criticism of this first visitor
to 1.-the Great Capital is this-that ssthe
metal (bronze) seems by far too fashy a
tint" What does the writer mean bv
''fashy2" That it is too yellow That
it shines in the sun The first objection
would apply equally we'll to a statue of
gold or brass; and for the second one the
responsibility" must rest upon the var
nish. But are these objections va lid !?
We think not; unless the objector prefers
the copperas-covered statue of Jefferson
to the true and rich bronze of Jackson
a bronze made, as it is known, of cannon
taken in battle from the enemies of our
country. This silly objection is readily
answered.
Our critic contrasts the statue with ga
couple of bronze vases on either side" as
lacking very much that mellowness of
tone" which they possess-overlooking
the fact (of which he was probably igno-
rant) that the vases are much older than
the statue, and that, to cap the climax,
they are painted!
From a remark made Immediately after
this respecting 1.-The artistic grouping OF
the true '.jardia Aaglaise," We are led to