The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-18

replete with emotions of solemnity There ia no
"action' in the "groups If 6gures'' which the Tri-
bne are essent al for the artist 20 repro
duce the inward feeling and dra matte power of the
sceIe.n
Separated from all She emotions which the spe,ta.
tor experiences in beholdiug such subjects Of art
they present mere sketch Of an old Quaker bar
gaining upon the most advantageous terms WITH ~
untuiored savage for toe cssson o. mis- uocutvated
lands; aud sle embnkatioa Of a home desol Atee
band OF men, women, and children, had1led together
On the deok Of vessel 10 get sal to distant land.
ASS case then with the succeeding history o. the
country, and we trace the foundation of civilized
commonwealth amidst a savage tribe, and The estab
bshment Ct great tepnbic upon the ia .rea waste
o. DISMAL wilderness.
As with tie emotions Of these events 50 IL the con-
temptation Of the Discovery Of the Mississippi. And
10 tie diversity of these suhjects, how much more
drsmalc, how much more picturesque, how much
more teple'e with acton, the army OF Spanards ga
zlg i0r The hrss lime upon the rolling waters Of sha
Mississippi aha surrounded by the be yderel wages
OF tue wilderness? Where would the Tribune lid i
SUD-. ot more dramatic interest OF its aq! WDer4
would IL look for more ''ac!iDnle Certainly rot ia
Pepn's treaty, nor IN the Embal lation az we have
shoSn
Bot, failing in all these important slsments OF pic
turesque aaG dramAu effect, according - the Trt-
Jasae. there is mora! interast in the see ae-no
grand heroic purpose III it, characteristic monen-
toss consequences flowing from IL 30 render it
Iate.n
To comprehend the force of this sentence il would
DC necessary 90 unCtf-lanu NhM inc iTtOt1e uleaDi
by" moral interest" and ''graud heroic purpose
and what III its estimation, constitutes "coase
queEces,' We have shown that The acre simple
fact OF sreay with The Indisls, consumm&ted 1eu-
turies ago, AMI the emosrkaton OF religious sect,
Eadt ~ an equally remote period OF nme TO Llese
thores, separated rom the eveats which ioo NED,
wouIa form very uIippoytaut subject III the CO...
temptation of the spectator. So would the Discovery
o! the Mls sssipp; out hat would. furnish better
subject for painting But we contend that no one
could Lock up1n Powells picture witnolt tue moral
interest Of the beboder being excited in ths con-
temptation OF the facs that Tie q hcr9i, pucpose"
which msrked its discovery las been stsnaliZed in
the result Of fourteen huna,.d mile, IF CT es sprog
ivy mp since that event upon is shores. It aay be
contended that this would have beea the conse-
quence" had De Soto never trod upon its bapks. We
have Bo doubt thatit would. So are we equal con.
vinced that If Columbus id not discovered this
tiDent, some other intrepid navigator would have
accidentally" or otherwise come across it, We
have great faith in the suggestivepower of kindred
minds, and equal confidence in >the pc Serful moral
purpose which influence heroic spirits in all ages to
undertake great enterprises. This conviction leads
us to the belief that had nos the Pilgrims embarked
at Delft Haven other hardy spirits would haze laid
the foundation OF the liberty in the New World which
their posterty established; and had not William
Penn purchased an empire OF waste land from the
Indians, and established common wealth OF Quskers
upon ii, some other snerprriDg ropean would have
possessed himself his heirs and his sns, of it for
ever. But these facts do not lessen our moral
interest" in the contemplation OF the result of these
memorable events nor should they deprive those
whose actions commemorate then from the glory
of their achievement. The conqueror Of Peru dis
covered mines o, uncounted gold-the subJugator
of Mexico brought to the empire OF his sovereign
the conquest Of country whose golden capolos and
barbaric temples WED in splendOr with the glory OF
the suD-and ye. the lands which Cortez conquered
and P'zzaro subdued lie after period of more than
three hundred years yet unconquered in the march
of modern civiliz alton. The meas have persisted
with their Peruvian idols Of fabulous wealth, and
their idolatry which inherited the Kingdom of the
Sun. The Aztecs have been swept away uht, time
has rendered their existence uncertain tradition
has represented their treasures untold. Amidst all
this change Of time country which marks the first
steps OF civilization by another c0nquerer remains
to be perpetuated through all time. No gold vas
Siscoveled-no waters flowing with dianOads were
found-po dreams Of fabulous wealth realized; bat
country explored penetrated through its vast eX-
tent by river whose miraculous waters, indeed,
would not realize the golden visions of Juan Poace
de Leon. BY impartiDs youth TO age, but whose
broad bosom, as years would rod along perpetual
with its tide, would bring into ext .sence the magic
forms OF such things of life Us wouo impart to the
priDtval woods the strength and vigor OF perennial
youth This was the conquest and discovery of Fer.
ando De Sofa; ami while the conquests OF Cortez
and PizarIo remain in the traditions o. the Aztecs
and the Ircas the discovery OF De Sofa is pefpetu
a'ed by monument of cities built by Americans
While upon the subject Of this history, We will
copy from the Tribune OF June IL 1858, an eX.
trDct from historical sketch upon the subject of
the early explorations Of the southern porioa Of this
Continent, ana particularly that relating TO the
very expedition of De Sofa. Before making this ex-
tract, however, We will copy from the criticism OF
the Tribune now under consideration, its opinioa
upon the historical accuracy of Poaell's pa,ntin,
This will to sho~ how little its critic has bee
benefited by its own files; whle upol ts critical
analysis in art we shall show him equally deficient
as in facts of history -
"Ihe half nude fellow who is 30 hard st work about
the gun is sadly deficient in anatomical proportions.
The cannon self well AID carefully painted though it
h.u hYia in fha ,fnt No. nah 4
be CARED through the woods the had
sed ard ts largest gun taken by DE sets no.
Big TO he sung on the back of 8 horst"
To say nothing at present Of the Chanles Yellow
plush Style Of vugarity. which :haracterzes the
critical description Of the "half nude fellow in
speaking IF conspicuous figure 10 a painting, We
shall proceed to the extract 60 which we referred
"abou this time (aoout 1917 there appeared at the
spanish Court Of Charles cavalier Of gentle BIRTH OF
Lob'e bearing and in the prime OF manhood He had
been companion Of Pzasro il his Peruvian cenq1s I,
ard returned to Spsn WITH god ard gler H. APPEARED
at the royal court WITH all the cn aad gorgeous
routdipgs Of tire meet fashionable Spanish goldman OF
that day He married Laoulla de Bobodi,a, young
lady OF distinction rank and personal attractions and
thus lie apparet ty in the poss-s,c of al that
vas desirable Ia til world. Bat ilrnacao dc Sofa
ambitous AID yht to rival IL not urpas the glorr
of the Mexican and Psrusisu caaq II. learaes
from th account of Nunez of he sxteoi Tvs region lied
Flordsos its only partial exploration, AMI the golden
stories Of thelndianf e applied 81 once to tbs Enps
or, Charles tie and lpointsl Governor Of Fori.
da and Cuba, ogspizei his expe tion. lie led in
Cuba 1888, with bril- mt armament and, psrfecting
mis- ausl arrsnger tns he LETT his wife Donna Isabella
TO govern Cuba exc rned for Florida o. Mas 25 1889,
he lsnded his forces at Tampa Bay, cnsssin. Of 900
Spanards, mostly Dung me a armed With eros b,vs
swords, lsncts. frearme and He had thrss
hundred and fly ho,tes large number of ciale and
swine for seteuen and for the conversion of The H.
dans he had twelve tests, eight assistants, aad four
monks On every Sunday and holiday, hs erected an
altar and said mass.'
We spare the critic Of the 1r bune; aud we would
not thus turn his own artillery against him it
not that he has caught the "bubbe eputlti IN" Of
small critic even in the "cannon's mouth" The
truth is, this very extract furnishes an amsst literal
historical Interpretation of Powell's painting. Bat
here are writer's, Who follow the literary profession
as regular occupation, who after weeks and mouths
Of opportunity prepare criticisms upon subjects of
history and art, prove themselves deficient ia the
very elements of what they pretend to be masters.
And upon whom are these ignoranuses to impose
Upon the public. There is not boy in the public
schools who knows his lessons that could not set
them profitable example in reading and writing.
In keeping with The historical accuracy of this spe
cilnen is all tho criticisms of the Chwarles Vel.
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