Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-25

they please, as the new ones have. You'll find out
quick enough that all your letters 70 them about
the work, have had no more eject than II you had
sent them 10 Nicholas of Rusria--pesce 70 his
ashes--no, not half so much, for he always had =
great liking for you; and you know, Uncle, when
you wrote to him about farming, and steamboats,,
and railroads, he always took your advice, and
thanked YOU too
You know you always said you meant to make
your big Office not only convenient place Of bu-
siness, but sort of monument of the great things
you and your people have done, as well as n sign
of what you mean to do. You know you intended
to have the monumental part Of II done in scup-
tured work on the walls and gable ends OF the
building, something like US your old friend Pericles
had the same thing done for himself and his peo-
pie when be built the Parthenon, and you meant
10 have IL done by your own artists that you kne"
would show the truth--real things that belong 10
us. instead of representing something by copying
something that belonged TO Pericles or Cnsar, or
what not, that was not the true thing Tor us, ana
you didn't intend TO have any American Alcibiades
have the direction of these things and dictate to
the artists how they should do them No, Uncle,
you had the good sense--eyen if you hadn't the
good example Of your friend Pericles to make you
think OF ito ask the artists to inform the bosses
and workmen how these things should be done.
But you'll find out when it's almost too late, how
contrary to all your purposes the whole thing is
managed.
You know they made you ridiculous by the
sculptures they got done BY the Italians, and
placed In the east portco Of the old Office and over
the doors Of the round hall-sculptures that rep
resent ancient and foreign ideas; and some that
seem TO be intended to show that all the glory Of
your history rests on what you've had to do with
the Indians, and that principally In killing them
off for their kindness to you
Well you see, they stick to that untrue idea
still They've sent off to Italy about hundred
thousand dollars of your money to pay some artists
there to work out of marble an idea Of the same
kind, which the bosses patched up hero before
hand. They say there will be great many figures
In the work. and that II win fill the whole three
oornered space in one Of the gable-ends of the
building, and full one-half the space will be de-
voted (if that's the right word tokilling off the In
dians. They say all the figures Of the Indians will
look just az ii they expected to die and they have
something to make them look 80, for, In the cor
ner, close beside them, they have grave dug to
bury them In
Now there's no use In their thinking you'll ap-
prove Of thing 90 untrue. Everybody ought TO
know your simple taste In matters Of heraldry. All
the children you've trotted on your knee, sitting
cross-leggcd in tho old armchair, know all about
It. They found 1t out after the rollicking ride on
that sprngy horse Of yours was over, and you eI-
planned the meaning Of the engraving on your big
Watcn-seh Au any OI tntiu WHO nhNo BTOWH 10
be men, and remember how 1t looked, and what
was the meaning Of the escutcheon, and the book,
and the plough-share, and tho pair of wings, and
the star, viii know very well you wouldn't have
any sign of such idea putting all the Indians
under ground, engraved on that sedi. And they
ought to know you would never like to see It rculp-
tured In the place of the great family seal on the
gable end of your business Office.
You know very well, Uncle, that some Of the
81 k.xx
the use Of the book and the plough, a. to let drop
the hatchst and trinkets, and have felt the wings
Of frsedom-movement of mind--futter so In
their breasts, as TO make them ask permission to
unite with your people in neighborhood and pub
lie affairs, and you know many Of them deserve the
privilege, and think II you had had your way,
they would have got il too, long ago. The idea
that they can't be civilized, Ia all fudge. No son
of Adam could, without chance.
don't wish to tire you with too much about this
matter, because there is much to say about many
other things But this sculpture work is expen-
sive business and ought not to be any way trivial
or false a. II IL was intended for partial or tran
silent purposes. It ought especially In such an
application, TO show grand and comprehensive
views Of truth, In such manner that 1t would de-
ssrve to last long marble signs Of ideas look
TO don't do that They who got it up hadn't got
down deep enough in thought to find the root Of
the tree on which the fruit Of our historic life
has grown; therefore they couldn't do it.
The artists who are working II out 10 order, ac-
oording to the poor thought of another, dare say
will make excellent figures for the decorations Of
the gable end of the big Office, when you stand a
great way of 10 look At the work, and that's all
And such results viii always be found, when sug-
gestions aud directions given to artists instead
Of growing out OF their own brains.
n.... e. xUl,o t.tx
the rooms where the builders are making ar
rangements for these things You'll find de-
signs of pediment groups for the other gable ends
made by men who are not your kin, nor sculptors
either, and you'll End In the part of the Office
where you mean to do your agricultural business,
Italian artists painting up the wslls with Roman
pictures. They've painted picture Of Cincinna-
tus, taken from the plough 10 save Rome. Now,
I think II you wanted anything Of that kind paint
cd, you would have had the scene Of our own
Cincinnatus-George Washington--leaving the
plough to save your country. Everybody knows
be did IL aud you know you approved ~ the de-
sign for work Of that kind 70 be made In mar
BILE, which was modelled and shown you a great
while ago.
But tell you In earnest, We don't want pic
lures OF Cincinnatuses, half 10 much now, as we
do real ones and that's the reason why We want
you 20 have your plough yourself and come
you have good sense enough, while you are cboos-
Ing volunteers TO help you, 70 bring with you
plenty Of Cincinnatuses- who love you
a. web as work, and who win work for you with
good viii.
Wen, think you have heard enough about the
big Office management, although you havn't been
told tenth part Of what you'll hnd 70 make you
feel cad when you come 10 look around and see
for yourself But never mind, Uncle, you know
you have plenty Of marble quarries close by
your city residence on the Potomac. SO let thom
patch up the old thing with all sorts Of frsgmen.
tsry mixtures, and have their minute Of growing
over t. You remember that after your old friend,
Pericles overcanc the Pereians, he pulled down
the old Offices the Acropolis, and then, with the
advice and direction OF great artist he built new
ones, great deal more splendid and harmonious
and 20 when you overcome the Heterogenii you
can build a new Office, too, and make Il all right
70 your mind Il will be very easy for you 10 End
tho stone at the base Of the old Office, which was
oonsecrstcd by the touch Of the Father Chief; and
you can make Il the head of the corner Of your
new one. And In building Il you can let your own
artists work out their patriotism, and show their
skill In directing, that the architecture shall
be made TO receive In n proper way the story
of your life and aspirations IN painting and sculp-