Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-09-02
More Foreign Preferences.
A second water Pipe business.

A second WAfer Pipe Business.
Captain Meigs, who appears to be the
principal fayorite of the present and last
democratic administrations, it seems some
time ago gave another evidence of his pref
erence for foreigners quite as exceptionable
as his recent course in not stipulating that
the great water pipe contract should be of
American iron. The Cosmopolitan Art
Journal, in review of the new Capitol,
justly censures the course pursued In dec
Grating that building, and copies letter
from which we make the following extracts:
"The best artists of the country, with
scarcely an exception, have offered their SER
vices, and asked to be employed upon the Cap.
itol. Without an exception their applications
have been rejected, and the work of decora-
ton is going rapidly forward under the direc-
ton of an Italian, whose reputation is little
better than that Of skilful scene painter,
and who employs under him crowd of six
ty or seventy foreign painters, chiefly Italians
and Frenchmen. The result of their labors
is now visible here and there throug hout the
new wings in tawdry and gaudy ornaments,
vile in taste, poor in design, and offensive in
color. Tho most fragrant and conspicuous
scene of their exertions so far is the Senate
Naval Committee room-an apartment about
thirty feet by twenty in size The decorations
of this one room have already cost $4,000,
and the ornamentation, SUCH as il is, is vet
far from being complete. 1t is scarcely pos
sible to imagine anything more absurd, or in
more outrageous taste. Yet it is entirely in
keeping with the general style of decoration
Of the Capitol, which is servile, tastless re-
production of the Pompeian style, with its
worn-out tade, wearisome gods, goddesses,
nymphs, and monsters of which all sensible.
cultivated men have long been tired, and
which have passed away from literature and
art wherever literature and art flourish.
The responsibility for this DETACHMENT of
the Capitol rests, | am sorry to learn, upon
Captain Meigs, the engineer in charge of the
Capitol extension. | have heretofore defen
ded him from attacks that were made upon
the new Hall of Representatives. That Hail.
after six months daily observation and use of
| it, maintain to be rs well adapted to its pur-
pose as any Hall well can be- For that, and
for the general construction of the Capitol ex
tension, Captain Meigs deserves high credit.
He is man of intelligence and unimpeacha
bic integrity, who has most faithfully execu-
ted the important duties which have been
committed to his charge. But his approba-
ton or liberation of the monstrosities under
the name of Art, which are being perpetra-
ted under his eyes, shows that he has not the
taste nor the cultivation which might entitle
him TO absolute and unquestioned direction of
the decorations of the buildings. Such di-
rection be has assumed Throughout the
Capitol in the matter Of art his will is law
and no man is suffered to touch brush who
not 70 +boE
native artists of distinction with regulations
at stake, will not submit to the dictation of
man who may be q good engineer. but who is
certainly no artist, and who Just as certainly
has no taste for art The consequence is, that
the Capitol is in the hands of crowd Of N
FERI0R AND NEEDY FOREIGNERS, who
paint what they are told to paint at 50
much day for their work If this is suffer
ed to 90 on the Capitol will be for ages the
laughingstock of the cultivated world.
This penchant for foreigners and foreign
subjects in National building intended to
last for ages, is singular, but in keeping
with many other acts of this deneocratic
administration, which seems to prefer any
thing foreign, down to heathenism, to Amer
lean battles on sea and land, American por-
traits, American scenery, or American feel
ings. The people however are awakening
from their lethargy, and having now the
evidence before their eyes of what exces-
siye importations of foreign goods, manu-
factured at low wages, produce, the cry
will soon ring abroad from every hill and
valley for Protective TarB, regardless of
British, French, Dutch, Irish, or any other
interests