Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-28
Tribute to Crawford. Of Dr. 0sgood at the
Historioal SociatY,

The anniversary discourse ol Inc NC" Aoi
Historical Society was given on Tuesday, DE.
cemher IA, by Prof George w. Greene, Of Nc"
York. and treated Of the life and genius Of
Thomas Crawford, the gifted sculptor, whose
sad death has taken from us, perhaps, the first
of American artists The discourse will be
published. The New York Post" adds few
words of Rev. DR.. Osgood, who was asked tc
introduce the resolution Of thanks
DR.. Osgood, after reading the resolution, said
am most happy, Mr.. President, to express the
thanks Of the Society for the beautiful and
aricnt address TO which we have just listened
and cannot but think the subject most appro
pirate for the second anniversary in our new
and expressive cd flee This building IS dedi
Gated to History, in the highest sense OF the
term, and includes art as well as letters. IN ih
records of the deeds and thoughts of men. Our
galleries of painting and sculpture, as well as
our library and archives, preserve the mark oil
man upon the ages, and history, as VIC read 1t, Is
written with the soul ptors chiscl and the pain
tcrs pencil quite as emphatically as BY the
authors pen and the printers type. 1t is
lust therefore, to give this anniversary even
ing to the memory Of our grcat-proba,
bly, our greatcst-Amcrican sculptor, and
our satisfaction in what we have heard TO-
night, is rs warrantable rs 1t is unanimous.
[ do not profess to be an adept in the bcauti,
full arts, whether Of the connosScur or the
amateur kind, and am the more encouraged 10
throw out few thoughts suggested by the adj
dress, from the very fact that speak some
what as an outsider. and my words may have
something of the same interest as the notes oil
strange travcllcr-somc iiindoo or Chinese
upon our land and people. The first thought
that comes to ne is the cheering conviction
that kind Providence, in the ample bestowal OF
material goods and enterprise, does not evident,
" mean to stint us in respect to the rarer gifts
Of intellect and beauty, but is kindlins on eve,
~ side, in the spirits Of chosen men Of our
people, the same divine fire that has glowed in
the genius of Phidias and Apellcs, Raphael
and Michael Angelo. Education can do much,
but it can never bring out OF man what
God never put into him. and genius is born
whilst knowledge is acquired. Education
trained Crawford's hand to its skill, but God
gave him his genius; and this obscure New
York boy, whose labors we now honor, was
taught Of Heaven before he was taught OF men,
that he belonged TO the elect priesthood oil the
beautiful arts His example, with that Of not
few others, is therefore most cheering, and
encourages us in the faith, that whilst we arc
for time obliged to rough it in this new coun-
try. and work hard for that prime essential, our
bread and butter. in due season we shall carve
arabcsqucs upon the bread plate. and cnbroldcr
flowers into our tablc-cloth and cxalt our plod-
ding utility by all the refincmcnts of taste and
creations Of beauty. On every side artistic &C.
MUS is developing itself, and proud rs VIC are OF
our ploughs and rcapcrs our presses and en-
cnes, we have no reason TO be ashamed either
Of our artists or their patrons, nor to doubt that
this land of corn and cotton can bear It's full
proportion OF herbs, Of grain, and flowers and
loneliness.
This satisfaction in the promise Of American
art does not move us to tho rabid kind Of pat
riots,n that scoiIS Mt everything foreign, and in
its attempt to magnify, actually belittles us, by
cutting us of from the Old World, and making
Ills fragment Of humanity, instead OF hclnis-
phcre of the full globe. Crawford properly
went to Rome to school his genius under the
discipline Of the best masters. and to study the
great works that treasure UP the riches OF all
ages in those priceless repositories. 1t is we'll
for us Americans thus to believe that VIC be-
long not to ourselves alone, but to humanity :;
and that, rs we receive much from the Old
World, so We owe much, and arc called to pay
back our debt for so much wisdom and beauty
by new enterprises Of manlineSs and nsplra-
tons Of hope The fear is however, that our
youth who travel in Europe and reve in the
arts of Italy, will refine their taste at the ex-
pcnsc of their originality, if not soften their
manners at the cost of their manhood. Most
of them seem to weaken their force as they
widen their range, and TO come hack enchanted
rather than inspired
But cnchantment is not inspiration. Calyp-
SOS grotto is not Apolo's temple nor is Crces
Gun Castala's fountain. Crawford did moi con-
found the two experiences nor lose his orlgI-
nalitv among the masterpieces of ancient art
and the distortions Of modern critics. Perhaps,
without being conscious Of it, he embodied his
own brave thought upon the genius Of Italy.
that mausolcum of humanity, whose inspra.
ton is remembrance rather than hope. and
his marvellous statue Of Orphcus, who is repre-
scented rs calling up, by the charm Of his mu-
sic. the spirits Of the dead, instead of leading
on the march of living humanity By his cheer
inc strain. Italy, too. is looking, like Orphcus,
into the underworld, and like him, vainly try
ing to recall its cherished past, that lost Fury
dice Italy, who gave Crawford the finishing
touch Of her skill, did not ovcrlay his original
itv by her traditions. lie turned from the
land of Memory to the new world of Hope, and
his Washington embodied his faith whilst II
crowned his genius
The statue at Richmond is Crawfords his
tory of the Father Of our Country, and 1t VIII
be read for ages by eager eyes, under the light
of Gods own heaven, when most OF the rhcto-
rio that is now called immortal is forgotten, and
the people who call him blessed shall fill the
continent with their civilization and girdlr the
globe with their industry.
There is something very friendly and sym
pathetic in the love Of this great assembly,
here met in honor of fcllow-citizen whose
brilliant life was full Of trials, and whose early
death was a tragedy Of anguish and disappoint'
ment. lie was more sadly afflicted than Milton,
whose eyes,
$50 thick drop severe hath queneh'd their orb'
Or dim sunision yelled.
The poets work may prosper without sight
and he may sing,
AS the vakefui bird
Sings darSng and. in shade.i covert hid,
Tune, her nocturnal note.
But how shall the sculptor guide his hand
w,thou, that friendly light? The sense o
vision-tlat gate called Beautiful to this living
temple. the body--was to Crawford most pain
Gllly darkcncd and closed. Yet 10 him tho
world of loneliness was not sealed up, for, un
der Gods discipline, sight becomes insight, and
the shapes of beauty that for years had beer
passing through that templc-gatc were now
kneeing before the interior shrine. The idea
that was the dream Of his boyhood and the lif'
of his maturity did not desert him in his
dark sorrow, but was TRANSPORTED into faith ii
the truth and beauty that are heavenly anc
eternal. There is something in the genial ant
grateful spirit of this assembly that throws
brightness over our artists great sorrow ano
premature death, and brings him to us in hi'
health and JOY. May VIC not dcvouty trus
that he who Loyalty gave himself to the chosen
ministry of Beauty does not rcnounce the mint
in putting OH the body, nor abjuie his ruling
love in quitting its earthly sphere: We lcav'
his soul with that Infinite and Eternal Spin