New-York daily tribune., 1859-05-19
THE wAsHuNGTONIAN MANIA.

The passion for erecting statues 10 the memory
of Gen. Washington is waxing, so that scarcely an
other Revolutionary soldier or sage seems to be
thou eht worthy of ounce of bronze. spoonful
of plaster, or cubic inch of marble. We have, or
soon shall baye, the Groat Leader in such Wild
variety Of forms, that the next age if given in the
least to mythology, may lsmentably coniound Pater
Patria with Proteus or imagine that during bis
earthly career he outnumbered the transmogritica-
tons of Jupiter. We have Washington in coat
and cooked hat we have Washington mounting in
the saddle and dismounting; we have one Wash
ington brandishing sword; another grasping the
pen; third doubling his fist like Aaron Jones; a
fourth grayely bearing scroll; fifth in an easy
chair, and sixth in position the purport of which
is known only to gods and the artist To defray
the expenses Of these pous erectlons, orators are
speaking opera singers are warbling female cir
cles are Dimby plying the needle, like 80 many
pstrotc Peneopes, and " stand and deliver"
is heard throughout the land. Time aud the grave
have softened every reoentment aud the grand
daughters Of gentlemen who we're won't, morning
and evening, TO remember the General in their
prayers after q decidedly dubious fashion, cheer
fully attend lectures and concerts designed to pro-
mote the multiplication of monuments. In Boston,
the sentiment is sngulary strong. The citizens OF
that metropolis-sha we say grand-metro- -polisl-
have already Washington in 8 toga and upon its
leg.-a Washington which seems striving to i'm
press the country members Of the General Court
with notion of what Cicero was. and of what BY
sedulously moving adiournments, they may become
also. But to have merely 8 Washington on foot is
doing the thing by halves, and is hardly better than
it would be to have Washington on one
leg To render the assortment complete.
ii is necessary to have Washington on
horseback, and perhaps even another in
highly upholstered Roman chair. But in Boston,
a public want is no sooner felt than it is supplied;
and measures have been taken to secure the Gen.
eral and his highly trained steed Immediately. A
conyocation Of the most eminent citizens, in con-
nec,on with The Orpheus Glee Club" was held
on Thursday evening last in the Temple of Music,
at which Mr. Robert c. Winthrop made speech.
" The Orpheus Club" performed with skill and
taste" and five Of the Oldest gentlemen in the
city appeared upon the platform, and were gazed
at by the young and middleaged with the due rev.
erentia emotions The audience" We are panied
TO learn, was quite small" quite small" being
the phrase employed by the Boston newspapers in
most astonishing and un-Athenian defiance Of
etymoloy. The audience being assembled to
listen TO Mr.. Winthrop, found that they were also
expected to listen to Mr.. Mayor Rice. Now there
is an air in TancIedi' called d" The Air Of the
rice," because it was written in few minutes,
while the cook Of Rossini was preparing that vege-
table for her master; but the speech of Mr.. Rice,
upon the score of brevty at least, can be entitled
10 no similar compliment The Mayor must have
employed at least forty-fve minutes in presenting
Mr.. Winthrop to an audience every member Of
which knew him thoroughly from his speetacles to
his boots. Introductons, in private human inter-
course, are accomplished with brisk and disembar.
RAISING rapidity; but in public meeting an
Oriental prolongatiOn Of the ceremony seems to be
thought necessary. Mr. Winthrop having been
safely and soidly introduced, made his speech; in
which he felt it to be his duty, first of all, to in
dulge in "a bit" at the hOoped skirt, the intimate