New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-24
THE ALDERuEN,s LAST.

THE ALDEhJIEN'S
M. Jules Janin, the dramatic feuilletOnist Of
the Journal des Debats, recently began one
of bis weekly critiques on the theaters with the
strange OATH "by Garibaldi!" after the elias
BIC style of swearing in vogue with The ancients
and We are tempted TO exclaim in a similar
manner, by BOOle as we think of the last bril-
liant exploit OF our own civic fathers. By
BOOle then, but il was big thing" the
Aldermen did when they made liberal appro-
prietiOn for the purchase of that remarkable work
OF art. the red sandstone What Is IT. " that
has been standing out in the cold in front of the
City Hall for the past two years. How it ever
came there, and where it came from, and what 1t
was intended to represent, are points upon which
the learned savants of the chronological Society
have not yentured to offer any explanation. With
all the mystery, but none of the gravity
Of the Sphynx, the hidcOus object has been
staring at US with its dismal eyes, daily
deformity to the Park, and a puzzle to every
body The Prince of Wales, and his suite, were
dreadfully frightened by this petrifcation Of
nightmare the day they underwent Gen. Saniords
review, and we ore not sure that they have yet
recovered from the effects of it, exaggerated as
its grotesqueness was by the presence OF
a couple Of ragged boys sitting astride its
brawny shoulders But the Aldermen have re-
solved that this hideOus thing shall become the
permanent property Of the city, and some OF our
contemporaries have treated the project as though
it was stupendOus joke But we are disposed to
o matt tpaf
looking upon it as piece of Aldermanic persi-
flage, We see in it disposition on the part of
our much-abused (and well deserved, tOO) Alder
men to perform at least one cOmmendable act
before the close of the year, and the term OF
their official existence. 1t has not escaped the
observation of our civic fathers, that foreigners
and men of taste have complained that there Is
nothing this city stands 80 much III need OF as
ornamental statuary. While Paris which was pre-
viCusly very well supplied with objects of the
kind has added to her public statues nearly
hundred marble effiges Of ilustrious French
men during the past year, New-York has but
one statue, the bronze Washington in Union
Square, and that was the gift of few public
spirited merchants. Our Aldermen were moved
by noble ambition to do something for the city,
and to make use of familiar expression, they
have gone and done it. In apprOprating two
thousand dollars for the purchase of the red sand
stone image which has so long offended the eyes
of the waylarers of the Park, they have done
the best they knew how. We have question
that that most abOminable object is in the eyes
OF our Bodies and Bradys, quite equal, as work
of art to the Farnese Hercules or the Apollo
Belvdere; and, as the purchase OF it is all Of
piece with the rest of their acts, We see no rea-
son for thinking that it was intended as joke.
If il was, we doubt if anybody can be found to
laugh at it, As to its being an instance of Alder
manic jobbery, the idea is quite as prepOsterOus.
Admitting that something would have to be paid
for the statue to its proprietor if anybody can
be found so reckless Of character as to confess
to the prOprietOrship of such a mOnstrOsity, what
would there be left to divide among the members of
the Board who voted fOrit 1t would have been Just
os easy to vote ten thousand dollars for the statue
as two thousand; and the Aldermen are entitled
TO the public thanks for not doing it. As we
shall have nothing to remind us of BOOle and
his companions after their term Of Office has
expired, but the debts they have saddled US
with, it will not be altogether a bad idea to
have this statue az suitable mementO of them;
and let 1t be set up in one of our drtiest tho
roughiares, which might be called the Boulevard,
IS an awful example to our pOsterity.