New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-17

which meant something in the days OF Percles,
because they were fresh, honest, and spontane-
Gus cmbodiments of the popular belief, but winch
mean nothing now because the world has out
lived the whole of Lempriere'S Classical Dc
tionary. Ii we mu have a statue, the neces-
sity of which we can by no means perceive, let
it give us simply honest portraiture' aud be
marked Ivy rigid fidelity to the dress Of the pc
Rod. Everybody will admit that a, modern
statue in cooked hat, peruke, long walsteoat,
and knec-brecches would be shamefully ridicu-
Ions; but everybody is expected to be charmed
when the artist gives us Roman toga OF
Grccian skirt.
We believe the plain, honest, supplemented
man who has gone to his account, should have
"A monument expressive of his practical
character. Mr.. Lincoln may not have had
an artistic nature, but fortunately for us he had
something better-a clear, uncompromiSing,
common-sense, which is at the bottom OF all
genuine craftsmanship. If we have for
tunately smpliGcd the issues Of this
Rebellion, and in bringing it to conclusion
have rid ourselves of its pestilent cause, we
owe this excellent condition of affairs to the
logical persistence with which Mr.. Lincoln,
swerying neither to the right or the lett,
marched straight on TO Emancipation as
the precious secret of adjustment. 1t
is curious now to reflect in what a
fearful maze the mind of the nation wandered
and with what Indifference the President
pushed aside the prolIcrcd sophistres of ingen-
lou, reconstructionists who palavcred of resto-
ration pure and simple with the inevitable
catastrophe of another instruction NJ less than
half century. The monument OF our great
reformer should be some inslitntlon typical
of his faith in human progress, or at least sus-
gcstiye of the comprehensive bcneyolence oil his
great heart. We should not fear the most
utilitarian selection. Why not build College
for the education Of boys who have been made
orphans by the war, and give to il forever the
honored name of Lincoln' Why not
endow retreat for those who, III the
contest for freedom, have been perma-
nently disabled! The buildings would un-
questionably be very ugly--we should have
small hopes upon that soore-but their lofty
purpose would give them q beauty which no
architectural eccentricities could wholly oh.
scure. Such school or hospital would be
monument. and something more. Through its
ministry the honored dead would still carry on
the lofty work of increasing the happiness OF
the race, and around il would gather countless
halowed associations and ennobling memories.
He must he the victim Of positive mania for
marble who docs not see how much finer this
would be than any craven image, or meaning
less heap Of stones and mortar, or literal repro
ducton of Pompcy's Pillar, or Cleopatras
Needle, or the Parthcnon, or the Coliseum, or
what you VIII. E...
We refer again TO this topic, for we have
grave apprchensions that before common sense
| shall have chance ~ assert itself somebody
viii make contract and inhict upon us piece
of folly and prctension from which there will be
no escape for the nation through oil time. We
think Congress can be safely intrusted with the
execution Of our plan, but We have no such
confidence in its laphary wisdom. We have
already done our best 10 make our great men
ridiculous. There il a sandstone Washington
in the City Hall Park which is quite a miracle
Of imbeciliiy-it seems unwell itself, and it
makes everybody unwel who looks at it.
There is a brass Franklin in Boston which il
entitled 10 respect because il is rational and
truthful in costume, but which otherwise is not
worthy of PraNteles. The excellence Of the
great statue of Washington by Greenough has
been disputed, but this is not the place i'll which
To discuss It's merits. The history Of the United
States for the last five years will be solemn
and important record and we can i'll bear the
thought that he who will be the central figure
of this earnest drama should be publicly COM
memorated in way unworthy Of the simple
dignity of his character.