The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-29
monument Ruilding.


The idea Of perpetuating the fame Of our great
men by means Of monumental brass and
storied urn'' has never found much favor in
this country. When prominent statesman
or soldier dies-and sometimes before he is
dead-there are always number Of enthusi-
astic admirers who rush before the public with
their subscription papers for raising funds for
a monument upon which may be recorded the
story Of his deeds Of valor or patriotic services
for the benefit of posterity. At first there is
considerable enthusiasm manifested, aud
money comes in from all quarters with the
most gratifying rapidity, but before the neoes-
sary amount is raised the interest in the
scheme dies out, and the whole matter would
be entirely forgotten if disoontented sub
scribers who are anxious to have some return
for their money did not write fretful letters to
the newspapers inquiring what had become Of
the funds. In fact, we are very much dis-
posed to think that monument building is
pursuit for which the American people have
no particular taste or inclination, and we also
have our doubts with regard to the utility of
monuments in this age of the printing press
and telegraph.
If our great men cannot say with Horace.
"Eregi monumentum ere perenniS," they will
scarcely be held in loving remembrance by
their countrymen although marbles innume-
rable were inscribed with their names and
achievements. Monuments are the devices of
past and very different age from ours, and it
is no sign that we do not reverence our heroic
dead that we hesitate and delay over the
various monumental projects that have bsen
started for the purpose of doing them honor.
1t is in the highest degree discreditable, how
ever, that 80 many half-fnished works Of this
kind should be scattered all over the country,
and before any new monuments are COM
menced, it is worth while to consider whether
1t would not be better to complete some Of
those that we have on hand.
Opposite to the Presidents House, in Wash
ipgton, there is a square pillar which a
stranger might easily imagine was ouriou.
ruin which we had inherited from pre- historic
age, but which resident of the capital
will inform us is the first hall
of stupsndous national monument to the
Father of his Country. The cornerstone of
this structure was laid some twenty years ago,
and the work upon it progressed by slow de-
grees until the funds ran out, and nothing has
been done upon it for half score of years at
least, and 1t now stands an unfinished ruin an
eyesore to everybody, and disgrace to the
nation. Washington Monument Associations
have been formed in nearly every city of the
Union, but with one or two exceptions none of
them have succeeded in accomplishing any
thing. The American people revere the name
of Washington to-day as much as they ever
did, although if stranger was to Judge of our
esteem for his memory by our monuments, he
would easily imagine that we held it but
lightly in our regards.
A national monument to Mr.. Lincoln has
been talked about and talked about, but
whether it will ever advance so far even as
the cornerstone laying appears to be matter
of considerable doubt. That such structure
would do anything to advance the fame of Mr.
Lincoln we do net believe, and unless there is
sufficient money in hand to finish it in proper
manner, it had much better never be COM
menced. AS for the monument to Mr.. Lincoln
in this city, which was much talked of at the
time of his death, and for which considerable
money was collected, nothing has been heard
for so long time that We feel almost justified
in concluding that we shall scarcely see it
completed in our day.
The monumental works which adorn most
of the European cities have been erected
under government auspices, and we think
that, on the whole, it would be better that
this should be the case in this country. Why
not make the capitol Valhalla wherein to
enshrine our illustrious deadY Let Green
hough's statue Of Washington be removed
from its open air position opposite to the east
ern front of the Capitol to the centre of the
rotunda, where it belongs, and let the statues
OF the other Presidents, when they pass away
from earth, surround it. There are inches
throughout the Capitol building which might
be appropriately filled by statues Of other
great men; and IL the rule was adopted
that no man should be entitled to place
among the chosen heroes Of the nation until
a lapse Of twenty years had assured us that
his fame rested on sure and permanent basis,
and that solemn vote Of the Senate and
House of Representatives should be necessary
to place his statue in niche of the Capitol,
we would be able to have a monumental gal
lery that we could point to with pride, and
which would supersede the ill-considered
structures, like the National Washington
Monument, which ill-adyised enthusiasm has