Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-12-17


A writer IL the f9Sidnicd Journal dos
cribesa visit TO Hiram Powers, the sculptor,
in his studio aE Florence
.sHe seemed glad 10 ps because we we're
Americans allaifs. and especially the awful
tragedy which had 70 recently occurred in
Washington, the aaaagai1ation Of President
| Lincoln. Through oosIted and petted by
the Englinh, Powers has always been time
to his country, loyal 70 the core. Dr.. W.
reminded him Of q little incident which oc-
CURED some fouFmonshs before, and which
Powers had alluded to at that time in a
with Dir. W. An English or
some other lady Of secession procliyities
had asked him If he had ever executed
bust Of JEFF. Davis. No, madaln said he,
his bright eyes flashing with fire. i hope
that before long an artist ofNexcuting. not
the bnst, but the man himself We spoke
of the readiness of the English to be on
our side now that sucress had crowned our
arms. 'Ah said he, know not which is
the more vexatious aud annoying, when
you are dragging heavy load up hill, 10
have some ono hitch on his horses behind,
and pull you back, or, when you are going
down hill, TO have him put on his horses
| DCAbAp AAiA NltoIA AMlty WIN ulA Aui W NhN
risk Of upsetting your load and breaking
your neck. And thus we talked on for an
hour about American affairs, when said,
Mr.. Powers, we have cheerfully allowed
love Of county to take precedence of our
love Of art. Now let us, ifyou please, look
at some OF these beautiful things which lie
about us in such profusion in your studio
tlHe smiled and proceeded to crafty our
desires, among other things we saw the
model Of his American a female Of fault
less proport ons with her foot upon bro
ken chain signifying her conquest over her
enemies. It was ordered by Congress dur
ing the administration OF President Frank
Pierce, and was designed to crown the
summit of the Capitol dome at Washington.
But presume, some lover Of the peculiar
institution suspected that theI symbol
might be of the nature OF O prophecy, him
ting at the overthrow OF slavery, an 80 it
never found its way to the spot for which
it was designed / think Powers said that
the statue was then in New York hoxedup,
and put away in some out-of-the-way pace.
It occurred to rue that it would be good
time TO bring II forth to the light, and lift
it up in the sight Of all nations, sign that
| hAHCtlCu ildA DtOkol LuG uluAhcASb VI buO
bondsmen and let the enslaved 20 free.
CAS- we were preparing 10 leave the stu
dio Mr. Powers n tied ny 10 but our names
in his Visitors Book, 1t said that we
should regard ii as both an honor and n
pleasure to do so. Perhaps not, said he,
when / show you one name; and opened
his book he pointed to the name and re-
sidence of II. W. Hambledon, Confederate
States of America and across il Powers
had drawn so broad black mark Ms almost
to obltefate the letter, One other written
in similar way had received the same
treatment. 4 don't want my Register
said he. 'to te disglaced in anyssuch way
as this. 1t was refreshing to meet maif'
Of such thoroughly loyal spirit, and to
know that at times when our cause was
unpopular with 80 many men who prided
themselves as being the great patrons Of
art, this foremost among modern sculptors
had not swerved from his political integ-
rity, nor proved trnitor to his country in
the hour of her poril