Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-31
THE BENTON STATUE.
The CHARACTERIZATION Scenes.


Iron the Missouri Republican. MAY 2S.)
An immense conconrse attended yester-
day 10 witness the inauguration of the first
monument OF public man ever erected
in this State, at Lafayette Park. The pile
is to the memory of Thomas II. Benton,
thirty years 8 member of the United States
Senate, and man whose name has become
household word in connection with The
history of Missouri and the United States.
The statue is the work Of Miss Harriet
G. Hosmer, the eminent sculptures.
The plaster cast of the model was, in the
fall Of 1861, sent to Munich, in Bavaria,
to be there cast in bronze at Che Royal
foundry, the most celebrated foundry in the
world.
The slatne is colossal in size, being ten
feet high, one foot higher than the contract
required, but when Miss Hosmer made her
drawings from the designs she perceived
that il would require the additional size to
do full Justice to the subject.
The figure is draped in the Roman cloak,
or kind Of toga, which Col. Benton was so
fond Of wearing. He isunrolling a map /;
the lower limbs draped partly in the an
tique and partly in the modern dress, the
drapery managed with great skill and pro-
ducing graceful lines.Y
The total altitude OF the statue is twenty
three feet, the pedestal being ten feet
square aud the basement forty feet in
width. There will be a space Of fifteen
feet on each side Of the pedestal and an as
cent rendered easy by steps. The basement
and approaches are as yet incomplete.
On the west side is the pedestal, which
is of Quincy granite, IS cut the words,
There is the East,
There is India"
and on the cast the word "Benton." These
Inscriptions are deeply cut and inlaid with
gold.
The total cost of the statue and the
placing of it in Lafayette Park, will reach,
when all the work is done, about thirty
thousand dollars-of which about six thou
sand has been expended on preparing a site.
The artistic has chosen to exhibit Col.
Benton in illustration Of one of his most
powerful and eloquent speeches, made at a
railroad meeting, in st. Louis, on the 10Th
of October, lS49, preferring this subject
rather than the more common and trite one
of Senatorial life; for, after all, the great
est monument must be in the hearts Of his
countrymen, "more eloquent and enduring
than the happiest efforts in marble or
bronze OF ever so cunning a workman"
The peroration of the speech alluded TO
closes in the following words:
Let us beseech the National Legislature
to build its great road upon the great ma
tiOnal line which suits Europe and Asia
the incl which will find on our continent the
Bay OF San Francisco at one end, st. Louis
in the middle, the national metropolis and
great commercial emporium at the other,
and which shall be adorned with its crown
ing honor, the colossal statue of the great
Columbus, whose design it accomplishes,
hewn from the granite mass of peak ofthe
Rocky Mountains, overlooking the road
the mountain itself the pedestal and the
statue part of the mountain, pointing with
outstretched arm to the western horizon,
and saying to the flying passenger. "There
is the East there is India p
The statue was brought TO this city sew
eral years ago but various causes occurred
to prevent its being formally inaugurated.
1t was originally intended TO have been
placed in the Missouri Park, but this was
abandoned. 1t was then suggested that it
be erected on Washington Square, but
the Commissioners refused to consent.
Some other places were discussed, but, for
some inexplicable reason, none of them
were adopted, and the statue remained
boxed up for several years, and was almost
forgotten by the public. Last year the
matter was revived, and, finally, an agree
ment was arrived at that the statue should
be placed in Lafayette Park, and arrange
ments were completed between the Park
commissioners and the Commissioners Of
the statue for the Inauguration to take
place on May q, 1868.
THE UNWILLING OF THE STATUE.
1t seemed az if all the interest of the
day was concentrated into the space of
few moments, az Mrs Jesse Benton FIRE.
mont, leaning on Mrs. Crow and aecOmpa-
MED by Gen. Fremont and some other
gentlemen, advanced TO the base of the
statue to unveil the bronze figure.
The proceeding was a very simple one,
and il was wlthal, neatly gone through. |
The cambria covering slid down with |
-apidity, and great shout went up from
he vast eoneourse as the sun shone down |
md cast its rays gloriously upon it. Ii |
vas seen under the best possible eiFcum- |
tances, and il was some time before the |
applause subsidized. .
'Hail to the Chief was then struck up |
y the band and played in fine style. |
A NATIONAL SALUTE.
The booming Of cannon was soon heard, |
Ten: CalleDder-in pursuance of instruc-
ions received from the War Ofice-hav-
ng authorized the firing Of a national sa-
ute on the spot, consisting of six guns,
7hich were fired five times, this being the
lumber of terms and years Mr.. Benton
erved in the Senate. ...
The oration-a splendid effort, worthy
{ the subject and the speaker, was deliver
4 by General Frank 2. Blair.
Y ASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
GDIPV EnrraannRaHpuaa-S 1