The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-25

TO give due relief. This is equally true OF the left
arm and OF she two legs, which are joined 10 eacn
other throughout The sculptor has not wasted
stroke OF the chisel. would add here that between
the third and fourth fingers OF tue right hand the
slit Is carried too far towards the wrist seemingly
Who dia itY A trained sculptor; one who had
seen, studied and probably reproduced many work
OF art one who was thoroughly acquainted with
human anatomy; one, too, who had noble original
powers, for none but such could have formed and
wrought out the conception OF that stately head,
with Its calm, grand smile. so Iull or mingled sweet
ness and strength.
He appears, however, TO have worked under GER
tain disadvantages. He had not such command OF
materials as civilized country could have afforded
hun. He had to put up with the best stone he could
hnd think that the peculiar posture OF the statue
can be fairly explained by supposing that the ori-
glnal block tapered away toward the Ieet, and was
only just about the breadth OF the statue as we now
see It. This seems fairly to explain the curious
position OF the left arm. the artist had to put IL
in there because there was not breadth enough TO
put IL In any other position. SO OF the position OF
the feet-one over the other. The stone may not
have been wide enough to have admitted OF any
other position. Who was her Let US analyze
little.
In the ancient world only the Greek school OF art
was capable OF such perfect reproduction OF the
human form. nave seen no Egyptian or Assyrian
sculpture which approached this In anatomical
accuracy.
Throughout the middle ages till the great art re-
vival no one In Europe had skill enough for the
purpose IL appears, therefore, that unless we
ADOPT the somewhat strained hypothesis that
highly civilized society, now utterly extinct, once
existed on this continent, we are forced 20 search
lOr our sculptor among tne European
who have sought homes in North America during
the last three centuries as one, presume is pre-
pared to maintain that the statue has Greek or
Roman origin, unless. indeed 1t was brought over as
an antique by some forgotten amateur OF art.
Was 1t not. then, as DIR. BoynLon suggests, some
one from that French colony which occupied Sana
and Pompey Hill and Lafayette-some one with an
artists soul, signing over the lost civilization OF
Europe weary OF swamp and forests and fort.
finding this block by the side OF the stream, solaced
the weary days OF exile with pouring out his thought
upon the stoneY The only other hypothesis remain
ing Is that OF gross fraud. One need only say with
regard to this that sucn a fraud would require the
genius of sculptor joined 10 the skill and audaclty
Of q Jack Sheppard
But lastly, what did he intend it to represent
Had he known OF the discovery OF America by the
Mortimer he might have had In his thoughts some
gigantic Brown. or Eric, or Harold. The old North
arrow; his body dying, as the tlght-pressed limbs
express; but the strong soul still rules the face,
which smiles grandly in death. II you mad objected
that there was too much mind shining through the
features the sculptor might have answered that the
closed eyes saw in prophetic vision that men OF his
race would one day rule where he had lain Down to
die But this IS rather too high flown 80 mad better
conclude. Yours, ). X. CALTHROP.
THE BELIEF OF THE ONoNDAGA INDIANs-THE BODY
OF AN INDIAN PROPHET.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SYRACUSE JoURNAL:-
In your columns devoted to Letters from the
People'' / thought you would at TINS time publish
the following being interesting as one OF the cur
rent opinions OF the Indians OF "the case'' regard
ing the wonderful "human petrifed statue'' which,
in Its colossal proportions and the sphinxlike
silence OF Its history 49, eectriying and exciting
the people by one of the old sauaws am told that
q large number Of the 0n0ndagas believe that the
statue Is the petrided body OF q gigantic Indian
prophet who nOurished many centuries ago. and who
foreod the coming Of the pale faces, though long be-
fore the foot OF our forefathers had touched the
Western continent He warned his people with pro-
phetic fervor OF the coming entertainments of the
white and the necessity OF their abstinence from
poison drink he would bring to craze ana destroy
out Of their sight, but that their descendants would
see him again. j. p. +.