Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-11-14
IL. 1869.
Hiram Pnwers.

The Washington correspondent OF
the New Orleans Picaylaae thus earves
a character Tor the famous Cincinnati
sculptor:
a communication in q recent New
Orleans paper calls attention 10 the
unfinished statue Of Franklin, for
which Mr.. Hiram Powers received a
commission more than thirty years
ago. A subscription was raised in
New Orleans, more Ia charity TO Mr.
Powers than for display, and 5000
was forwarded with the commission;
the balance, S29O1, as was customary,
to be paid on delivery. Up to this
time, this charity has been unrecog-
nized, and New Orleans Is without
this statue. All This, however, is in
keeping with the past conduct Of this
man. Now I shall proceed to give
your readers some facts in regard to
this statue and Mr. Powers ingrati-
tude.
In the first place, this was the first
order which Mr.. Powers received, and
the first payment was equal TO the
full uIn paid for Eve and many
other similar statues finished years
afterwards. This IS merely to show
the liberal spirit in which this artist
was treated By your people, long be-
fore he was known to lame, and i take
pleasure in calling particular atten-
ton to these facts because he has time
and again gone out of his way to in-
suit Southerners. Again, Mr.. Powers
was landed in Italy, and his family
were supported here for years by the
bounty Of a Southern gentleman, and
he was indebted to Southern gen
t.emen, Ike Jackson, MeDufie,
Calhoun and Preston, for constant
encouragement. His first /" Greek
Slave" was an order given by
Mr.. James RObb, then living in New
Orleans, to encourage an American
artist; and when the time Of delivery
arrived, Mr.. Powers attempted to palm
off the second s'Slave" which he had
executed, thereby involving his patron
in a lawsuit. Mr.. RObb, however,
recovered the first statue, which after
ward passed into possession of Mr..
W. w. COrcoran, of this city, whose
exquisite gallery it now adOrns.
When Alexander MOutOn was Cover
nor of Louisiana, Mr.. Powers agent
offered TO take a commission for a
statue of Washington for the State at
5000, and the Governor very literally
made it $4,000. This emasculated
statue subsequently, cost the State
SO, 600. Soon after this the city Of
| Charleston ordered a Calhoun statue
for IS, 600. / do not know whether it
eventually cost the city double or not,
! but this statue event down to the sea"
in the bark Elizabeth, which was
wrecked of the coast of New York.
Subsequently it was recovered through
the exertiOn OF Mr.. John ID. johnson,
of New York, who shipped it TO
Charleston in his own yacht. There
are now in the corridors Of the capitol
statues of Franklin and Hancock by
this artist, a part Of a national ex-
penditure in his favor of 81, 300 in cue
year. Much more could be written
to show the liberal manner in which
Mr.. Powers has been encouraged by
his cOuutrymen, as we'll as in proof of
his iDgratitude and bad faith to them.
Enough has been said, however, to
place him in a proper light before the
pnblic, and to indicate the salutary
measures which must be taken by the
citizens of New Orleans, if they would
secure their Franklin.