Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-05-20

and heads Of departments."
Mr.. Calhoun interrupted with few remarks,
which were lnaudihle 70 the reporters.
Mr.. Keim continued, and referred 10 a let
ter from the Secretary Of the Navy lwho, Y
seems, had previously entered Into an oral
agreemcnt with another artist for pedestaD
Ia explanation Of the propriety Of the provls-
lon proposed. He (the Secretary Of the Navy
said that were the question now whether we
would order this statue or not, he should be
among the hrst 10 vote in the negative but
oongTes. hSa already spent about about $1,000 ,sOS
ing on rude structure Of yellow pine boards
would be a reflection on the character OF the
nation. He would advocate the appropria-
ton for a durable pedestal Of stone.
Mr.. Fillmore asked Mr.. Keim u he was
member Of the committee that had been APP
pointed TO superintcnd the removal of the
statue. Mr.. Kcim said he was not. SO far as
| the committee was concerned, he added, they
were willing that the statue, with liz wooden
pedestal, should remain as Il was, much Ike
| Hindoo suttoo, with marble corpse on
/ funeral Pile. He deprecated the idea OF any
party feeling entering Into the discussion, say
Ing the question was merely whether the
statue Of Washington should remain on aped-
estal Of yellow pine boards, coated over with
coal-inst, or be removed 10 a more apprOpri-
ate place, and have O suitable pedestal.
Mr. Fillmore thought there had been tacit
UNDERSTANDING NftNNth NhA "Ns
Grcenough, that he, being the author Of the
statue, should have the direction Of the form
and construction Of the stHtuc,
Mr.. Pcndlcton informed the House that he
was member Of the committee, and that the
wooden pedestal was only intended 10 bc tenn
porary. The committee had agreed that the
location from the centre Of the rOtunda must
be changed, and after various experiments
both as to position and elevation, they finally
agreed on tho spot where Ii now stands.
The statue, Il must he remembered, had
previously been removed from the rOtunda,
the space between the doors again being en-
larged before its crit could be effocted. Here
| II was for some time, boarded over, and re-
manned an unsightly object.
Mr.. Pcndlcton continued; "Thc committee
| could have no understanding with Mr.. Green
| ough ~ to the construction Of the pedestal, as
they had received no power on that subject
but they were unanimously u opinion that Il
would &c hut Justice To him. ~ the sculptor OF
the statue, that he should he allowed TO COM
| plete the whole design" lie concluded by
saying he could not for moment imagine
how the gentleman from Pennsylvania
| could assume II TO he the intention Of any
body that the present wooden support Of the
| statue should stand as it, permanent pedestal
on the supposition Of which he had grounded
a somewhat tart criticism on the committee
Here several voices cried out, Withdraw
your amendment. that's a good tcllow!'
Mr.. Adams q. % was for giving the work
on the pedestal 10 the artist who had made the
statue, Mr.. Grcenough. He had heard that
there was n plan on foot for employing an
other artist on the pedestal. The friends Of
Mr.. GrcenOngh were Indignant ut such prop
ostiOn, so much so that he believed they would
prefer 10 see the statue share the fate which
had fallen upon another statue OF the same
man (Washington) by an equally transcendent
artist, lhe evidently alluded TO the statue by
Canova, buried In the Capitol at Raleigh, to
having him exposed 10 an indignity 90 NOR
tifying as that Of calling In another artist 10
finish what he had begun. He hoped Mr..
Grcenough would be allowed to complete his
own work, and that for his labor he would he
properly compensated.
Mr.. Adams had previously voted for the re-
mOyal Of the statue from the rotunda for the
reason that water dripped down TN ~ The
discussion, Il will be seen, took a very wide
range, but not one Of the speakers seemed to
comprehend tho real question at Issue or to
have any yory correct ideas concerning art
matters. The statue and IL pedestal are,
among artists, considered rs things entirely
separate The ono belongs 10 the genius Of
art, the other 10 its mechanism. An artist
may furnish the design, and suggest the pro-
portions and placing Of pedestal, but In his
contract for statue the pedestal does not form
a part. And II the friends Of Mr.. Greenough
had any such feeling as T. here described by
Mr.. Adams, Il was a mistaken one, and must
have arisen from insufficient knowledge Of the
subject Very few sculptOrs care about hay
ing anything 10 do with what thoy consider
the mechanical part Of the work.
The debate was further continued by Mcssrs.
). c. 1ngersoll, Pendleton and Joseph X. In
gcrsOll. Referring to the action vi the SecTc-
tary Of the Navy the last speaker said ''lle
had accordingly cNnrod " 70 be removed from
the navy yard, where II was first landed, to
the rotunda Of the Capitol, an operation which
t.aa i.n,, lille slyill and
care. The statue had been placed In the centre
Of the rotunda, In spot which had been pre-
yJOusly prepared To receive so great weight
by the erection, In the story below, OF mass
Of solid mason-wOrk reaching up and sup
porting the floor The Secretary Of the Navy
had Also given directions, not final, not if-
reyocable, to the sculptor Pettrick 10 prepare
q suitable design for the pedestal. These d.
rections were preparatory merely, and not
such ~ to interfere in any way with the rights
Of Mr.. Grccnough, II he had rights In the ease"
Mr.. IngersOn spoke nj length On the subject,
and closed with some complimentary remarks
on the skin Of Mr.. Pettrick as a sculptor.
Mr.. Henry A. Wise wished to Inquire Of the
committee having the matter In charge
whether the pedestal was not, In strictness, a
part Of the statue, and whether Mr.. Green
ough was not bound 10 complete u a. such for
the compensation already allowed him?
Mr.. Pondleton replied that the committee
had nothing 10 do with that question, their
duty being merely 10 locate II.
Mr.. Wise here began speech In which he
denounced the statue In the most caustic and
bitter language. He hurled against II all the
inyeetiye he was capable Of commanding. In
the course Of his speech he said II seemed to
him like Jewing tho Government 10 send them
an incomplete thing, and then claim TO do the
residue for new compensation, He de-
nounced the statue as unit 10 be made, ridi-
euled ia want Of draPery, and criticised the
Latin inscription, which he said was bad
Latin written In Italy"
This statue has cost the Government nearly
IS, 600, enough 10 have purchased at least
four good and satisfactory statueH, had The
business been properly managed. II has been
sud, and with truth, we think, that the valne
of a statue Ia 10 be found In what II suggests,
more than In the merits Of its execution or de
sign. The history Of this unfortunate statue
In measure iliustrates the force Of such an
argument lbs effect on the people Is clearly
not such as the artist Intended Il should have.
The four statues that might have, properly Sc
lcctcd, been procured with this money, would
have given satisfaction 10 the people, reflected
credit on American art, and whit was Of more
value 10 the artists Of the country, encouraged
Corr 10 go on encouraging American
artists with It's patronage. We were also In
the habit Of dealing very loosely with artists.
Aud another and very important thing llluE
trated In the history Of this statue Of Wash
ington is the bad and very expensive policy OF
making q contract with an artist for speci-
fed work and allowing him To produce some
thing entirely different. An artist has no
more right 10 Disregard his contract with the
Government, and ask II 10 accept something
very different In cost and design from what ID
bargalnsd for than any other person
No. II. On May 0, 1s36 an appropriation
OF $500 was made 10 pay Tor n bust In marble
Of Chief Justice MaTshail. The artists name
Is not given. This bust Is 10 be found In the