New-York tribune., 1870-12-17

and reluctantly to give it up.
But while the guardians and restorers OF
our parks and public spaces extort our APP
probation by taking away one ugly OBJECT
why should they invite censure by replacing
It with another equally but moro expensivey
and ostcntatiOusy ugly The new fountain
at the northwestern corner of the Park has
excited considerable angry critical discussion
several dull doctors are disagreeing as 70
whether it is handsome or not, 80 we may as
well, in our character of umpire, at once step
in and give il its stroke of grace IL ls 1act
that it is dismally and unequivocally ugly. IL
;ts founders Ind taken the old statue and set
it I'D in the middle of the basin, with a
watering not in one hand and photograph
of a thunder shower in the Othor 1t would at
least have had the merit of being hydrostatic-
ally suggestive and amusing But the decora-
tions and adOrnments of the fountain, as IL
stands. have no merit whatever. Nay, the
work is even so grossly defective in all artistic
RESPECTS that its presence in 80 conspicuous
place is like the presence of staring, vulgar
picture upon the walls of newly-enrlched
citizen-a costly ard OstentatiOus sign or
ignorance and lack of taste. Who Is respons
ible When Titus reared his arch he put his
name to his work and embroidered Its tablets
with considerable Latin in eulogy OF himself.
Adrian did not shirk the responsibility OF the
Temple which he built and blazoned, but cut
his imperial autograph thereon in letters
fathom long and so deep as to Outlast tradl-
ton. The architect of the Park fountain
should have followed 80 salutary an example,
Who did iti Was it Sweenyf or Judge Hill
toni or Tweedf These worthy gentlemen
have, respectively, talents not unworthy OF
statuary celebration, and the name OF either,
recorded upon his watery work. would have
been perused by the antiquary OF the future
with emotions of admring curiosity like those
with which we poruse the bieroglyphs of
Luxor or the battered monogram of Ozyman-
dias.
1t is possible that the gentlemen who have
taken in hand the business of planting ever
greens and rearing statues and fountains IN
our parks may not know so much about the
proprieties of decoration or the graces of art
as they do about managing primaries and en-
gineering Legislatures. AS their work Is one
in which all citizens have an interest, we may
as well impart to them few precepts which
we beseech them to heed. If they do so they
will save good deal Of cast iron and bronze,
and render their labors of substantial value
to the future historian. We do MT want
any more metallic cOmmemorations of the
slender young virgins of mythology,
nor any antique fantasies Of sculpture.
Let them direct their chisels to the
perpetuation of the history which they have
helped to rear. When Pompey erected his
pillar it was wreathcd from base to summit
with the procession of his achievements cap
tive peoples and kings and chariots, strange
animals from distant lands, the steeds OF
Etolia, and the elephants and tigers OF the
East the clustering spear-heads OF Phrygia,
and Umbrian bOwmen, with arrows at rest
40 that the towering stone yet tells the story
of the conqueror, and casts ray OF light
along the dusk OF those half forgotten CEN
turies. Now we want our history embellished
and perpetuated in similar fashion. II
Mr. Tweed will erect a pillar in front
of the Court-HOuse, sculptured In rehef
with the similitudes of subjugated Common
Councils, and captive Legislatures and Gov
ernors in leading strings, and mustachcd May
Ors, e-glass in hand, bending to the dust be-
fore him, with rearing steeds and services OF
plate, and punch-bowls, and upon the summit
of all, seated in a rocking chair significant OF
the useful pursuit which he formerly adorned,
place his own ponderous and impressive image,
n fat and keen-sighted counterfeit of the lean
and bindfold statue of Justice upon the top
of the City Hall, he will not only perpetuate
the remembrance of his useful and profitable
achievements, but will establish precedent
which cannot fail to exert q salutary effect
upon the decorative procedures of his success
sors We don't want Mars, nor Vulcan, nor
Saturn set up like lonely bifurcated ninepins
in our parks to frighten horses and cause chill
,lren to ask questions which send us flying to
the manuals of Lempriere and AnthOn {; but it
would be entirely appropriate to set up smiling
similitudes Of Fox, and Farley, and Fisk, jr.,
and Morrisscy, and Michael Norton, and the
other graceful and accomplished patriots and
statesmen who lend 80 bright luster to our
age.
While we are dealing with this subject we
may as well say that we bestow very cordial
approval upon the evergreens and shrubs with
which Mr.. Sweeny has decorated the City Hall
Park, and which make handsome spot of
what was before probably tho most unsightly
territorial triangle in the world. Let him ex-
bbit the same good sense and good taste in
the statuary portion of his work. and he may
yet live to extort from THE TRIBUNE those
words Of eulogy which it never withholds from
public benefactors. Let us have no more dec
Orative gimcrackeres no more attenuated
cast-iron sylphs straddling vaguely above the
watery tumult of fountains, but solid images
of Aldermanic port and pomp, burly and TO
tund the cheering quid bnlging the calm and
placid cheek, the eyes fixed sagaciously upon
nothing in particular, or closed in winks of
intense meaning and significance, the hand
outstretched in perpetual solicitation of bribes