New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-15
MISS REAM'S LINCOLN.
wAsuINGToNIAN FREES HIS MIND.
To me Editor OF The Tribune.

incOntestaby right in your objections to the olg" s
of the greatest Commission in sculpture TINS uo,.i
ment has ever had is ever likely TO nave, w ~
to schoolgirl who had made STATUE Is NV
universally admitted But granting all that, say anu
scream the little chorus OF claqueurs VINO miho
ton hideOus with abuse OF you. "the "o9",u -
has after ALL turned out well. Nobouy n'u iib"' "
expect that it would; but 1t has iHo S'i,,o " So
one e. know it's good statute TOT con'"ei VI! o
,raco y, toutes wrote ono Of these solemn worthcsl
t w AMI admit H. and don't even enter into details
| =. ~ wherein IT isn't" Perhaps you VIII lot me
| crafty them.
Tho artistic enthusiasm OF an average Congressman IL
the moro 10 be feared from the fact that 1t Is SO iree
mean free with other peoples money When lover OF
any Injury finds his qualification limited by his pocket,
apt 10 die in eloquent admiration. But when the
enthusiast can put his artistic hands IN another mans
pocket to crafty his artistic inclination there promises
| 10 be a heavy abuse Of taste and raw material
Miss Winnie Ream up to live under the shadow o.
the Capitol from the wilds Of the West somewhere
Kansas / beeve-and received her Bsthetcal cultiva-
ton in study Of the artistic works Of the Capitol under
the guidance and tuition Of the famous Clark Mills whose
brass Jackson balanced s hind legs in an everlasting
state rear has excited the amusement OF all humanity
The part OF the brass jackson which represents the
horse is a success-lke The NewYork Ledger-in its
heavy TAIL while the part meant for Old Hickory sitsas
no man possessed Of weight could st-efyng the laws
OF gravitaon the popular hero OF his day wont
to defy all laws.
Miss Ream devoted all her tmo OF labor n study OF
such immortal works these, and during her leisure
moments wrote the eloquent senator Carpenter in
formed u.s. the Treasury Department Soon her enthu-
sastc OF genius broke out in clay and plaster She
modelled. How she did model. She modelled an Eve. 1t
was a little hard the mother OF mankind. According
to this daughters rendition our venerated mother was
sab-sided. clumsy, and far from beautiful. But the
daughter was lust. What better could be expected o. a
lady whose insane appetite for fruit brought sin into
| tbo nd ourIvo r. 4
correct we can account Adams imprudcnt marriage
| by the fact only that he had no second choice.
After the Eve came the heads Of our distinguished
statesmen. do not hold the fair lady responsible for
the many frigtul productions in this line that mako
day hideous about the Capitol These heads look like
those Of men who had been "On everlasting drunk,
and were swollen beyond recognition Miss Ream took
| them they were gong In, or In the midst and her
prophetic soul took up the picture and wrought it into
| clay.
When statesman has had his gigantic intellect
nodded In plaster and set up In his back parlor TO awe
his wife and fghtcn his children his first impulse is TO
pay for IL out OF some unexpended fund pertaining to the
Government And here came in the inspiration" rs
the eloquent Carpenter calls It, Of the appropriation
$4,000 for statue Of Lincoln. Think of pretty little
| girl holding OF your Congress hands in both OF
hers and looking with pair OF bright eyes from under
a wealth of chestnut ourls so earnestly and pleadngly
into yours with the sabided Eve and the bloated legs
latve heads the background Would not your legisl
tive soul weaken, and your law-makng heart throb
OF course they would. And they did Tho appropria
ton passed and the little lady the statute
books and worse, to the Treasury and, what IS yet
| worse. to the amazed public as an artist
She did more she obtained studio. In the cavcrnous
recesse Of the huge Capitol, cool in Summer and
in Winter in the subdued light OF day that seemed to
wander azly down and lnger lovingly, the ridiculous
little girl worked like Trojan at her model She had
the late Presidents old boots, also his old panaloons,
also his coat kcwise his vest, and like brave girl
she Is dabbed the clay in such dim ght-in such
ghosty pace-in the presence of the ghostly boots,
| likewise breeches, likewise coat.
She suffered only interruption. When the late
. Andrew johnson was arraigned for impeachment her
artistic soul sympathized with the great impeached
This filed the Hon. benjamin Butler with wrath 30 that
when the conumacous Wooey refused to render sober
account Of his intoxicated life in Washington Benjamin,
the Terrible tumbled the little lady out Of her studio and
| incarcerated the WoOley therein
Miss Ream sat at the bronze doors OF Congress and
wept The Democratic soul Of the Legislative department
Of the Government aroused and the winds OF elo-
quent wrath smote upon the OF Benjamin. But the
contumacous WoOey shut up in that fearful place and
forced look upon the CHASTITY figure Of the clay Lincoln
and the ghosty shoes likewise the ghoSty breechos had
great fear upon him, and SO begged pe0usy for
some Of his native drink, called Bourbon, and falling III
that petoned to be taken before the terrible Butler,
saving that would confess and all that he could not
| recollect he would assent to-
half believe Of her money, and packing up her plaster
figure went her way TO Rome, to study more art and
complete in marble her efiigy.
She returned after many days. and the marble statue
was set up rOtunda After being accepted by the
artistic Delane who pronounced it good, and by the
Committee the Library IN House and Senate, all
gentlemen OF high artistic culture who Endorsed the
Deano decision without hesitation or any mental re-
serve whatever, grand ceremony was INDUCED In |
called the unvailing How q platform was erected III
the rotunda of the Capitol how thereon appeared those
great lovers OF art the President cePresdent Gems
sherman and Beknap and Secretaries Robson and De-
lano how certain Senators and members OF the House,
all mady devoted to fine art held forth and discoursed
with requisite taste and learning; how the immense
crowd swayed to and fro awed by the dscourses and
dazzled by the statue; how women tainted ana men
fought while the crowd outside not able TO hear the
artistic eoauence nor see the wonderful work, swore
dreadfully while breaking with stones the sacred
windows Of tho Captol-how all this and much more |
done is matter Of record~has passed into |
history.
Well, the statue is before u.s. and am free to confess
that 1t exctes astonishment 1t is huge welltnished
and, in certain sense, effective. That Is, among
hundred works Of like sort would attract attention IL
is from commonplace, and strikes one as splendid
illustration OF a,temptto do something without know
ing exactly how 1t fails precisely where had night
to expect little GIRL whose study In art had
been confined monstrosites about Washington and
whose practice had been limited TO the dsgurng ofafew
legislative heads could not be expected TO possess the
practice necessary to a finished work. But II she was
animated by particle OF genius we had right to look
for a knowledge OF her subject and, at least, blind
stagger in that direction The statue Is everything Dut
Abraham Lincoln We search in vain for the shrewd,
simple-mannered OF an active, stormy life In this
strange efgy that holds a scroll II presenting
OF great value and yet has the head thrown
forward in thoughtful musing attitude The parts are
not in harmony with each other and are untrue in them
selves Reverse the position Of the right hand let that
hand mold book resting against the right leg, and the