Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-12-10
The s3oudom statue CT Washing

The 81 Louis Rc73,1bHc0R, in refer
ring to the removal from the rotunda
ol uhe Nirgiuia Capitol of HoudOn's
statue of Washington says:
Considering the vcucration with
which everything pertaining 10 the
Immortal rebel is regarded in Virgin
Ia, the ancient commonwealth has
been strangely negligent concerning
this counterfeit prescniment OF his
form and features. The statue, as
many of our readers are aware, was
ordered ry the Virginia General As
S"mhIy soon after the close of the Rev
olutiOnary struggle, and when the he
10 oG The struggle was yet hardly past
the Urine az vigorous manho0Od.-
Thomas Jefferson, then at the court
ni France, was instructed to engage
The services of the best sculptor in Eu
rope. and hc Heut over Houdon, " no
spent six weeks at Mount Vernon, and
made his n cdCl from the body of the
great chief. The work was transfer
rcd t. marble in ItaIy. thence forward
cd 70 Richmond and placed ON the
spot il has since occupied. There,
surrounded 10y a clumsy IRON railing,
whose stvle ami finish would disgrace
a Village blacksmith; exposed to the
dust and dirt ola public edifice whose
cleanliness is ofthe laser sort; tamper-
al with 10y every itinerant bust manu-
facturer who could obtain permission
80 take casts rom it; shattered once
or twice 10y stray pistol shots eXchang-
ci between wrathful Legislators, and
continually subjected to the perils of
con1lagration, this matchless image
has remained to convey to
rostcritY the lineaments of him
whom God made childless that 4
nation might call him father" The
necessity of providing more suitable
receptacle for the statue has been of
ten discussed, but never resulted in
any definite action. Twenty years
ago, General Charles Dimm0ck,
then cOmmandant of the old State
armory. submitted a proposition to
erect fire-proof structure of appropri-
ate architectural design on the Capt.
Iol grounds for the safe keeping of
HoudOn's masterpiece, and nIemOri-
ais and documents as Virginia could
not afford 10 loose. For some reason,
the bill failed 10 pass, and thus the
matter has rested until BOW, when a
final settlement of il was almost at
tanned through the interference of de
caying brick and rotten timber.
We know that old Virginia is suffer
ing sadly form impecuniositY. and
has not a dollar to spare; but still we
hope she win do something speedily
for the preservation of this souvenir of
her most illustricus son. If the treas
airy Is utterly empty, and the prospect
Of replenishmeut gloomy, then let the
people i'm their individual capacity take
tho business in hand and push it to a
successful completion. The KOh-
I-Noor diamond is not worth half SO
much to England as this statue is-or
ought il To he-to America. The sac
red soil which boasts OF being "the
mother of presidents" I" should at least
be rs careful Of her Jewel in stone as
the Yankees are Of the elm in Cam
bridge. That historic tree. beneath
whose widespread canopy Washing
ton first drew his sword as c0mma
drr-in-chief of the American armies.
las been guarded as tenflerly rs though
At bore golden fruit. Protected as far
Is practicable from the inevitable
wear and tear of the elements; marked
Iy an inscription cut in imperishable
granite telling the glorious legend, il
still lifts its shattered arms toward the
heavens, n leafy monument to the
man whose deeds will grow green in
The worlds heart forever and forever
more.
We may here remark that the bronze
in Lafayette park is a very satisfactory
copy Of Houdon's original, and st.
Louis is Fortunate TO be its possessor !;
hUt much OF the effect is lost 10y too
great elevation. The statue is just
life size, and was really never intended
to stand above the level of the gazer's
eye. ~ e adf hrl