Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-04

UFtccn6S duu hut6-DuCh1tS, Win I'LL
mense epaulets upon his shoulders, his
right hand supported by cane, while
the left arm with mantle. thrown care
lessly over it, rests upon what was in
tended to be a plow-beam cooked up in
the air at an angle of forty-fve degrees,
and from the end of which bangles a
sword. Upon the white pedestal, en-
blazoned in black letters, is the follow
ing:
The General Assembly of the Com
mOnwealth of Virginia have caused
this statue to be erected as a
monument of affection
and gratitude to
GEORGE WASHINGTON,
Who, uniting the victorious endowments
of the Hero to the virtues of the Pa
triot, and exerting both in estab-
fishing the Liberties of his
country, has rendered his name
dear to his fellow-citizens and gave.
the world an immortal example Of true
glory.-Done in the year of
CHRIST,
One thousand and seven hundred and
lightweight, and in the year of the
commonwealth the twelfth"
We have to look twice, nay, more to
see any resemblance to Washington in
this plaster carricaturc, but the very in
tent coupled with the ancient inscription
watts upon the sensibilities a train of
historic incidents and peoples the silent
hall with forms and scenes of the long
-ago. How wildly it speaks of Trenton,
Monmouth, and Valley Forge, of the
dreary struggles of infant liberty and of
the conqueror who actually refused to
WELD the septre over a willing people.
What better president for the silent con-
gress than him whose voice was heard in
our inception. inspires the nations heart
to-day, and whose influence will end only
when eternity shall end? In the rear Of
him stands the full-sized statue Of Ham
ilton, ia life greater even than his illus
trious chief, and whose impress upon
our constitution and government writes
his name far up on the role of states
manship. He lives forever to be called
great The thunders of his logic, no less
potent to-day than in the long ago, will
claim the nations attention in the my
raids to come, when the writer and read
er of this shall have been lost among
earth's countless millions, Still back
and to one side, standing near The large
pillars, are the representatives Of Con
necticut. Just mcased. and placed in p"-
sition. Right noblv hath the Nutmeg
State responded by sending here her two
early governors. TTumbull and Sherman
Upon the left and corresponding to tn"
position of Washington, stands Ninic
Ream's Lincoln, upon which criticism is
still fresh before the country; back Of
him and corresponding to the position Of
Connecticut, are Rhode Islands offer
ings Gen. Greene in full military dress
and an attitude of command seems again
to wake the ccho- of the revolution.
while by his side the form of Roger Vii
liams-the long flowing hair. the quaker
garb and the mild pathetic features Of
the humanitarian speaks Of better things
than war, telling how peace had her vic
tories in those days Of trial, and appeal
ing to the higher sensihilities of the hour.
Verify. let such as him he admitted to
this Congress. Let them stand hire
while this structure stands, ave forever.
living monuments, eloquent advocate,
appealing to the better wants Of the
inCessant throng that daily surge through
these corridor. from one house Of Con
gress to the other,
But the old clock over the door there.
which has mcasmcds0ff Hfo's destiny t.
some of these, admonish Us We have
but a word more Here is but the begin
ming of the grand idea Of a national gal
lery of art devoted to its eminent sub
jects. Here is much space-cheerloss
and meaningIcss-and We miss from this
Congress those without whom it can
never be complete. The grand idea calls
for the gathering into this silent group
of those worthless of the past WA0 have
Illuminated the pages Of ouL history and
been foremost in making our glorious
country what it is. The first that come
have the choice of position in this hall,
and it is our ambition that Vermont in
Washington should be represented in the
foreground. The hero of I'll" in the
name of the great Jehovah and the Con-
tinental Congress, would add fiery elo-
quence to this scene and honor to the
Green Mountain State Who shall be
the other candidate? X. +