Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-03-17
.argest Circulation in the District
Reading Matter on Every Page
WASHINGTON CITY;
Tuesday March IL. 1874.
Our Civil Heroes-Lef them be Conn.,
memOrated-

Considering hat ours Is q form OF government
In which the military Is subordinated to the civil
branch in the administration of public affairs II
must be conceded that the people of the United
States have 30 far done pretty well by their mill
tary heroes Nearly half of the men who have
been chosen to fill the Presidential chair were 80
chosen on account of their services in the field;
and in large majority Of cases where a monu-
mental shaft or historic eff ~ has been erected
in memory Of a distinguished American il will
be found that its subject has carved his name on
the roll Of honor with his sword. We have no
fault to ind with this. Our only cause of regret
Il that this prssewOrthy disposition to perpetu-
ate the memory of eminent men has not taken a
WIDER range, and included q larger number of
those whose laurels were won IN ths-fess brill
liant but not less honorable fields of civil effort,
and who have in that way sptly illustrated
the truth Of the poets line-"Peace hath her
victories no less renowned than war"
Beyond all question, the grandest event in the
career of this nation was the adjustment of
slavery. The brightest page in the first hun
dred years Of its history is that which records
the giving of liberty to four million human be-
ings. The great and good man who signed the
decree of emancipation fell by the hand OF the
assassin before the fruits of his labors had been
fully gathered, and yesterday the grave closed
over the form Of the last of the four foremost
men in all the movements leading up to that
sublime result OF all men who contributed IN
make that result possible, none were more per-
slstent, more consistent, more earnest, er more
influential than SALMON P. CHASE HORACE
GREELEY, WILLIAM Ii. 5 SEWARD and CHARLES
SUMNER. II any event in the history of the
American people Is worth commemorative, it is
the adjustment of human slavery; if the name
and form of any American citizen deserve to
be perpetusted, they are those OF the illustrious
men We have named, in connection with the
name and form Of ABRAHAM LINCOLN: the
wise and brave mOuldsrs and organizers of
public opinion, and the faithful and conscien-
tious consummatori
The present generation owes IL not less TO
posterity than to itself to erect in a conspicuous
and accessible place in the public grounds in
washington historic group OF statuary which
shall include on q common base the bropze or
marble image Of these five men. 1t should be
simple in form, and comparatively inexpensive
As to cost 1t will need few OF the emblematic
devices OF art, and none or the adornments of
NEUROLOGICAL symbolism. The figures of this
matches quintette, glOrified by the haIlowed
associations Of their lives, will be enough.
Nor should it be left to the people at large,
nor TO any class, nor yet TO any society or orga-
nization, public or private, to do this noble
by the government, itself,-which, after all, is
only the erystalsed expression of popular feel.
ing ana the public will. The group, complete
In place, need not cost over a hundred thousand
collars; and, poor as the Treasury may be said
10 be, there should not be an hours delay in
aPpropriating the necessary amount OF money
and ordering the work to be begun.
Neither need there be any difficulty in de-
fermining how or By whom the monument
shall be executed. Let the commission be
given to five sculptOrs of experience and ac-
kDo"ledged reputation, jointly, with authority
TO agree upon and prepare a model, subject to
the approval OF Congress, and with authority
also 10 aPportion the Work among themselves as
may be by them deemed most certain to attain
the high end IN view. In this way govern
ment would secure a work OF art at once worthy /
Itself and the subject sought to be common
Grated
Who will set the ball in motion to brlns about
this proud result?