New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-13
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT,

L
| It is often mentioned as reproach to
the people Of this country, by superficial
observers from other other lands, and
still more superficial critics of our own,
that the contemplated monument to the
memory of Washington should so long
remain unfinished. 4 deeper glance,
however, into the sentiment which lies at
| the foundation of monument-buildipg.
will, perhaps, show the ill-planned struct.
ure alluded to in a newer, truer light, and
do justice to the natio nal instinct which
leaves it unfinished. In the first place
the time has not yet come to erect any
monument whatever to Washington: and.
in the next place, tina: which has been
begun is unworthy of him. To build a
monument in memory Of public benefac.
tor so eminent and whose services are Of
SO recent date is simply to proclaim the es.
sential ingratitude of those whom he has
benefited by shifting the record of his
virtues from human hearts to marble
slabs. The greater and more precious the
benefits conferred, the greater the ingrati.
tude of thus recording them. The Amer
lean nation, while it retains spark of
that spirit which animated him whom it
calls its ''Father, is the best, nay the only
suitable monument to his fame. Kings
and conquerors may be remembered by
such devices as craven cenotaphs and
pillars, but, as a general thing, they erect
them themselves, and themselves select
the notices which gre to adora them.
For instance
Cheops, erected the first pyramid,
And largest thinking it was lust the thing.
To keep his mem'ry whole and mourning hid:
But somebody other rummaging,
Burg.arlOusly broke the cofin's lid
Let not q monument give you nae hopes
since not pinch of dust rem aims of Che0ps.
So sang or said, for the idea is sadly
prosaic, the sardonic Byron; and there is
a melancholy truth in the utterance. To
be remembered only through the existence
of monument is worse than to be for
gotten; and in fact the erection of such
enduring tablets is simply decent and
respectful method of shelving the memory
Of those to whom they are erected. In
domestic life for instance, is it not a
sadly notorious fact that no sooner has
the average widow relieved her feeling by
the erection of an elaborate tomb to the dear
deceased, celebrating thereon his virtues,
and recording her grief, than she straight
way dismisses the subject from her mind
as an accomplished duty, and makes
ready to select mis- successor. The dead
thus honored are usually doubly bur-
ried; first beneath the inclosing sod,
and then beneath the easily marble
which seems to say 10 their in
urned spirits, ''Peace, be still, rise no
more to haunt our memories. Are you
not dead and buried, and pressed down
beneath weight Of craven stonerecord-
ing all your virtues? What have we
more to do with you?"
Not so would we as q nation dismiss
the debt Of gratitude we owe to Washing
ton. This memory is craven on our
hearts; his character is the model upon
which We would: orm the growing minds
of our youth. and Judge the actions of
ourco ublic men his utterances we would
havet amiliar. our speech as household
words. We need as yet no marble monu-
ment emind rs his virtues, and
mayt be t, me be far distant when we shall
need such reminder. When that time does
come. when we fee his influence passing
away, when new theories Of republicanism