New-York tribune., 1874-05-21

We had hoped that some progress had been
made in setting the public mind right in the matter
Of sculpture in the Central Park. But, alas. we
reckoned without host of well-meaning mistaken
people, and it would appear that the subject is still
in stdu q,o. This time it is person named Burn
ham has come to bother us again. We do not
know who Mr.. Burnham is, but we do know that he
is most ingenious person. and that he has invented
q plan to worry the C. p. c. that would even make
merry Andrew Green himself, if anything could do
that in these days. Mr.. Burnham proposes to cele-
brate the Centennial by erecting, at his own cost in
the Central Park a colossal statue ofwhom does the
reader thinkf OF C. Columbusi OF G.. Washing
toni or Adams Jefferson, or Fulton'-No.
reader, but of Daniel Webster! We, really. cannot
see it, We have prejudices against colossuses IN
general nor against colossus of ID. Webster in par
ticular. We have always felt well inclined toward
the Colossus of Rhodes, and think it a good
thing to have. But we do not want MT. Burnhams
statue in the Central Park. We should be delighted
if he would agree to set it straddle Of the East
River with foot the top of each pier of tho new
bridge and holding up the suspensiOn-bridge with
his hands. This would be a god-sent device to the
sculptor-we suppose Clark Mills is TO make il, or
else his fair pupil Winnie Ream-who would be sure
to welcome this occupation for his great subjects
hands How much better than thrusting one band
in the other, as the late Mr. Powers has repre-
sented hml Percbed up in this way on the
new bridge, the members of the Brooklyn Ring
could walk under his huge legs and peep about
to find themselves the dshonorable graves that are
awaiting them. We hope Mr.. Burnham will think
of this. If he consent, then the Bridge, even when
finished will be without a peer. But of what usd
will sucha statue be in Central Parkf And even II
a use could be devised for il, what would il have to
do with the Centennial Mr. Webster was an in
tellectual giant, stupendous force. magnhcent
human being-nay, if we take the Boston estimate OK
him, he did pretty well. Bnt we have such
plethora Of great men that it seems inyidious TO
to take any one man and make colossus OF hiin.
What will Mr. Colfax say. or Gen. Butler, or Gen.
Grant, And there is Richardson. lie would
look well in brass-but so long as Butler lives
there will be no brass to use for this pur-
pose. The General monopolizes all there is in his
own person. But if we were to take all Richardson's
promises to pay and pound them upinto pdpitr maehA
there would be enough to make colossus alongside
of which he of Rhodes would look like pigmy-
Still we don't want even colossus of Richardson IN
the Central Park, even though he should promise ."
provide the material, and Mr.. Burnham should pay
for manipulating the pulp. We don't want any
body's statue in the Central Park at present. We
want to wait till we have recovered from the
"Scott,n and till our horses have done shyins
at the Morse;' - we prefer 10 defer any
more horrors till can suddenly face
tho Schiller without womansh start.
or can come bolt on the Humboldt withouS
calculating a customary prayer me ooniineio.
is not badit makes us think of Jane-we t men our our
Mary Jane, for, God forbid, that we should hks
ANYTHING that looked like Jayne, Yet statue OF
Commerce modelled on Jayne would not mS oS ,naPpro
commerce Ia mere block, stone, q worse than
senseless thing. No, till We nave digested theSe
other would be benefactors will keep hands of our
Park, unless they can be sure TO gi.e us somethns
a thing unlikely at the least!
Sometimes there is an astonishingly happy suggesr
tion in typographical error. Thus Western news
paper informs its readers that M Richardson viii
leave for Europe about the muddie Of May Some
people might say that whether he leaves in May or
June. any other month. he will be likely 10 leave
in "a muddle" even il 10 does not oouie back IN
oua.