National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-03
MR.. DeHAss' PICTURE,
Historical Review and Criticism

There are several objections which we feel COM
PEELED to urge against the picture Of Mr.. T. De
Haas now on exhibition at the Capitol. WereRrst
the necessity Of doing this inasmuch as We have
always felt and expressed q strong admiration
for the works of this artist He stands deserVedly
among the foremost in his profession and all that
has been said and written Of him as . ooIorist and
as an effective painter is fully carried out In this
picture. He has not the dramatic genius QTW We
may 80 express it) Of Hamilton, nor does he often
evince In his pictures the elaborate finish that
Moran, especially In water. Where that element
is In rapid motion, wave following wave in quick
succession, give as q representation OF It by De
Haas. For the heavy sWells and the sea In the
motion that succeeds the cessation Of Q storm
give MS Moran, and for storm wherein the grand,
the terrible and the sublime are blended give rs
Hamilton. He is to US in art what Edgar A. Poe
It Is hard at times for Us to tell which Of the
turn from their works as We do from those of
Moore to Byron, Byron to Shakespeare, or
Asrmans to Longfell9W, LongfeiloW to Poe:
beautiful, I've mean, Of course, their finished
Works.) What has been said Of Clan BeIlIni's
works may be spilled to them in many instances.
internal gem-llke IRE such as warns q summers
twilight. The shadows are intense, and yet trans
Of the sun under the palace bridges"
The objections that We have referred to In Mr..
De Hass' picture are-nrst, the subject; secondly,
to establish this fact, which we shall do by eT-
tracts from the official correspondence Of Rear
Admiral Bailey and Admiral Farragut, We must
say, in justice to Mr.. De Hsss, that others were
led into the same grave error which he has en-
bodied and perpetuated on canvas. He has the
ton, MI Greeley ana Mr losing and also SsR.
ing the error made eteial By the resolution Of the
Senate Of June Q, 1852. ION the 2Qth Of April,
Washington, d. O., April l, 1869, to Admiral Far
ragut, You issued general order, with pro-
gramme directing the feet to pass the forts and
ascend the river in two columns abreast.
After the chain and booms constituting the enc
my's distractions were cut BY Captain Bell and
Lieutenant Caldwell, It became apparent that II
ing to your written order and programme Of the
10th Of April, the parallel columns Of vessels
side, and the whole feet be hove into Confusion,
under the fire Of the enemy's fort, especially as
you had determined to make night attack, (tUo
O'Clock in the mornlng.) Therefore, with your
proVerbial foresight and SagacIty, you ordered me
TO get my division Of eight vessels under way as
soon as the dusk Of the evening should obscure
the movement from the enemy, and anchor them
line ahead near the east bank, and gave me . fur
Their verbal order, directing me that when the sig
Hartford, to lead up with nv diYSsion, and 70 Re.
ceive but not answer the hre OF Fort Jackson,
which was directed to leave for you to take care
i viii take Care care Of ' Fort Jackson. was then
to open on Fort st. Philip and pass It.
B.! accordingly, passed up at the head Of my
turning the ere Of Fort jackson. After passing
the distractions ordered the helm put aport,
trained and sighted for mid.river, and that they
would consequently overshoot me, which they
did, their shot and shell Kidding our masts spars,
sails and rigging, with little damage to bulls.
We in the Csyuga alone encountered
the rebel Observation-Disclosures and ManassaS-
and their hotilla Of gunboats, and maintained
came up, and aftsr delivering . broadside, which
came into the Cayuga as we'll as into the enemy
in conflict with Us, he passed up the river out Of
The following is the order in which the vessels
were placed according to the corrected diagram,
signed DIG; EsrrsgIt, and certified % 6y Holmes lines
division leading under command Of Capt. Theo-
dorus Bailey: Cayugs, Pensacola, Mississippi,
hickon; Centre division, Admiral Farrsgut:
Hartford, Brooklyn, Richmond; Third division,
capt. II. B. Bell: Sciota, Iroquois, Ksnnebee,
We have heard It stated that this picture Of
Mr.. De Hass, was painted partially under the
supervision Of the late Admiral Farragut. This
certainly must be q mistake. Mr.. De Hass has
represented the vessels In the engagement two
columns abreast, which is incorrect according to
the corrected diagram and the actual facts. Says
Rear Admiral Bailey to he late Admiral FRrra-
gut, In . letter datedI Washington, ID. o., April
"a 1899: 81 would ask Of your friendship and your
idea Of the action, and Sehsfhsr u the names of TIE
vessels veTe Gltersd u you'd not apply equally
yell, or better 70 many other battles The italics
above in letter addressed 70 the Secretary Of
Navy, and dated New York, May "A, 1889.
"Thls viii demonstrate that Rear Admiral then
Oaptain) Bailey, led the feet in the Cayuga up
to the attack on the forts, as hadbeeR previously
ordered, he taking St. Philip with his division,
the squadron under my command. The skeleton
lines show how the vessels moved up nom the
original position Of two lines into the line dAsad
That Admiral Farragut could haTeI supervised
the painting Of this picture seems Incredible.
The confusion that the picture represents is such
as would likely ensue had the vessels moved as
was Indicated in the programme and general
order Of April 20 1852 The position is such as no
naval oficer, we think, would place aeet under
tation and the verdict of history. Mr.. Macauley,
in his review Of "HallAms Constitutional His
tory" one part being assigned to the novelist,
the other to the philosopher. 1t puzzles as
somewhat to know exactly where to place this
effort Of Mr.. De Haas, for, aside from the prob
able portralture and nomenclature Oh tne vessels,
We can place the engagement almost anywhere.
1t is, to use the plain kings own, complete his
torical failure. The eorrespoadence between
Admiral Farragut and Rear Admiral Bailey was
published in the Army and Nary Journal Of July
II, 1859, and afterwards republished In pamphlet
form. under the title Of History Set Rightn
The other objection referred to in the com.
mencement of this article isshe.subject. Congress
has been aVerse, and justly so, TO the purchase
a9y 81 s5 or OF e 10 m te
nected with the recent rebellion. This was the
view entertained by the late Chas. Sumner, and
by all who were consulted by Mr.. Powell, the
artist with reference to the selection Of subject
before the one Of "Perry's Victory" wss deter
mined on. If Congress Is disposed to b gener-
Gus towards artists let them give Mr.. De Hass
commission to paint naval picture, and let the
subject be one that has long ago passed into his
tory and received Its seal Of authenticity.
HIlleary Page, negro incendiary Of Chester
field csunty, convicted Of thirteen attempts to
burn the dwellings and barns OF Mr.. Frank g.
RUIN, was sentenced on Wednesday to be hung
for his crimes on the sOth day Of April next. We
do not doubt the justice of the sentence, but we
doubt the propriety of allowing convicted feloA