Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-15
The New StatHe.

C.
OF the revolution. recently put in position i'm
Stanton Square in this city with so little noise
or display that comparatively few persons
were aware OF the circumstances, must take
rank as one of the most important additions
ever made to the art possessions of the gov
ernment. At first sight the impression is Likely
to be one of disappointment, but in n little
time this is almost sure TO pass away, and the
longer the group is examined the more it's
great merits assert themselves and challenge
the admiration of the intelligent observer. II
Is not work to be seen at glance and passed
naStly oy. III requires and repays critical at
tentiOn.
Both horse and rider are superbly modelled.
the former. particularly, with rare knowledge
OF its anatomy. In the type chosen, As well as
in its treatment Mr. Brown has departed very
widely from the conventional horse of sculp
ture e,-considerably farther. indeed, than in his
fine statue of Scott. which stands in the north
western part of the city; He is thorough
bred. cleanimbed saddle horse of modern
times, represented in moderate but full trot.
This may at first thought be considered a haE-
ardous eNperiment-One that is a good deal
more likely to fail than to succeed; and SO it
would be in the hands of any one but mas
ter. The prime difficulty to be met in repro
ducing in statuary figure of any kind in any
other position than one of absolute repoSe is
20 dlVeSt the mind of the observer of a feeling
OF fatigue or want of complete enjoyment in
looking at an object represented to be in mo-
tion, possibly at the supreme point of action
and yet standing still. Mr.. Brown. however,
al
pletely in this instance as did John OF Bologna
in his famous and much admired Flying Mer
curry. The human figure could not well be put
in more unnatural and constrained position
than that: yet no one looking at it ever enter
tains any other than a feeling not only of en-
tire comfort, but of unmiXed admiration, as
well, at the wonderful manner in which the
idea of light and airy motion is conveyed in
the rigid mOtiOnleSS bronze. SO with Mr..
Browns horse in this case. 1t is not as if the
animal were struck stiff or dead while in the
fToftlnp.-3 a SuSDpnIpI
ton, as it Were,-at which one looks with
something OF feeling of pain. wishing it
might speedily be relieved from its unnatural
attitude and allowed TO resume one of ease
and repOSc. The sense of natural action and
graceful motion only is there. and in its most
perfect expression. The observer looks at it
as he would look at a living horse and rider
passing by, and it never once occurs 10 him
that they are not alive and actually in motion.
To accomplish this is, it seems TO u.s. to achieve
one OF the highest trlumphS OF plastic art.
Without having heard from the artists own
lips the motif of his group. We should say that
his inspiration and aim We're To represent an
eVentiui, perhaps critical. period on field of
battle. The horses attention is attracted and
his head Slightly turned to the left,-in which
direction the rider is also looking-his fore leg
is raised in an eNquiStely proud curve. while
the toe of the hind foot correspondingy in mo-
ton rests naturally and lightly on a small
round Shot, thus admirably sustaining the
equipOise of the figure.
We have thaS far given so much more atten-
ton TO the horse than TO the man. because.
from its type and treatment, the former is al
most certain to be the object of more criticism
than the latter. The rider. clothed in the pict-
ureSque and martial-lOoking continental uni
form, with cooked hat and high boots, is evi-
IDENTIFY directing the movement OF Il body of
troops on his left to the front, toward which he
| is himself Fastening and pointing with his out
! stretched right hand. He sits naturally and
securely in his saddle. resting the bulk of his
| weight i'll the right Stlrrup. as is required by
his action and attitude. The countenance.
! which Indicates an age rather below forty. is
| Slnglliarly handsome and noble, and i>, We
| should Judge. an accurate lkeneSS,-cOpied.
most likely from portrait i'm the possession
| OF some of his descendants.
| OF course it cannot he claimed that the
! work is perfect Nothing of the kind can
I've made which will he faultless in all eyes
! The tail OF the horse and the extended right
! arm of the rider seem to lis to be its weak
! points, and others not so conspicuous may also
! be open to adverse criticism But rs a whole
| the group is both attractive and imposing
| creditabe alike to the artist who executed and
| those who gave the commission. Indeed, il
| may fairly be said that its decided merits as a
! work of art will go far toward atoning for the
! delay in carrying out the intention so long
since voted by Congress, that monument
! DRY of WaShingtOnS favOrite and trusted COM
panion in armS,-a hero whose present resting
| place by the way, is, singularly enough said
| 1T is to be regretted that. for the convent
ence OF the public, the statue could not have
| been put in more easily accessible place, and,
ate surroundings are not at the present time
| in better keeping. Naturally considered, how
| ever. the location is without doubt the choicest
and most commanding in the city, and in that
| respect it is worthy SO fine and important a
| work. as the work itself is in turn worthy the
| site selected for it.
| THE INDIAN BUREAU INVESTIGATION CRIT
| CIsED:-An Amherst, Mass, dispatch says that
! President Seelye, of Amherst college, who.
| during his service i'm Congress. was a member
HDlIGe Indian a Hen nd
| had thus unusual opportunities of knowing
the management OF the Indian bureau. pro
| nOunceS the proceedings of the late board of
| inquiry into the Indian management "a gross
| traveStY upon Justice, which has been pro-
| cured by combination of SharperS and swim
| dlerS, as deceitful as they are unScrupulous
whose animOsity against Mr. Cabin the chief
| clerk OF the bureau. was excited because they
| found him too clear-headed for them to de
| lnde and too honest-hearted for them to per
| Suade."
| A MEMBER OF THE SENATE OF VIRGINIA
said in speech on Friday VIM. LYancey
| told DR.. Curry, of this city, that one of the
greatest difficulties in the way toward re-
cognitlOn of the c0nfederacy was the fact that
Jefferson Davis, OF Mississippi, repudiating
state, was at the head Of the government. Mr..
! Lamar. Senator from Mississippi, is reported
TO have recently said the same thing. The re-
| pudiatiOn of Mississippi has, therefore cost us
| in Virginia the independence of the SOUTH
! WAS THE SOUTH WILLING TO FIGHT AGAIN.
| ReleFTlllS 10 a recent washington letter To 4
Cincinnati paper. the Petersburg Na.l Iilder-
| appeal of the 1lth instant says s." The south
| ern people, we believe. We're perfectly willing
| to go to any extremity, not even excepting that
| of war, for the purpose of seating the man
| whom their votes had helped SO largely to
| elect. The cOunSelS OF caution came from Mr..
| Tilden himself and from Mr.. Hewitt. who was
! supposed to represent him: and were heartily
| cursed by the southern people. Nor was there
| any resentment Oh the part of any SOutherner
| whom he ever heard speak on the subject to-
| ward Mr.. Tilden because of his letter on south
! eTn claims. Nor was there any feeling that
| local government was of more Importance than
| democratic federal administration. The
| south expected to gain both together. Nor was
| there any heart burning about Mr.. Tilden's
! nomination, as the Index A ppedl which Op-
| posed it to the last moment. ought to know
| Hon. MILTON SAYLER will leave tonight for
| Washington. He does not regretshis course
| on the army bill. He did not regard that as
: legitimately party measure. He was yeSter-
! day in consultation with reference to the mat
! ter of tax on spirits, with the representatives
| of the whisky interest. He found the ma iority
! in number and interest in favor of a reduction
! from ninety cents tOsiXty centS-[ Cincinnati
| Commercial, 18th.
THE INDIAN QUEsTION.-AmOng the resolu-
! tiOns pending i'm the Pennsylvania legislature
I is one setting forth that there are $4,000
Indians in the United States having ZOO acres
for each man, woman and child, set apart for
! their pYnluSiyp yvbila q white iC