Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-28


manner of completing the Washington Monu-
ment:
PARIS Nov. 3, 1873.
Ny Dear Ar. Corcoraa:-I sent on to Mr. SEN
at0r MOrrln, some three months ago, a large
drawing OF design for the Washington Monji-
ment, which asked him TO do me the favor to
show to you, and which dare say. by this time
you may have seen. 1t was made as Won are
probably aware, at the express request of the
committees OF the two Houses ON public build
lngS, OF which Senator Morrill, is the chairman
feel sure that you, who are so interested in
art. and endowed not only with large generosi-
", but eminent good taste, must feel. with the
whole world OF artists and architects that the
completion of the monument, according TO lis
present design. could result in nothing else than
failure to satisfy any canon of good taste and
beauty or appropriateness Hope you will par
don me ID appealing to you to exert your tntiu
ence TO prevent the carrying out OF work
which Will be exceedingly expensive and
which. when completed, can claim to be nothing
more than the tallest chimney i'm the world
and, perhaps, the uglieSt, which has nothing
American In Its misunderstanding Indicating il
to be monument TO Washington, and nothing
either original or beautiful or characteristic In
III design.
am we'll aware that some of the members Of
lie Washington Monument Association con
sldef themselves pledged by the circumstances
OF tie case. to carry out the original design and
though DESTROYS to alter il SO as to conform to a
better taste, deem that they are at liberty TO do
ths. But, AFTER all, the design has been
changed. and changed in so many and material
particulars. that 1t has been robbed OF all that
Was peculiarly characteristic In the first place
the GIecian col0nnade, Wit which il was to he
been rejected. and. in the next place. its heirht
has been greatly diminished. Now if There
were any two points which were essential and
characteristic III the original design, they were
precisely these which are now rejected and if
It be III the power OF the association 10 intro
once such alterations it is difficult to SEQ why
they may not make any other changes that
seem desirable. Al obeliSk, rising out of a
Glecian coionnade, is evidently the greatest
aIchltectuTal anomaly and abSurtity that ever
was imagined; but 1t was none the less an eS-
senfal feature OF the original design: and il the
original design must be carried out, this colon
made cannot be omitted. An Obelisk has in it,
sell but little to recommend it, even in its best
form. II Is essentially Egyptian, and properly
was always a mOnOith, adorned by deeply GU,
nlerogiI phcs to break its monotony. But an
obGlSk built up OF blocks of fiat separate stones
without hieroglyphic5 and incised characters
ard carried to great height becomes simply a
chimney, and loses all that was characteristic
CT the true Egyptian Obeiiok. This form OF mon
ument is the refuge OF lnc0nlpeteuCy in archi-
lecture. When an architect has no ideas, he
resorts to the oDcliSk. When a builder has no
knowledge OF the art,he makes an 0belSk. lust as
person who cannot sign his own name makes
a Gloss. An Obelsk Of this kind Is, in certain
sense, simple, but it is also mean and ugly in
ObelSk to do with Washington? How does it
Illustrate his character and ServiceS-hs person.
atty OF history-of the events and persons and
country with which he is associated, Why
then, should we continue, at great expense. to
carry on to completion design which has moth
ing TO recommend it, and which, when con-
pleted, viii be nothing but an offence and an
eye-sore. Would 1t not be far better to erect a
work that shall be delight to the eye, and have
appropriateness as well as beauty?
In making the design which | have forwarded
to Mr.. MOrrill, i have founded it upon the exist
Ing fabric. having understood that, under the
circumstances, it would be worse than useless TO
make design which did not take into account
and utilize what had already been done The
my structure, ard encaSing it with the cOlOred
marbles, in which America is SO rich, ana
changing its character into tower with o por-
tico at its base. nfrOnt OF this porch, Or rather
enniCheu beneath 1t. placed a colossal statue
OF Washington within reach Of the eye. so that
ii could be seen IN all its details as the com
manding feature OF the front. Oh the opposite
side proposed a statue OF IiDerty-acfieved
by Washington for our cOUntTy-an1 on the two
SIDES, two great bronze doors inquired ever with
tie principal events OF the revolution, and the
portraits OF the distinguished men Of the period,
the cOad Tutors OF Vi Washington. Fame on the
top Of the tower in gilt brOnZe-the spiritual
essence OF his life-he himself at the base, the
corporal presence.
This design would necessitatc no destruction
q what has been done: all would be decorated
ana DeauJIfed in effect. and make a striking
feature in the city, Commanding a vie,Y far
down The country,
AS for the details, they might be changed and
varied from the drawing, but | am persuaded
that there is no other method OF preserving
what has been built and making Of if a beaIlti-
ful structure, than the adoption OF some 5ucn
scheme as that now propose AS tOr the c1St
| scarcely think it would be much more tlan
that involved in carrying the plain ObGlioE 10
the proposed height. After this mas risen to SO
leel, llle EXPENSE OF carrying IL hlgner Wouid
greatly multiply In ratio OF its height, and
very large sum would be expended to little Or no
purpose. But what should Il matter ID great
country so enormously I.ch as ours, what tn
cost should be? We have, as yet, raised n ,
mOnume nt justly to celebrate our great leade'.
NO 0,her country exists in which so little homo:
In this way has been paid TO her greatest ani
most INDUSTRIOUS man. Think of England, IN
these late days, with her splendid monument
to Prince Albert! Think OF France with hel
noble and costly monuments to Napoleon; the
Arc de 1r1omphe; the Column OF the Place Ven
dome and the Cenotaph. Think OF Germany
and her Walhalla, and her colossal Bavaria,
&c. Florence, poor as she is, is now casing all
the facade of her Duomo with splendid marbles.
and everywhere erecting noble monuments to
her great men. And Is it possible that we can
be content with plain chimney to celebrate
Washington.
There is not a manufacturing town in France
or England, the chimneys OF whose factories
are not richer in effect. ours have no superb
orlly over them, save that it win be balder and
taller.
hope you will excuse NE in saying this 1t
Is not to urge my claims-far from it, | ask
nothing for myself only wish my country to
have monument to which it can point with
pride as worthy OF the great man ii celebrates
and OF the good taste and generous liberality OF
great people No matter who makes this
monument, SO long as IL IS one or Which we need
not be ashamed.
You will, hope, take this letter Ia the spirit
OF frlendlnes5 Iii which it is written | had
Such pleasure in seeing you in Washington, and
retain such vivid recollection OF your kindly
reception OF me, that | should deeply regret
That you should miSinterpret my object in thus
writing TO you. | know you have great inf1u-
ence; Know you have the best heart, and feel
Ing in this as in all other things, and it is foI
This reason that now write TO you to urge You
TO induce the committee to reconsider this mat
ter or the monument, and to do something Of
which our country may be proud, and not TO add
one more 10 the monuments which are unW0r-
thy or Cur emlnence among nations, and con
tfa'y TO all canonS of good taste,
ain yours. most faithfully,
". ". STORY.
NH0oPING-CovGH AND FUNGUs.-Sonne years
ago NJ. SYetZerich made the assertion That
Whooptng-c0ugh was caused by a certain fun
gus This assertion seems lately to have been
confirmed by the researches OF III. Yschamer.