Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-19

TWO CENTS.
| cause it is the revelation of the invisible and
| eternal, in forms Of sublimity and beauty to
the mind OF man; SO human art. in all its varied
| formS-poetry, eloQuence, music, painting
sculpture, architecture-is but the interpreter
| and expounder of the Divine art, and fixes in
| its express and admirable forms whatsoever
that Is Divine, which II discovers in nature or in
| man. The heroic in action and suffering must
precede because it inspires the heroic In repre-
SentatioD. Man must become conscious of the
noble and the good before he can express it, and
| he can become conscious of II only in his ex-
| pertence. Gods and heroes walked the earth,
and wrought their wonders In action and suffer-
ing before Phidias and Praxiteles could embody
| them.
Achilles, first; afterward, Homer. And art is
| therefore. II prophecy, nevertheless, only be-
cause il is memorial; for it is on the prepared
| and receptive background of the past that it
paints or carveS visions OF the glory it foretellS
LORD Bacon said: " As statues and pictures are
| dumb histories so histories are speaking pic
tureS.'
The name of George Henry Thomas-soldier
| and ratriot-has already been inscribed on that
| scroll of honorable fame which posterity will
reVerently guard In the archives OF our National
| history. To-day, Art summoned to its proper
work, lifts aloft the dignity and majesty of his
! berland, by these public acts and solemn cere-
| monies, dedicates to the people of the United
states the form and presence OF its beloved COM
mander.
| Surely this was
A NOBLE SUBJECT
| for the modeler'S plastic hand! What dignity
| and power, what f1rmness and selfposseSSon
| what immObility, and yet what quiet gracious
| ness, That gravity and what ben1gnlty, were set
together in the manly proportions of his physi-
cal frame! A presence to inspire respect, but
| winning confidence and trusG He was large,
firm planted, and paternal, like a sturdy oak
striking It's roots deepin the earth, but with out
spreading branches Offering protection and shell
ter from fierce heats or fiercer storms Large
| and Weighty, his movements were easy and
| quiet; his poStureS and gestures unobtruSive so
that his port and mien suggested a reserve Of
strength not called into action. Thus his phySi-
| cal power seemed to be magnitied and vet there
was nothing in him pOnderouS, overwhelming or
boisterous and he breathed and spoke gently
| and in soft tones, like a woman or a child. In
| fine, he was
"a combination and form indeed
Where every god did seem to set his seal
| 10 give the world assurance of man."
| The proportions of his physical frame were in
| inhabited and animated it, The internal as well
| as the external, man was statuesque, massive
| monumental. Vigor and endurance were quail
tiles alike of his material and his mental const-
| tuition. Strength was the base and pedment on
| which was grounded and built up the lofty
structure of his character, capped and crowned
with simplicity-"wh in himself "a shaft
and column of Doric style and beauty
erich in saving common-sense
And as the greatest only are,
In his simplicity sublime"
80 good gray head, which all men knew,
| o iron nerve to true occasion true,
fall'n at length that tower of strength
There was nothing in him fluctuating, mercu-
rial, or eccentric. He was set, infleXible, unde-
| viating-steering by the stars upon the arc of a
! great circle. He was resolute, unyiSlding with
| fortitude incapable of intimidation or diSmay,
and yet without pretenSon, boaSting, self
| assertion, or noisy demonstration. He was con-
| spicuous for modesty and dignity, and was alto
| gether free from affectation or envy.
not think more highly OF himself than he ought.
Better than any other man could, he took the
measure of his own dimensions and never wor-
ried lest he might be overlooked or neglected,
not doubling that sooner or later he would gravt-
tate by his own weight and power to his predeS-
! tined place, over all opposition and contradic-
| ton.
careless OF the good opinion OF good men rather,
| on the contrary, he was quick in his sensibli-
ties, keen to detect the SefShneSs of Others and
smarted under sense of Injustice, when inflict-
| ed upon himself. Yet no personal consideration
ever warped his judgment or clouded his sense
OF duty. He was genial and frank In his COM
munication. yet reticent and self-contained as
to all that related to himself, neither inviting
| nor volunteering condolences. AS ne had moth
ing to conceal his whole character was so trans
| parent that ne never opened himself to miScon-
| StructtonS lie did not take refuge from Sllspi-
ciOnS OF ignorance in an affectation of the my5-
terry Of silence, for he was
A LIVING EpISTLE,
| known and read of all men. No conspicuous
! man in our recent history is better known as to
| his inmost character, more thoroughly under
| stood, or more correctly appreciated; so that
| there is no reason to believe that the judgment
| of posterity as to his place In history will be
| other than record of contemporary opinion.
| There lies buried with him in his grave no mys-
| terry, to pluck the heart out OF which will re-
| quire that he should ever be disturbed In his
resting-place.
1t is not too much to say of Gen. Thomas that
he was model soldier. Arms was his chosen
| profession. The whole period Of his life, from
| youth to his unttmely death, was spent in its
| study and practice. He had no ambition outsiue
OF it, His only ambition in it was to attain the
| rewards it held out to merit. He envied no
superior his rank. He was in no haste to rise
upon the misfortunes of others. He recognized
but one way to glOry-the path of duty.
He perfected himself by patient painStaking in
all its details. He carefully learned the duties
OF high command by a thorough practical ex-
perience of those of every inferior and subordi-
nate responsibility. He became thus an adept
in the knowledge and use Of every arm of the
service, and learned as an apprentice to handle
enginery of war.
At the age OF twenty, in 1886. he entered the
military academy. In 1910, having graduated,
rose successfully, through every intermediate
grade, until, on December 49, 1864, the date OF
the first days battle at Nashville, he was pro-
uiooeu " po LAaJoi SSilCidl LII lut dIuly VI Ile
United States.
In each stage in his military history he saw
active service appropriate to his rank, receiving
his first breyet while second lieutenant for
gallantry ana good conduct In 1S41 in the war
against the Florida Indians, in the war against
Mexico in 1876 and 1S4S at Fort Brown, Monterey,
and Buena Vista. again in Florida in 1S49 and
1850 against the Seminoles as an instructor of
artillery and cavalry in the military academy
from 1851 to 1854, on frontier duty in California
and in Texas until the breaking out Of the civil
wa m q
the Second cavalry, OF which he then became
colonel.
These were the days and years of preparation,
of the study and practice Of military art the
formation of military habits, the education and
training of the military character, the develop
ment and cultivation of the military instinct.
And the seed sown during this season bore its
ample fruits In due time.
AT THE BEGINNING
of the rebellion In 1861 he had attained the forty
fifth year OF his age the full age of matured
and ripened manhood. He was no longer in the
flush and heyday of impetuous youth. He had
grown to his stature, gradually and slowly, as
a1oe,