Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-11-26
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Nov. q, 1879

WASHINGTON, Nov. 81, 1879.
This has been week Of unusual memo
rial festivity. even for Washington. There
are six colossal equestrian statues of gen.
erals in bronze about the streets and parks
of our young capital, but neither WASH
ington, jackson. Scott. Greene nor Nc
Pherson received, at the time of the cree
ton of their durable ef1igies. such an
imposing ovation as has been given this
week 10 the bronze represe ntation of Gen.
Thomas and his horse. The unwilling
ceremonies, both rs n street pageant and
in every other detail were eminently sue
cessful. Seldom, even mt presidential
Inauguration, has the city been so throng-
ed with visitors. The many volunteer
organizations from other cities have given
the streets martial appearance, carrying
the mind back not very pleasantly TO the
period before the cruel war was over. 1t
is now contemplated to erect monument
to Gen. Hooker, and steps have already
been taken in that direction. At meet
ing of the society of the Army of the Cum
berland, Gen. Barnum of New York an
nounced that movement to erect an
equestrian statue to Gen. Hooker was in
contemplation, and that he was in receipt
of letter from California to the effect
that that state would turn out its golden
ingots to promote the movement. Just
before his DEATH Gen, Hooker, who was
u very wealthy man, made an offer of
eighteen thousand dollars for duplicate
of the Thomas statue for the soldiers
home at Dayton. What an immense num-
Der of statues will we have when all the
generals who fought in the late war; with
no less distinction than these. have been
honored We are honorng the warrior
out OF all proportion. The annals of our
brief history have been the annals of
peace, tut the stranger who would attempt
to read our history in the monuments of
our capital, would come to the conclusion
that we we're more warlike people than
The Romans, or than the French during
the Napoleonic era. jefferson, the author
of the constitution, has but one little
statue it might better be called St atu-
ette-and that was presented by a French
admiral Washington and Lincoln have
,Oth hoon nnrinntprnl -,
sons civic services have been ignored.
He, too, is represented as warrior on an
intrac;ahle horse. Few, if any, of the
statesmen who have made our history in
those features that will make Us, in the
emote future, historically great, have
peen honored. This is the way it has
'lways been. The glory of the field has
yer been greater than the glory OF
he cabinet or Senate. We are doing
no worse than the nations who have
zone before US. Alas we are doing nc
better, Our praise is that we are good
mimics. We are Selling every opportu.
MY to pcrpe;uate the sentiments, and
)assions, and memories that have made
ther continents fields Of blood. Art is
instructive. Monuments are educlors
We have been prating about eras of peace,
ind the progress of the nineteenth centu-
ry, Can we do no better than transplant
in this virgin continent the ideas of con
quest that have battle-pocked Europe?
Give the soldier his due, but let us not be
hysterical in our honors, nor ignore the
heroes Of reace.