The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-11-29

MEMORIAL CEREMoEIEs.-THE THoMAs
STATUE UEvKILED.HoSoRs TO THE
Man ON HoRsEBAcK.

Il Frcm Our Regular Correspondent
4 WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. 81, 1879
4 This has been week of unusual me
mortal festivity even for Washington
There are six colossal equestrian statues
of generals in bronze about the street.
and parks of our young capital, but
neither Washington, jackson, Scott
Greene, nor Mcpherson received. al
the time of the erection of their dura-
Bile efigies, such an imposing ovation
as has been given this week to the
bronze representation of Gen. Thomas
and his horse. The unwilling ceremo-
MES, both as a street pageant and in
every other detail were eminently sue
cessful. Seldom, even at presiden-
tial inauguration, has the city been so
thronged with visitors. The many
volunteer organizations from other
cities have given the streets a martial
appearance, carrying the mind back,
not very pleasantly to the period be-
fore the cruel war was over. IL is now
contemplated to erect monument to
General Hooker, and steps have already
been taken in that direction. At
meeting of the Society of the Army of
the Cumberland, General Barnum, of
New York, announced that a move
ment to erect an equestrian statue to
General 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 ignots
to promote the movement. just be-
fore his death, General Hooker, who
was very wealthy man, made an
offer of $500 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 honoring
the warrior out of all proportion. The
annals of our brief history have been
the annals of peace, but the stranger
who would attempt to read our his
'ory 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
he Napoleonic era. Jefferson, the
Iuthor of the Constitution, has but one
little statue,-it might better be called
statuette-and that was presented
y French Admiral. Washington
nd Lincoln have both been caricatured
n marble. Jackson's civic services
ave been ignored; he too is represent
d as warrior on an intractable horse. B
lew if any, of the statesmen who have !
made our history in those features /
bat viii make us, in the remote future,
historically great, have been honored. /
his is the way it has always been. /
he glory of the field has ever been 7
reater than the glory of the Cabinet /
r Senate. We are doing no worse a
nan the nations who have gone before q
S. Alas! we are doing no better. '
'ur praise is that we are good mi a
hes. We are seizing every opportuni- t
? to perpetuate the sentiments, and a
and memories that have made a
Their continents fields of blood. Art
instructive. Monuments are educa-
,rs. We have been prating shout
-as of peace, and the progress of the
ineteenth century. Can we do no .
stter than transplant in this virgin :
ointment the ideas of conquest that !
ave ,battle-pocked Europeg Give the j
'ldier his due, but let us not be !,
ysterical in orr honors, nor ignore !
re heroes of peace. !