The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-11-26
washington Letter.

MEMORIAL CEREMoNIEs-THE THOMAS STATUE UN-
vEuED-HoNoRs TO THE MAN ON HORSEBACK.
WASHINGTON, D. c., November 81, 1879.
To the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:
This has been week of unusual memorial festi-
vitv even for Washington. There are six colossal
equestrian statues of generals in bronze about the
streets and parks of young capitol bu5 neither
Washington, Jackson, Scott, Greene, nor McPher-
son received at the time of the erection Of their
durable efigies, such an imposing Grafton as has
been given this week to the bronze representation
of General Thomas and his horse. The unwilling
ceremonies, both as a street pageant and in every
other detail were eminentIy successful Seldom,
even at presidential Inauguration, has the city
been so thronged with visitors. The many Volun-
teer organizations from other cities have given the
streets a 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 General Hooper, and steps
have already been taken in that direction. At a
meeting of the Society of the Army of the Cumber-
land General Barnum, of New York, announced
that movement to erect an equestrian statue to
General Hooper was in contemplation, and that he
was in receipt of a letter from California to the
effect that that State would turn out its golden in
gots to promote the movement. Just before his
death, General Hooper, who was very wealthy
man. made an offer of 5000 for duplicate of the
Thomas statue for the Soldiers Home at Dayton.
What an immense number of statues we will have
when all the generals who fought in the late war,
with less distinction than these have been hon
ored We are hOnOring the warrior out Of all pro-
portion The annals of our brief history have
been the annals of peace, but the stranger who
would attempt to read our history in the mOnu-
meats of our capitol would come to the conclusion
that we were a more war-like people than the Ro-
mans or than the French during the Napoleonic
era Jefferson the author of the Constitution, has
but one little statue,-it might better be called
statuette-and that was presented by a French Adj
miral Washington and Lincoln have both been
caricatured in marble. Jacksons civil services
have been ignored, he too is represented as war
rior on an intractabIe horse. Few, if any, of the
statesmen who have made our history in those fea-
lures that will make us, in the remote future, his
torically great, have been honored. This is the
way it has always been. The glory Of the field
has ever been greater than the glory of the Cabinet
or Senate We are doing no worse than the nations
who have gone before US. Alas We are doing no
better Our praise is that we good mimics.
We are Selling every opportunity to perpetuate the
sentiments and passions, and memories that have
made other continents fields of blood Art is in
structive. Monuments are educators We have
been prating about eras of peace and the progress
Of the nineteenth century. Can we do no better
than transplant in this virgin continent the ideas
of conquest that have battle-pocked Europe? Give
the soldier his due, but let us not be hyserical in
our honors, nor ignore the heroes Of peace.