Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1883-12-12
WHOLE NO. 1883.
Mark Twain on Liberty"
HIS CHARACTERISTIC LETTER ro ,r,,
NEW YORK LOAN EXHIBITION

among the unique objects Of interest
Ill inc New York Pedestal Furd At
Loan Exhibition, which was ononed -
the public by General Grant MONDE
week, is an album made up of ORIGINAL
contributions from wcll-known artist.
authors and public men. The or,i.,.'
nave given sketches the authors and
Puolic men autograph letters and
poems. At first it was intended 10
nave the album disposed of by r,fl,
put' perhaps as the committee was ro-
minded by Secretary FoIger in his
contributed lcttcrthat rafIlinr * ilIao,l
they concluded to sell it for its rsti.
mated worth, $1,000. This valuable
BOOK has been bound in oxidized siIv.r
an" the fortunate purchaser will pos
scSS truly unique volume. In send
ing his contribution, Mark Twain
wrote the following Characteristic let
ter, addressed to F. Hopkins Smith
the art director of the exhibition:
You know my weakness for Adam
ana you Know how have struggled to
ScC him monument and failed. Now
", seems TO me, here is NV chance
" nat GO we care for Il statue of Lib
crty when we've got the thine itselr in
It's widest sublimity? What Won
want OF monument is to keen vo,I in
mlhd OF something you haven't cot
something you've lost. Very veil
we haven't lost liberty-wc'yc last
Adam. i''9'
Another thing: What has Inert,
uone lGr us? Nothing in particular
Cil'tI ! know OF. What have we done
Tor hc'r? Everything. We've given
ner hOme-good home, too! and. if
she knows anything, she knows it's the
lirst time she ever struck that novelty.
Hhe knows that when we took her in
she had been mere tramp for 6 900
yearS-biollcal measure. Yes. we not
only ended her troubles and made
thlh9S soft for her, permanently. but
we made her spcctable-and that
She hadn't ever been before. And
now, after we've poured ont these At
lantlc5 OF benefits upon this AGED ONT
cast, 10 and behold YOU. we are asked
10 come forward and set up a monu-
ment to her. Go to. Let her set up a
monument to Us, if she wants to do the
clean thing.
buC suppose your statue represent
Ell her old, bent, clothed in RAGS. down
cast, shame faced with the insults and
humiliations Of 5000 years, implorinr
crust and an hours rest for Gods
sake at our back door? Come. n0ir.
GU re shouting! That's the aspect of
hef which we need to be reminded of
festive forget it-nOt this proposed one.
where she's hearty and we'll fed. and
holds up her head and hourishes her
hosPltable schooner of flame. and an
pears TO be inviting all the rest of the
tramps to come over. 0, 90 to-this is
the very insolence of prosperity.
But, on the other hand. look at
Adam. What have we done for Adam?
Nothing. What has Adam done for
US Everything. He gave us life, he
gave us death; he gave us Heaven, he
gave us hell. These are inestimable
privileges-and remember. not one of
them should we have had without
Adam. Well, then, he ought to have
monument-fOr evolution is steadily
and surely abolishing him; and we
must get up a monument, and be quick
about it, or our children's children will
grow up ignorant that there ever was
an Adam. With trifing alteration,
this present statue will answer verv
well for Adam. You can turn that
blanket into an ulster without anv
trouble; part the hair on one side, or
conceal the sex of his head with fire
helmet, and at once he's a man; put
harp and halo and palm branch in
the left hand, to symbolic part of
what Adam did for us, and leave the
fire basket just where it is, to symbol
lze the rest. My friend, the Father of
Life and Death and Taxes, has been
neglected long enough. Shall this in
fanny be allowed to go on, or shall it
stop right here?
" Is it but a question of finance?
Behold the Enclosed checks paid
bank Use them as freely as they are
freely contributed. Heaven knows |
would there were ton of them.
would send them, for all my heart is
in this sublime work. Most truly
yours. Sic"