Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-16
LESSONS TAUGHT BY MONUMENTS.

LESSONS TAUGHT BY MONUMENTS.
The National Worth OF Memorials Of
the Dead-The Sentiments they lncul-
cate-MOnuments as illustrations Of
History.
The Washington national monument il a pro-
ject which finds Its history in the annals of the
American Congress and before the citizens Of
the Union. All monuments are a part Of his
tory. As every monument erected to great
man, or in memory Of great event. illustrates
something in history. the monument to WASH
ington VIII form conspicuous reference on the
pages OF the future history Of our country.
The lessons impaired to posterity by the inn
pressive silence of the tombs, the monumental
columns and temples Of the past, will be en-
nobled and speak yet more forcibly in the COM
pieted Washington monument
When Alexander. in his invasion of the Per-
sian country, approached the tomb of Cyrus and
found 1t broken open, he put the author of the
sacrilege (POlymachus) to death, although he
was person of considerable distinction The
epitaph on the tomb of Cyrus was this:
80 man, whoever thou art and whatsoever
thou contest, Cfor come know thou wilt am
Cyrus. the founder of the Persian empire; envy
NE not the little earth that covers my body"
And when Alexander had read 1t he was
much affected and ordered the words to be in
scribed in Greek so that the Macedonians might
derive from it the same lesson which had moved
him, which was: 1.-The uncertainty and vicssl-
tude Of things in this world.
So was Alexanders heart softened towards
the Persans by this illustration of their national
character, that he was even inclined towards
them, and soon thereafter took the daughter Of
Darius for bis wife, and encouraged his officers
to sue for the hands of the Persian madens
which was very generally done; and such was the
extent of his enthusiasm that he gave an enter
tanmenf at Susa in honor of the nuptials of
those MacedOnians who had previously married
in Persia. to which many thousand sat down, to
each of whom he presented a golden cup, be-
sides paying all his debts. He also subsequently
chose Persians among his guards and officers,
and made them
AS HIS OWN PEOPLE.
Such was the effect of the evidences of pa
triotc senslbility among the Persians upon
AleXande r. And it Is ever true that those who
| have attained to exalted positions In lite feel
certain pride-almOst personal one-in OBJ
serving with what distinction the people have
consigned to the earth such as themselves and
their vanity being tlattered by the spectacle,
they are moved to acts of grace and magma
nmty toward those who have thus shown their
fidelity to greatness. And from this incident in
the career of a cOnquerOr the conclusion may
be drawn that posterity has been frequently
benefted and nations preserved from the simple
circumstance that the renowned among their
| ancestors received appropriate sepulture, or
memorial of their worth, which, rising In the
path of the invader, caused his respect for the
dead to overcome his hostility to the living.
The experience, also, forces the conviction upon
the Judgment that it Is wisdom in nation to
erect such monuments to the memory of it's
eminent dead, and to mark the leading events
OF it's history as SHALL in the era OF decay and
dlsintegration which ultimately comes to al,
human organizations, repress the violence of
the tn zoe; and perhaps command his favor and
friendship by silent appeals to his consciousness
and manhood. Greece, in her palmiest days,
when the arts had attained their highest pertec-
ton. called upon the genius of her sons to
breathe life into the Marble of Hymettus, Paros
and Pentilicus. and her Phidias, PraXiteles and
Alcamenes, reared to Theseus and Minerva, her
greatest benefactors, the most splendid of her
temples-monnments at once of her genius
taste and gratitude Rome, too. has shown her
grateful affection and taste in the erection of
monuments to her nOblest and most distin-
tinguished citizens
THE COLUMN OF TRAJAN,
though no longer towering in its PRIDE has
served not only to hand down his name to poster
ity, but to manifest the feelings which lead to its
elevation. and to show the taste of the age in
which 1t was built. monuments" it is said
however secular. have sacredness about
them, and are twice cOnsecrated to personal worth
and to national gratitude" They are the de-
Velopments OF the love, respect and veneration
OF the living for those who have passed away
forever from the stage of life, and serve to recall
the cherished memory of their virtues and their
greatness. Even in the saddest ages of the
world this feeling is manifested. The ancient
Prygians, Trojans and Celts. and the more mod
ern abOrigines of this country did not heap up
their massive tuInuli to give perpetuity alone to
the memory of their heroes. but to show what
they felt for their loss and how they esteemed
their virtues and respected their character.
Inc patriotism and veneratiOn shown by
Poland for her illustrious son and chief Kosci-
usco in the partial discharge Of her indebted
forh oh,
moment. The monument erected to this noble
Pole is mound OF go feet in diameter and 800
feet in height, and is said to be
THE LARGEST EVER FORMED
by human hands. At this mound young and
DID, senator's and artisans mobiles and peasants
even the magistrates of the realm, and the
most delicate females, labOred with their own
hands. The expense was betrayed by contribu-
tlonS not only OF the most considerable families
OF Poland, but also of peasants. artisans and
private soldiers. Count Arthur POtOcki alone
gave 10000 guilders.
The Pharaohs reared the pyramids as tokens
| of q peoples slavery and of their own uncurbed
and kingly power. Yet have they endured the
| siege OF time commanding admiration for the
| genius OF their builders and as criterions to
make the progress of the human race in the
| sciences and the art therein displayed
The monuments of Babylon and Nineveh now
| only ruins. covered by heaps, "where very DESC
latiOn dwells," were. tits true, but the signs OF
| autocratic and imperial pride, now serving to
impress the beholder how transtory are the
| things OF EARTH
| These sublime objects arrest the attention of
| the stranger as his foot presses the soil. and
their inscriptions reach his soul like voices from
| the PARKWAY tOnbS of his own dead, or from the
| lofty SUBMITS of the national watchtowers at
| home.
| They are at such times wherever found and
| by whOmsoever met eloquent apostles of mercy
and ministers OF peace; more persuasive than
| living tongues touching by their dumb utter
ances, the hearts of tyrants and teaching them
| tenderness in the name of a common humanity
| They are also the rear guards of civilization
the last imposing witnesses Of the fail of gov
| ernments and Ofthe overthrow of nations-srand-
| ing on the outposts of time, solemnIy protesting
against the advance Of the destroyer Meian-
| choly scntinels in the midst of anarchy and
| denationalism. their sacred presence rebukes
the wantonnesss which assails and the
weakness which surrenders. In the name
| of the mighty memories of years, in the
name of all that is holy in the past, they
| invoke what of good remains among men in
times Of turbulence. and directs its energies in
the cause of justice, order and duration. So
long as the arts, the urns, and the utter
ances of antiquity exert charm over civilized
| men, they will protect a fallen people against
the violence of such an enemy; and so long as
objects, majestic and mysterious, retain their
marvellous power over the superstition Of I'M
tutored minds, their presence will lend an et-