The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-27
THE BARTHOLDI STATUE.
A Concise History OF the Great Work Which
Arrived III New York Last Week.

Arrived i'll New Iori, Last Week.
Baltimore Sunday Times, Of J,la,2l8t.
Bartholdi's $ colossal statue of Liberty |
Enlightening the World" was conceived |
as an expression of the friendship of the |
French people for the United States. The
first recognition of our independence |
came from France and her contributions
Of troops, military stores and money cn
abled MS to force England to acknowledge
that independence The idea of y mona
ment to commemorate this long friend
ship between the two nati"hs WIS sG%
gested to VI. Bartholii twenty years ago
by NJ. Iabouiaye.
The conception lay dormant, bnt not
forgotten, for years. After the Franco
German war Iaboulaye advised Barthnldi
to come to this country and propose the
construction of Il monument, the work
their ancient friendship. Barthoili came
to this country, and Oh the way made
some conceptions OF the plan. When he
saw the magnificent harbor OF New York
the definite plan came to him which las
since been formed.
NJ. Bartholdi made five months ar
tistic tour through the United States
from the East to the West ard from the
North 10 the South. painting and de-
signing and tiudiug aCnuaintaEccS every
where. He met LongCclow, Sumner,
Grant, Peter Cooper and :. number of
other notab ble men in every sphere of life,
and received everywhere SCch encourages
ment that he returned HON" assured
"that when they should begin tie carry
ing on. the idea in France the United
States would second them Ga his re-
turn TO France he made a statement OF
the results OF his mission at a meeting Of
| his friends at VI. Iahoulaye'S house. \
| committee WIS organized and a popular
movement started to raise funds, for the
| statue, America $ share OF the enterprise
| being 80 furnish the pedestal. The
| French American uion, the society
| which took charge of the enterprise. was
ORGANIZED in Paris III fS1i Subscription
lists were circulated throughout France,
bearing at the head the following, pre-
pared by VI. Laboulaye:
| The monument Of independence will he
| executed in common by the two peoples
| associated in this fratcrnal woTli, as they
were OF old il establishing independence.
In this way we declare by az impcrisha-
ble memorial the friendship that the
| b'ood spilled by our fathers OF old sealed
between the two nations. 1t is treaty
of friendship which should be sisncd by
all hearts which feel the love of their
country.
This appeal met wth ready response.
TO give America an 'd"a oi the magni-
tude Of the work the right hand of the
statne was executed III its colossal pro
portions and sent to tla Exposition at
| Philadelphia Bar, holli rctI!ncd to the
| United States as member Of tie
French Jury to the Centennial EApu,i
| tinn, being authorized at lie same time
by the French government to surcriu-
tend the uucoverins Of the statue of
| LAFAYETTE, which WAS presented to the
citv of New York in wlcdgmcnt Of
the symp .thy New York hal tesliiia! to
| France by her numerouS shipments at
the time of the suilsringS caused by the
siege OF Paris.
The first meeting IN This country in
aid of the movement was organized at
the Century CIub. New York, upon the
call of w. VI. Evarts, :. ID. Bahcock
John jay, W II. Wickham, Wm. IL.
Appleton and Richard Butler, secretary.
At that meeting committee was organ
lzed and a memorial was addressed to
the United States government asking ap
proval for what had been done and con
cernng the site of the monument. Con
uresS, on the 23i of February, 1871.
voted in favor of accepting, the 9i!t Of
France, and setting apart }edl0e' 5 Island
for the site, in terms most ilatt.ling to
the work aud to the French nation.
The head of the statue was executed
for the Paris Exposition OF 1873. The
following year all the funds necessary
for the execution of the statue had been
obtained. On October II, 1851, the an
nivcrsary Of the battle of yorktown, all
the pieces of the framework and Of the
base were put in lace. Minister Morton
drove the rivet of the first piece that was
to be mounted.
The statue was nearly finished in 1853
and it was for some time left exposed to
view in Paris. On June II. 1854, prim,
Minister Ferry, at Il great dinner given
Inv Minister Marion to til. committee @,
the French. American Urjon and to tho
,,;,;.,... nr tLo E,an.b ,,nverrr,a.,t Il,
nI,raI ,h,t ha wished rhr unvcrnm.,t +,
o.snni,tn ;ts.It in the unsirrt,krrr and
announced that the statue would b,
TRANSPORTED tn New York ON 4 state yes
sol unde, t,e official banner ot France,
Thn,ai..i,L nr..n,t 81; >, ,r th. st,,up
to tht ,;.I minister If the Tnir,I STATS r,nl
Mace JuIv / 1SSt The presentation
was made by Count de L.s>.ns the pre~i
dent oc tleFrauch. 4 merle -, Union VIII,
had succeeded NJ L,bouL,v.. late IL de
ceased N i. Lessons \ id he W.,
h,nd;nr nvcr :, TN, I'ni,,I STATES mi,
Great artist;, monument the pift o
France tn which have c.,atribnfcd h,
tbei,. yntns 1sn citi,. r,r,, ,.enn,.,l conn
oils = Iarye nnnhnr Of ch,nbnrs nr cam.
merce and of societies. and over 4 nun
dred thousand Subscribers
laA. .n. N4I