The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
THE MONUMENTS OF THE CAPITAL.
The statuary Suggestive of War Rather than
Peace.

Inc Statuary suggestive OF war K3tner than
Peace.
Gath, in Minneapolis Tribune.
The statues around Washington City have
been said to typify too many soldiers, but there
is not .much probability of any more soldiers
being set up for little while to come, and, per-
haps, after while these will look lonesome
amidst the civil heroes to be elevated. Mac
Pherson sits his horse, handling an opera
glass; George H. Thomas rides upon a horse,
both blown and sublime and contemplates the
Potomac; Winfield Scott walks horse and con-
templates his own tremendous belly; George
Washington rides crane, and carries blade to
swipe somebody open Andrew jackson repre-
sents the genius of the nursery the colossal toyof
the boys with his horse rearing in the air. and at
this moment he seems in great relevancy to the
White House, where isparty is about to comein,
and it looks natural for him to be jumping strong
Nathan Green is trotting road horse over
cannon ball, and singing out one hand as if to
say: II don't care if lose that arm, anyway"
Such are the equestrian glories of the capital.
Two revolutionary men, one Of the second war
Of Mexico and two heroes of the last war.
At this moment the information comes that
Grant is perhaps approaching mis- demise.
Vance, of North Carolina has just pitched into
Gen. Sherman's march resonantly; Phil Sheri-
dan is commander-inc chief, and has pair Of
twins and David Porter. at the head of the
navy is writing novels and pictorial books in his
athletic dotage. Lamar, who said, the other
day, that nobody should call jeff Davis a traitor
going into the Cabinet The Statue OF
Garfield Is being made, but Is not done;
the statue of Dupont was the last to ba
set UP before the Republicans went out and
Mr. Bayard made his peace with the war element
by delivering the Grafton there. John Roach is
still here, conveniently deaf and inconveniently
laxative, ready to build our new cruisers. Dave
Porter has put up his naval monument at the
base of the Capitol, so that as you approach the
Capitol you see Dave Porter apparently 1000
inh onA fho al v,nk hfnbav
than pudding bag You must get Porter clear
behind you before you can perceive the propor-
tions of the American Capitol Yonder is Ben
Buffers big granite house. guarding the Capitol,
and people forget that Arthur tarred there in
his penance, like King Henry of Germany, with
taper in his hand before the door of the Pope,
before Arthur went into the White House.
Only few steps away, exposed to the
Capitol, square, is the little brick house
where Thaddeus Stevens died between
his negroes and his Catholic nuns General
Joseph Holt, who was in Buchanan .Cabiuet,
and was the judge advocate over Lincolns muir
derers, still lives venerable but well preserved
widower in the same immediate vicinity. Up
in the dome of the Capitol painted by old Bru
midi, is the group of Stonewall jackson, Jeffer-
son Davis, Calhoun, Robert e. Lee, and some
body else, which the Italian cunningly disguised
under the symbol of war; and put them all with
enemies in hell There they are, in fire burnt
colors on concave surface, and the artist lay
down on his back and washed them into history
with whitewaSh brush Like Dante, he
also told his own sad tale and put in both his
wives, to one of whom he was not always kind,
and the last was wild. Freedom stands over the
dome, sailing among the clouds and leaning on
her shield and the noncescript plumes in her
hair were the suggestion of Jefferson Davis to
the sculptor. The Federalists have captured
Capitol hill, and that Capitol is guarded as you
approach it by old John Marshall, Mr.. Jeffer-
sons steadfast opponent and on the plateau
above sits Washington, with his hand raised and
his sword presented. The Garfield statue is also
to go on Capitol hill. Some distance out FROM
the Capitol, on the plateau is the statue OF Lin
coin. with the negro he has freed ris-
ing at hia feet. The only statue of Lin
coin except this in the open air stands
on the top of a column like the fantastic freak
of a caudie-wick Professor Henry has statue
in the Smithsonian grounds, where he SCENE to
be figuring up the dividends of the different tel.
egraph companies and of the Bell telephone,
from whom he did not receive cent, though he
gave the electrical magnet to speculate with.
john A. Rawlings has statue in q lost and
lonely square, and is the only man of the Grant
band sure of statue here
Such is the public statuary Of Washington
1t represents in some ragged way the physical
perils We have been through and little of the
civil wisdom which has guided US: The nino-
teenth century is near its end; in less than mr.
teen years il will be done, and then, perhaps,
these streets will show more Of the moral con-
querers of mankind.