The Cecil Whig., 1886-01-02
GRANT MONUMENTS, AND
OTHERS.

OTHERS.
The residents of New York and Phil
adelphia have lately acquired a Won
derful fondness for white marble. They
want it here, there and, everywhere.
They think 1t is more immortal than
Immortality, and they want a white
marble shaft erected, at the cost of one
million dollars, to the memory o. Cen
eral Grant New York give John Green
| leaf Whittier or Oliver Wendell Holmes,
or George Boxer, one million dollars,
and they will write you poem on Cen
marble monument an inestimable num-
Der of years. The nation is burdened
with white marble monuments now.
Don't oppress it with any more. You
won't be he helping the weary spirit of
the departed warrior to its peace and
rest half so much by erecting a white
marble monument to his memory, as
you would by keeping wreath of fresh
flowers constantly at his tomb. The
death of a National hero should be
dealt with POLITICALLY. There is very
little poetry in white marble monu-
ment. There is very little of the sacred
element in white marble monument,
either. Death should always be dealt
with sacredly. There is very little Of
the sad or sorrowful in white marble
monument, either, and they are the
first accessories of death. A white
marble monument will never melt
grieved nation to tears. 1t is too hard,
and cold, and silent 1t needs the ten
der verse of the poet, or the gentle per-
fume of the flower to fifty and appro
priately represent death. The name Of
General Grant embodies enough of
commemoration and Immortality in it
self to make white marble monument
unnecessary to perpetuate him. The
American Nation does not care to for
get him, but it don't want him served
up in a white marble monument at
every street corner. If he were living
he would like it much better were you
to spend that one million dollars to
suppress the sin and crime ete1nally
rampant in your midst. One million
dollars is great sum to pay for a ma
tional toy. We doubt if there is patrl-
otism enough in the project to arouse
the patriotism of the people to degree
of financial liberality. Charity for all
mankind is more righteous than fame
for one. You had better choose the
most righteous course. 1t is not typi-
cal of America to crave wEite marble
monuments so much. We are inclined
to believe it is foreign influence that
has been imported here to undermine
the true nobility of our patriotism. We
are not people Of art and sculpture.
There are older countries than ours
with noble masters at the head of their
institutions of art and sculpture, and
we are too independent and character
istic people to wish to initiate them.
We embody the loftiest art, and the
most heroic sculpture in our Democra-
tic institutions, our wonderful manufac-
lures, and above art, beyond it and all
its nicely ordered relationships we have
our mighty nature. Name one Of the
great mountains of the West after Grant.
and it will be monument more mag
nihcent and everlasting than any that
could be purchased for one million, or
even two or three or hundred million
dollars. Besides these reasons we have
given for the uselessness of a white
marble monument for General Grant,
we do not believe it will be the true way
or the best way to enshrine his memory
in the national heart. There is only
one white monument in the land capa-
Bile of doing that with any mans men,
ory, and that is the great sky-sweeping
pile at Washington, but even it is little
known to the Fisherman in his CABIN
on the rocky slopes of the Pacific
Coast. The Oregonian and lower Cal
ifornians know very little of the pres
ence of Washington monument in the
land, they know OF the great monument
of the great Generals name, however,
and that is all they need to know to
make it an eternally reverent subject in
their minds. And it can plainly enough
be seen that such would be the case
were white marble monument erected
to General Grant. Let some great poet,
some typical American poet, why not
Walt Whitman? weave his name into
some great national poem, and it will
be greater honor to the man and to
his country than the tall, white pillar
with its long cold finger pointing up
ward to the clouds. Or, if the poem
project does not meet with your favor,
New York and Philadelphia, take the
one million dollars you require for the
monument and erect with it a great
gallery of paintings, where shall be
clustered the portraits Of all our la
mented heroes, our warriors and states
men making it National picture gal
lery which will not be equaled by any
institutions in any other country IN the
world. After all has been said, how
ever, it is in the hearts and not in the
eyes of national people that the men,
ory of their great heroes is to be en-
shrined. Not in white marble monu-
ments, not in costly paintings, but
rather in poems and in thrilling words