The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-13

a p,bic p1useulny To assimilate the Telfa r
AGA [ my 70 the Corcoran Gal cry is no uncom-
mon thing: and yet the assimilation Is not only
b1sa!ess IN principle but in effect Is highly I'M
lust TO Miss Telfa and the society she en-
trusted with her charity. In the Washington
gallery Mr.. COrcOran intended to give TO the
capital of the county a museum of art for the
enjoyment Of the public and the philanthropic
millionaire endowed II originally, and up to the
close of his long life &C. tinued to endow it, with
/ propOrionate means. To assume that Miss
/ Telfair contemplated a similar gift to the public
| of Savannah, by eXaEEerating the proportions
/ OF her intent, exposes to contempt her real
! benefaction. not TO rebuke the unwarrantable
! assumption. in terms unmistaka le VIII be to
subn ourselves to dangerous interference
ana gratuitous criticism. Nor do we need
terms more I'm mlstakaDle than her own words.
She has clearly announced her own intent She
has expressed her will TO create, noC a museum,
but an academy gallery whicl is itself a
museum, ike the Corcoran Gallery at Wash
lugton, is oAe thing; gallery appurtenaut to
an academy Of art, ike the Ielfair gallery,
is quite another thing. To an efficient
academy OF art such halls as we have erected
and prepared. and such collection Of pictures.
statues eEgravings, casts and photographs as
We have made are absolutely necessary but if
the efficiency OF a1 academy werh dependent
upon the formation of a gallery of paintings,
such a. is elsewhere synonymous with a nu-
scum Miss Telfair, In the use Of the word
Academy could not have contemplated what
the word you'd b. thu made 70 signify.
Regarding our small collection of pictures as
an appurieu9uce t. an aCdIe ny slfuJly ana
viewing the home Of the feltairS as it now
stands. not a MUS UNI dedicated to the use Of
TIE public. bat an academy devoted TO the
study and culture Of art. think we may con
graduate ourselves upon success truly phe-
nomeuaL Woo. that Is at al qualified for the
task VIII venture 10 estimate the disparity be.
tween the value of the orizinal manSi N, as
il stood when it was first entered by our Direc-
tor aug menttd uy all the moneys VIII ch have
been subsequently spent in changes, additions
and collections, on the one hand and t1e value
pf he . a IL a
And am speaking not alone of its value for the
purpose Of an AGA iemY simply, but of its value
IN comparison with art Institutions and coilec-
lions generally Is 1t not di!HcJlt to CON
ceive the price winch the Te.air building
with its statues in front. It's almost perfect col
lection of casts below, its paint ny engrav-
ings aud photographs above, woIla, If placed
in its symmetrical aud farming Uotality, upon
a market fairly supplied with capable buyers,
surely command;
This question propoun1ed in my report OF
last year, adding: "Emphatically, then, may il
be said that, Mighty favored by Droptious CIR
cunstance, we have perfected within remark
ably short time an Academy OF Art vi, h all of
its requisite appliances And am happy to say
that Already among its pupils are some whose
names there is good rea5 n to believe, will
hereafter become familiar to the world Of art.
In the meanwhile, the plastic fingers Of the
Jealous Master are never idle. Even now, under
the magic Of his touch, the face and form Of
APelles are growing into thing OF transcen-
dent beauty
Appelles has taken its place in the gallery and
has fully realized all the anticipation l then
expressed, high though they We're. Mr.. Brandt,
too, has fulfilled a purpose he was then coItem-
plating; has visited tho art expeditions of the
last year Ia Europe, and bought another really
first-cass picture 10 Illustrate our hall. Our
director not Onl, draws livishy from his own
perennial resources Of genius and taste, but
opens wide his comparatively speaking limited
purse, for the darling Of his own or a, i've power
he collective art beauty Of the 'Ieliair Acad-
envy. Our walls have been enriched by four
exquisite pictures which he has presented;
selected ana bougut by him in Europe, whittier
he went at his own expense
Here again tue practical truth, applicable to
our library, must be allowed to reasSert itself
in connection with the Academy. SO far as the
art collections OF tue latter are to be enjoyed by
the public as museum. our work at the Ielfair
Academy. is but repetition of our
library, is not a legitimate up-suoot from
the original root: it is parasite; right noble
indeed yet para lite. Again | eXclRim: Let
US give it all possible nutrition, but with a
cautiousness born OF experienced Let us take
care that erroneous impressions as to the
character and objects of our trust be not fixed
upon the popular minil Let Us keep ever be
fore II the broad distinction be .ween the Tel
fair Academy and the CorcOran Gallery, In
stead OF laboriug to invite the public eye
t. the selfish right of enjoyment
IN the comparatively small benefac-
ton Of Miss Teifair, let us rather
strive to direct IL to the generous duty, which
rests upon eve Y civilized community, Of, at
least, aiding in the work of developing a library
and museum whic shall be worthy Of a cult
waited and progressive peoplel The city Of Sa-
vannah is the recognized home of charities
W hat has the lencrosltF OF her people failed to
do in supplying the means OF comfort for the
poor and the suffering? To what scene of sick
ness and distress has MT the representative
woman OF Savannah with the smile
and tone of ministering angel, gone to carry
sue .or and sOaceg How. then. has it co ne 70
in
truth, been founded by her own sex, should
have been left so un istakabiy out in the
cOid:' Has she-has tue representative woman
OF Savaunah-cOnSultedW with herself as to an
other duty; not loftier. indeed, in the eye of
heaven, but Of equal, II not greater, importance
To practical life, which may he resting I'M
thought of upon uerG In obedience to the man
date OF the first OF your by -laws, which require,
me TO set forth such changes and aims as the
highest interests OF the society demands" |
low suggest that We make a formal appeal to
the women OF Savannah, from tue hall given
by woman to the WORK Of Advancing civiliza-
ton; that pray her to ponder the great
truth that there Is an education far more COM
prenensiye than the education of the school
than the education Of the church; for il en-
braces them all. and something beside
1t is an education which begins the
first but which never ends Commencing
on the mothers knee att nding the
individual from the cradle to the grave, it
ives to family, 20 tribe, 10 nation, to race,
lhSI ACLttlhkig lOF NLelT uaDl
regulates their morals, moulds their manners
fashions their tastes, directs their aspirations,
and graduate their rank upon the scale OF
social or civilized being. II is an education
winch may exalt to the highest, which may
dehase to the lowest, point of human existence;
an education which no human creature can
possibly escape. FOR II is the offs prng of a
law es general, as d4spotic il
the spiritual. as is the law of gravitatlon in the
phyica! universe. We must gravitate towards;
spiritually speaking, we must assimilate TO
whatever we adore, To the fun extent OF our
capacity for admiration, for love. for adora-
ton. always, Of course, dependent upon the
exercise of that capacity. Hence, il is not
possible for us to be brought into constant and
intimate association with the beauti-
full be It in the spiritual life where
II IS synonymous with tae pure; be il IN the
works OF nature or in the works of art; impos-
81 lie for us 10 learn to admire it, ID love it,
thing OF its beauty. | am sure that / exagger-
ate IN nothing; That lay down no proposition
which phi. sophie study Of TIE worlds history
Will not fully establish when say that. under
the operation of this cardna law, the love Of
the beautiful, innate in the human
soul, has been, not simply the orgi-
mating germ. but the vltauzing essence
of all the yili1ations | say, the lore II the
beautiful, innate ip the human SJitl: for it is a
natural TO tue body. But unlike the sense OF
sizht, Il is twofold; possessing as well the
power to iupart as tn power to receive. The
desire to express; the actual expression OF ideal
beauty is as natural to the human sJul-aye. to
the humblest human soul-in It's normal condi-
ton, as are its rays o the star, It's fragrance 20
the flower, its song to the bird Und the i'm