The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-12
WILL RETURN
THE MARBLES.
IcOn0clastic Zeal Running Beau
tiful Works of Art.
England's Title to the Elgin Collection Based
on an Act of Theft-Byron's Right
eous Indignation.


We are always glad to be able to agree
with Mr.. Frederic Harrison, observes a
writer in the London Daily Telegraph,
" and we heartily indorse his vigorous ap-
peal, in the current number Of the Nine
teenth Century, to the British public to give
back the Elgin marbles. They belong to
Greece, for our title is based on what was
practically an act of theft. They are being
injured by the London climate. and they
lose half their significance and beauty when
torn from their architectural and Sculptural
context These are the chief grounds on
which Mr.. Harrison bases his plea, and in
our opinion they are amply sufficient to
justify the conclusion that we should restore
to Athens the decorations of a building
which, even when shorn of its noblest orna-
ments, is still one of the wonders of the
world. 1t is, however, quite possible to
acquit Lord Elgin of anything like vandal-
ism and yet 10 consider that the marbles
which are connected with his name should
now be sent back to Acropolis.
when he took. them these priceless ex-
amples of the art of Greece were in posses
sion of q race whose creed encourages, If it
does not actually enjoin, the destruction of
every sculptured image of the human FORM
To this day the first impulse of a Moham-
medan who has not been Influenced by
Western ideas is, when lie sees a marble
statue, 20 break or deface it. Any likeness
of a man in stone is an idol which merits
in slant demolition. AT the beginning of
the century snch fauaticism had full pos
session of the ordinary Turk, and it was
only by a sort of accident that the frieze,
tI, Al A..
thenon were allowed to remain more or less
intact. At any moment an outburSt of
IcoNoCLAsTIC ZEAL
Might have doomed the work of Phidlas to
complete destruction.
Byron, in summing up the history of the
injuries done 10 the Temple Of Athens,
couples Alaric and Elgin as its chief enc
mics; but in this he was grossly unfair.
The Scottish Embassador cannot be rightly
blamed for not having been abe to foresee
the regeneration of Greece. For putting
| the Theseus and the Panathenaic procession
out OF harms way he deserves the gratitude
of the whole civilized world; and but for
him it is by no means improbable that the
marbles now in the British Museum would
be mere masses of shapeless stone. And
not only can the original despoiling OF the
Palthenon be justified. AS long as it was
uncertain whether the Greeks would be
able to free themselves permanently from
| Turkish rule, or prove themselves capable
| of founding a settled national government,
| England was right in refusing to give back
| possessions so precious as the Elgin mar
| bes. We had become trustees for the
| world of the nobleSt extant examples of an
! Gent sculpture, and we were bound not 10
| resign our trust if there was any fear that
|
was necessary to obtain clear proof that the
| Greeks were capable of safeguarding 50
| great treasure before we abandoned our
| rights OF guardianship.
That proof has, however, been vouch-
| safed for some years, and it is impossible
any longer to doubt that the Hellenic people
arc as capable of looking after the sculpture
! OF the Parthenon as any nation in the world.
In one sense, indeed, they must be pro
| nounced to b. more efficient protectors than
| ourselves. Whereas only a limited num-
| Der OF people in England-only those, that
Is, who are endowed with the artistic or the
antiquarian sense-appreciate the value and
Importance of the works of Phidas, the
whole Greek nation, learned and unlearned,
rich and poor, would regard them, were the
custody theirs as the most precious of
national possessions. To put test case. If
London were in flames. the people of Eng
land would give their first thoughts to tile
saving of the Abbey and pay only n
secondary attention TO the British Museum.
| Ou lne OlIIcf Hdllu. lLe un0eT
| like circumstances, would concentrate every
| effort upon saving the Parthenon and its
| statues. If the Elgin marbles are brought
back TO the Acropolis and placed in a mt
| scum close to the building from which they
| were taken, they VIII gain, rather than lose,
! as regards their safety, They will become,
| as it were first instead Of third or
! fourth charge upon
NATIONS ATTENTION.
| Whatever else may perish by accidental Ath-
| ems, 1t Will not be the statuary of Phidias
! And as far as the safe custody of the mar
bles is concerned, Athens is preferable TO
| London. The arguments based on the risk
! OF destructlO7, which operated in the past
| TO prevent the restoration 10 Greece of these
marbles, can no longer be regarded as valid.
" 1t remains 10 lie seen whether any other
reasons can be adduced against taking step
| which, pTiori, must be declared to be The
! only one consistent with the national honor
| In private life, If we were to carry off a
| beautiful picture out Of a neighbours house
| because the owner was for the time unable
| TO prevent its destruction, We should restore
| 1t the moment that altered circumstan
| made him once more able to look after his
| treasure. Is there any ground for not acting
| ON Inc same principle in public life? 1t is
| urged by some people that London is far
more accessible place than Athens, that
many mere artists can enjoy the marbles In
Bloomsbury, and that, therefore, in the
! interests of the world at large thew ought
| not to be transferred to the Acropolis
| This line oil argument is directly challenged
by Mir. Frederick Harrison, who with his
usua! energy of phrase, denounces as
sophlstlcal the notion that in London the
art student OF the world can study these
| priceless works. while at Athens they would
be buried Athens, he argues is now far
more central archaeological school than Lon
don, and the student would gain immensely
| II the ornaments of the Parthenon could be
seen together, and beneath the shadow of
| the Parthenon. The latter part of this con-
tentlon Is. we think, of special force.
| AT present the marbles lose greatly by
their complete dissertation from the spot
; where q glorious genius and wonderful
| people placed them 2000 years ago. Sir
Robert Smirke's cold and gloomy galleries
are terribly potent non-condnctors of SYM
pathy, while the attic sunlight and the
| most pellncid air Of Greece would give to
the p0mp and majesty of the Panathenaic
| procession the very background, moral and
material, that belongs TO it.
ct another ground for restoring what
byron. 10 his well-meant if Incorporate out
burst. described as the plumber of the Pict-
lsh Peer must be noticed. 1t appears that
In spite OF all the precautions exercised by
The learned and viglant staff of the British
Museum, the climate of London, so
FATAL TO ALL sToNEwoRK,
Is beginning to take effect upon tie mar
bles 1t is impossible, in any part of the
metropolis, and least of all in Bloomsbury.
to Keep an insidious deposit ef blacks"
nun loihiins upou anu edtlng into every
surface which has not received a high
polish The Pentelic marble, which in
Greece will stand for twenty centuries in
the open air, and yet show little or no trace
OF disintegration, quickly succumbs to the
ravages OF our smoke-ladep atmosphere
After only eighty years or so of London
the statues and bas-reliefs from the Parthe-
non have, according to Mr.. Harrison, begun
to show serious signs Of injury, and unless
the process is arrested greater harm will be
done, Instead then Of the marbles bainu
specially safe in London. they are exposed
To at least one capital danger which would
not be present at Athens. And the restora-
ton of the marbles would give England yet
another title to the gratitude of the Greek
people 1t was largely through English aid
that Greece was enabled to throw off the
yoke OF the Turk, and throughout her his
tory as modern EUROPEAN nation we have