Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-12-13
IN HONOR OF SHIELDS.
Statue Of the lriSh.Am9riCan Statesman
Placed in the CapitO.


Placed in the Capitol
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. 6.-Another
figure was added this afternoon to the
distinguished array of warriors, states
men and inventors whose monuments
erected in Statuary Hall of the United
States capitol symbolizes the regard in
which they were held by at least one
state of the Union. Gen. James Shields,
who was thus honored, was the favorite
son of three states. His ashes rest IN
Missouri, but Illinois, by resolution Of
It's legislature, decided that his statue
should be one of the two which it is
entitled to place in Statuary Hall. Hi
nOis, therefore, had the chief place in
to -day's ceremonies, butlsMissOuri and
Minnesota also took advantage Of the
opportunity to do special honor to the
memory OF their soldier of by-gone
days. Appropriate ceremonies and ad-
dresses by representatives. of the three
states named marked the unwilling Of
the statue.
The ceremonies began at l o'clock
with a small street parade which was an
incident rather than feature of the oc-
casion. A troop of cavalry from Fort
in this city escorted the speakers and
guests from the Metropolitan Hotel
to the capitol. Following the
military were carriages in which
were Gov. Altgeld and staff,
of Illionois; Gov. Nelson and staff, Of
Minnesota; Gov. Stone and staff, of
Missouri; the members of the Shields
statue commission, the family Of Gen.
Shields, the committee arrangements,
and the executive committee. Veter-
ans Of the Mexican war, members of the
q. A. r. and Of the Emmett Guards OF
this city brought up the rear of the pro-
cession which moved to the capitol.
Senator Vest delivered the principal
address, speaking as follows:
Missouri thanks Illinois for placing in the
capitol Of the nation q statue of Gen. James
Shields with that Of Abraham Lincoln, her
most distinguished citizens. Its eminently
suggestive that the great commonwealth
which honored them both should bring
here the statues Of Lincoln and Shields,
always political adversarics and at
one time personal enemies but never
divided in their love Of country 1t augurs
well for the future when the petty divisions
OF political opinion are thus Obliterated and
the people Of our country, Of all creeds, civil
and religious, can so long as the government
exists look upon the marble images ofthose
who differed in methods but not in motive,
and Of whom the imperial Judgment Of
their countrymen has declared that they
deserved well of the republic" Of all the
eminent men whose names Will be
found in our country's history,
James Shields alone has represented
three sovereign states in the United States
Senate. 1t is equally significant that he
came to the Senate on each occasion repre-
senting the same opinions and policies on
public questions Cast in heroic mold,
eteadfast to conviction, stranger to fear
and duplicity, this soldier statesman
Is the most illustriOus representative
of those Irish-Americans who have
baptized in blood their allegiance to our
free institutions. Illinois. Minnesota and
Missouri hOnOred him especially when iv
ing and the whole Union now claims his
glorious career as q common legacy, but in
Missouri, among the people who loved him
above all others, rests his ashes. We regard
him well, for in our broad CONAN never
has there been a life which better illustrates
American manhood nor sheds more lustre
on the American name
The statue of Gen. Shields stands IN
the southwest corner of the hall,
fanked on each side by the statues OF
distinguished heroes of other states
The statue is a bronze military figure OF
heroic size on q granite pedestal on the
front of which are the words: "Gen.
James Shields, warrior, jurist, states
man" On the three other sides are
the coats of arms OF Illinois, Minneso-
ia and Missouri. The statue is regard
ed as lifelike. It stands with mead
erect, the left hand resting
easily on the hilt Of his sheathed sword
and the right foot moved slightly for
ward. The statue is the work Of Leonard
Wellsvolk, of Chicago, who has made
some famous statues Of public men,
among them Lincoln, Douglass, Clay,
Chandler and Ehhu B. Washburne
James Shields history was pictur-
esque andscheckered. He enjoyed the
distinction OF being the hero Of two
wars, Of having represented in the
United States Senate three states-Ili-
nois, Minnesota, and Missouri-of hay
ing been governor of a fourth-Oregon
and of having begun a career, cut
short by the war, in a fiith-Cali-
fornia. His last public act was to
preside over q political convention in
still another state, Wisconsin. He was
born in Ireland in 1910 and came to this
country in 1926. During those early
days in Illinois be challenged Abraham
Lincoln to fight duel, the cause OF
which has always been something
of a mystery. Lincoln accepted
the challenge and named broadsWords
as the weapons, but the duel
never came off. Personally Gen.
Shields was said to be brilliant, dash
ing fellow, brave as lion in battle,
with heart as soft as a Woman's; in
disposition rowing and adventurous, a
man whose personality held the mag
ination and fascinated the eye.