Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-02
ABOUT MONUMENTS.
DEMURRER TO A oEAp-Level
SITE For TIE DAVIS SHAFT.
Like valor and Fame n sheuid he Placed
High-Gambie's HIN an Attractive
and Eligible spot.
1RwrS. VA. March 81. 1898.


~ am late in referring to the decision OF
the Board OF Directors of the Jefferson
Davis Monument Association. IL Is not
likely that think az apology is due from
me because of this. But whether l am
late or early. right or wrong, want pos
terity TO know that at least one person IN
this sunny land. not in captions spirit,
bat from the standpoint Of high. patriotic
pride deuurred 30 dead level" as being
the best site for the Davis monument
The Monroe Park AS the site for the
monument. without argument. - as lack
ing as is the old field on the suburbs;
where General lee ~ located. A dead
level Is not the idea.
when my mother had Tar Of good pre-
serves Il always looked better. more IN,
wiling, and more attractive when placed
On q high shelf. at en- altitude ABOVE
reach. on the principle that distance lends
enchantment. &c.
ANYTHING becomes commonplace when
on dead level" II engenders taLnl-
laritv. so to speak, and too mnch OF TINS
commodity breeds ueiiness Of conception
and dulls the keen edge Of genuine appre-
cation. "Leyelling familiarity 10y the
master. bordering on the luor0inate' tore-
bodies no good from the valet
On n level. or dead level brings TO
nv mind in n sense the icretiag idea:
While nothing Of this kind was intended
bv the ASSOCIATION the fact remains the
same.
MIR. Claws statue in the Capitol Square
was always too much on level behce tIe
loss 81 his indeX-fucer and his reInoVal 10
The Capitol rotunda.
Tho dead level" monument erected in
nnte-bellum DAYS by the Virginia Legislac
tnre at yorktown. IN commemofahoh OF
the surrender at CORVALLIS. was toe much
on the order of which complain. To-Day
not vestCe remains The federal SOL
dicrs during the war sent u IN fragments
as sonren.rs TO their homes. and what re-
mains of II was taken 20 the AtheuPum at
Lancaster, Pa.
The lovellinr principle of the present
md the past decades gave rise 10 the
force bill and negro suffrage The for
mer never passed and the latter mas
been repealed m the District ct Columbia
because o. its diabolical and lnsldlous IN
hueucc The Washington Monument on
the island IN the District was never IN
tended 10 be an elaborate affair because
those in charge of It's erection were gen
tlemeu thoroughly imbued with the tunda-
mental principles Of political economy:
became a member Of the association when
General Zachary TAYLOR was president OF
the same. m 1919. and paid IN NV initiation
fee with the understanding % II would be
elaborate and built higher. II is now the
highest monument in the world and Is
blessed likethe Eiflel Tower in Paris, with
q passenger elevator.
TIE PRINCIPLE PREVAILED.
The national Capitol was once squatty
and uusvmmetrcal "a Mexican d30be
structure. although it ~ on hill. The
" dead level principle' prevailed IN Wash
incton with regard 10 II. but finally 1t was
red0med. which gave II the appearance of
better proportions. Instead OF surmount-
Ing the dome with the Goddess Of Liberty
or brave Anglo-Sax0n, a typical North
American Indian Whose people on &C
count of their terocious barbaritv have
been driven 10 tho Pacific slope, became
the ever-to-be.seen fgure-head.
Tic bust OF Washington on the east
side Of tho Capitol Is on a dead level, and
can remember when a boy that water
stood in pools after rain about the eques-
TRAN statue Of Jackson, on LAFAYETTE
square. IN front Of the Presidents Man
won.
The towers of Babel and Pisa had their
advantages shot towers have the
same-iUst as BENJAMIN Buffers wooden
tower which he built high ny IN the air on
the james river that he might observe the
movements of the Confederate troops
while he was eTcavating the Dutch-Gsp
canal.
The statue of Liberty enhghtening the
world in New York harbor aud the Wash
lneton Monument in the District OF Co
lumbia are abundentiy comparative 10
the American people by their commanding
height. notwithstanding the latter Is Oh
uead level.
WHY THEY SHOULD De HIGH.
All things that are good in their nature
grand and inspiring. deserve to he placed
nigh, lust as valor and virtue are awarded
high inches IN the temple of fame. When
our Saviour allo we'd Himself TO be tempted
of the devil lie knew that a high noun
tain would be vantage ground. Noah's
ark rested oil Mt. Ararat as q matter of
course The towe- above the rapids IN
Niagara river was built upon high rock.
he people IN some parts OF Holland in
order TO get above the dead level make
artificial elevations by piling earth in tow
ering heaps that they may witness the
rising tides.
The equestrian statue of Peter the Great
was placed on a high rustic rock IN st. Pc
tersburC. The Wellington Monument was
high erected In HYDE Park, London, but
the authorities have or are about TO take
il down because il does not face the right
way Perhaps il should have a more
watchful eve on the French republic and
the Triple Alliance. dead level fails of
attraction. In Brooklyn the monument
10 Dir. Lincoln Is on a dead level. Robert
Burns and William Shakespeare, IN Central
Park. n. Y. are on dead level, while the
Cleopatra Needle. though very high, Is
on elevated ground just beyond.
Ii was unfortunate that the remains of
George Washington should nave been re-
moved from the eminenoe overlooking the
Potomac at Mt. Vernon TO the place of the
new sculpture in the vale leading to the
steamb boat wharf The dead-level IDEA is
indeed the outcome of non-@stheticlsm
and detective training, the result being
accumulated affinity for the tO1 cocka-
hirum in marked contradlstinctlon to the
high cockalorum.
] dare say the monument OF Mr.. Gar
field Is the finest of modern times IN this
country. General Grants may outriyal
IL when completed. The latter is grandly
located above the Hudson river, IN River
side Park. while the former occupies
dead level which detracts from It's beauty
and artistic proportions.
IN THE RIoHT PLACE.
The Sailors and Soldiers Monument at
Richmond Is art IN the right place. The
equestrian statue of George Washington
surrounded by Henry. Nelson, Marshall,
Lewis. &C. il the grandest effort known
10 the world aud indicates IN its pose the
march OF empire sOuthward!
Enough 10 say. behold Thomas iona
than Jackson" he stands like stone
wall" on dead level"
When the trees are IN full foliage IN
Monroe Park IN vain would Mr.. Davis
peer through the dense growth TO catch a
SOLITARY glimpse OF the suns genial rays.
His statue would have to be hunted as
Moses IN the hufushes.
An ELIGIBLE SPOT.
CANDLES HILL is the only attractive and
eligible spot. There the Davis monument
could contemplate the past and the future
with some degree OF complacency. ITS
prominence being more than ordinary me-
docr1ty. the prospective charming and
exLilarating. Their. there are at the base
Of the hill the ITedeg8r Works and other
iron rolling mills and picturesque Belle
Isle, where War missiles were maDuiac-
tured for the Confederaey the implements
of construction now turned INTO pruning
hooks. while the operatives are pursuing
the paths OF commercial duty and inimlta-
BILE peace. Thus location furnishes unri-
vailed accessories. The familiar hghtnings
may fash harmlessly about his brow. while
the rumbling thnnders' roll down the
canyons Of the James would~be martial
music 10 his ear, 50 well betting the life
and character Of Mr.. Davis. the man OF
bign-erected thought the lofty patriot.
Soldier. statesman. and civilian.
IL Mr. Cutshaw, City Engineer. would
ftp0 an areb b,oh akova tho t,,aao from