The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-03-25
THE JACKSON STATUE.
The Finest Monument In the City
Of Washington.
Uo1fhing About Clark Mills, the Amcri-
n Genius who Planned and Exc
cuted the Rare and Graceful
Work of Art.
Especial washington Letter.l


The equestrian statue Of jackson IN
Lafayette square, opposite the white
house, is considered the best work OF
art of its kind in the national capital.
It's location is such that it attracts at
tention from a greater number OF Wis
itors than any other statue, and 1t has
a history, which was recently brought
TO light by the efforts of certain UNI
artistic people to obscure the jackson
statue by placing the Lafayette statue
at the south entrance of the park. 1t
was claimed, by officials having q
little brief authority, that the gov
eminent has a clear title to the jackson
statue, and can obscure 1t, or remove 1t
into the woods, If it wants to-"
There was once newspaper pub
lished here called the National lntelii-
genccr. The files of that paper, under
the date of January IL, 1853, contain the
following paragraph: ut is due to the
jackson monumental committee to say
that the jackson statue has been made
and erected entirely under their con-
troll and direction. They caused the
money to be collected, employed the
artist. and made all the arrangements
for it's inauguration That committee
consists now of the following gentlemen:
Hon. Cave johnson, chairman; Amos
Kendall, r. p. Blair, John w. Maury,
n. Il. French, Charles X. Gardner, c. r.
Senqstock, John McCalla, George w.
Hughes, Thomas Ritchil, George
Parker, John c. Rives and A. J. Donei-
ron. The original committee consisted
of thirteen members. of whom were the
following gentlemen: John T. Van Ness,
James Hoban, Jesse e. Dow and VIII
liam A. uarris, the three former OF
whom have died, and the latter. upon
roing abroad, resigned, and their
places have been filed by Messrs. Nc
Gala, Parker, Hughes and Donelson." "
The files of the same paper show that
the statue was inangurated on January
8. 1853, the date ordinarily called
.Jackson's Day." because IT is thsssn'
niversary of the victory at New Or
leans. Upon that occasion, the statue
was presented to the United states; ano
hence there is no doubt about the title
of the government to the statue OF 'Oie
Hickory" but it has been settled thai
tho bronze prescntment of the military
and civic hero shall remain in its pres
cnt position. The statue OF Lafayette
is now located at the southeast entrance
Z of the park, instead Of the south en-
trance, where it would have been di
rectly between the jackson statue ant
the white house.
The names of the members OF tn
- ii iof in al
the names Of the most prominent cltl
zens of early Washington. The oficia
programme Of the dcdicatory exercise
contains the following:
Military escort
The monument committee
Clark NILS artist
Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. orator.
Chaplains OF congress
President OF the United States
Senate and house OF representatives
Judges OF the supreme court
Commander In chief of the army, ana the Oh
est o mmodore IN the navy. etc
1t was a long procession, and the e,
crcises lasted from ten O'clock In tn
morning until three o'clock in the q
ternoon, the last performance being
national military salute, followed by
bcnediction by the chaplain OF II
house. At the conclusion of the cratic
by the greatest orator of his day, Hol
stephen A. Douglas, Mr.. Clark Mill
the artist. was presented to the We
concourse of people and hearth
checred, as he deserved to be, for n
work was unrivaled at that date
Clark Mills had been plastcrer, or
II was while engaged in making plast
corniccs and center pieces that he co
cluded to undertake the reproductit
of faces in plaster. He had very lit
success. and finally turned to modelil