St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-18

jackson as lie was supposed 10 nave
presented himself to his troops at the
battle of New Orleans. His horse stands
on his hind legs. and looks as though he
would like to 'chaw ap" the entire
red-coated army. Gen. Jackson looks
lean, lank and hungry-as If ratiens
were scarce and high in New Orleans.
A more thoroughly inartistic effigy of
great American hero does not exist-if
we except the harlequin bastard mis-
representation of Mr.. Lincoln which
stands on brOOm-stick in front Of the
District building.
Four or five squares further up the
avenue the student of art is introduced
to the parody in bronze of George
Washington, standing in the center of
Washington circle. He wears a cooked
hat, is dressed in the uniform of the
Continental army, and his horse also
stands upon his hind legs.
1t does beat all how fond our early
American artists were of planting their
bronze animals on their rear eXtremi-
ties. jackson carries his hat in his
hand; Washington wears his upon his
head, where it belongs; with this slight
difference the one is the inartistlc
fac smile of the other in mlSdeSign and
faulty execution.
The Thomas circle is graced by "Old
Pap'-also on horseback. This is an
Improvement on the other two, as the
horse has all four feet planted firmly
OH the ground. after the fashion of a
horse OF good horSe sense when the ami
NAL bore upon his back the fortunes of
a battlefield, and whose owner and
rider was suppose to Uusy himself with
duties more useful than curbing a steed
curvetting for mere pomp and circum-
stance. The statue of Gen. Thomas is
we'll executed, in good proportion, and
Is altogether an excellent equestrian
effort.
Then in front of the capitol on Penn
sylvania avenue there is the Peace mon
ument-a group of ill-clad lassies weep
Ing on each others necks. Just why
these maidens should shed tears at the
return of peace is not apparent. Posi-
bly, the monument was inspired by
army contractors, whose occupation was
gone when peace came, and these vir.
gins are invented to represent those
who might have worn diamonds if the
conflict had enuured few months
longer.
Garheid'S monument also stands in
front of the capitol, where Pennsylvania
and Maryland avenues lnterSect each
other. 1t IS modern, slightly and artistic.
At PENNSYLVANIA avenue and Tenth
street stands the one statesman and
philosopher whose effigy enlighten's
the nations capital-"Benjamin Frank.
lin, Printer and Patriot" This was
presented to the city and country by the
owner of the Washington Daily Post,
and is therefore to be credited to private
enterprise, and not to public expense.
The naval service is represented by
Admiral Farragut alone. Paul Jones'
original III naval warfare. and as sue
cessful On the ocean as Napoleon was
on land, his patriotic cOuntrymen seem
to have forgotten that such splendid
sailor ever lived. There is no statue or
painting of him, and none of Decatur
anywhere throughout the city. Perry
is represented by a stirring and dramatic
painting in the capitol.
TO these will soon be added-and
most appropriately-th the bronze repre-.
sentatiOp OF Gen. John A. Logan, the
most splendid type of patriotic yolun-
teer soldier the nation has produced.
Grant is not here, nor Sherman, nor
Sheridan. Scott is. / had almost for
gotten to remark that his animal, too, is
tranquil and 5seemly in behavior-ap-
parently good horse, we'll disciplined,
like his master, and we'll fed.
Now, what l want to ask is, why
should this great republic run SO fran
tIcaiiy in monumental display to SOL
diels and soldier-statesmen? What is
the matter with Webster, and Clay, and
Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams.
and Thomas Paine? What did Stephen
A. Douglas ever do, fail to do, that he
should not be cut i'll marble or cast in
OronZe,so that future generations might
gaze upon his fac simie?
Is the only lesson tit for the young the
lesson of war?
The first century of the republic has
given TO the world some giants in
thought-poets, writer's. scientists, in
ventors. Why should not the young of
America be permitted to gaze upon
statues of Hawthorne and Longfellow
and Poe and Whittier? Was their life
work less important than that of Wash
ington, Jackson, Thomas and Scott?
1t would be singularly appropriate to
gaze upon Horace Greeley and Robert
Fulton, Daniel Boone and David
Crockett, Dewitt Clinton and Robert
MOrriS-each of them hero in his way;
and the way always constructive and
elevatirg, instead of destructive.
The barbarsm i'll man still demands
the dedication of the destroyer. Actual
courage-the courage that God loves
best Of all-lS moral courage. That is a
kind of bravery whose witchery is
never lost upon the race of man. 1t
will probably be another century before
this nation Will dare to place statue
within It's capital representing the
strongest, most homogeneous and strik-
ing figure in American history-that of
John Brown, of Ossawattomi, the man
of all others who dared to defy and
strove single-handed to overthrow a
government given over to injustice.
That hero will become mere tradition,
like William Tell, before the world will
grow to the plane where justice may be
done to his memory.
FRANK j. MEAD.