The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-10-20
WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Il 10 Thought to Re One Of the 1Esse Ia.
pressivo objects In the WoraA.
A famous living sculptor of ours has
given us his opinion In condemnation
Of the Washington monument. It is
sometimes called the Obelisl<, Tor the
comparatively simple reason that 1t is
one, just as ''they called him Peter.
people said. because it was his name"
With all due respect to the sculptor's
right of judgment, which is unques-
toned, we may differ with him, and yet
not brand ourselves barbariank- To
the present writer it seems not too
much to say that in certain light the
Obelislk is the most imposing simple OBJ
ject of great dimensions in the whole
world. Doubtless when seen, as it
always can be seen by day. from a dis
tance of two three miles and from
different parts of the city, cut of by q
line of modern roofs across a pale sky.
there is nothing remarkable or beauti-
full a bout it. - 1t is then but the. top OF
an obelislk, and nothing more; slen-
der straight line of stone visible in an
uninteresting atmosphere. Even then
it can hardly be said to be offensive,
for it is too simple to offend.
Go to it at evening, when the sunset
lights have faded and the full moon is
rising. 1t is impossible not to see its
beauty then. For some reason not inn
not reflected from the lower half of it
when the moon is not far above the
horizon. The lines are all there, but
the shaft is only a soft shadow below,
gradually growing clearer as 1t rises,
and sending in q blaze of silver against
the dark sky. The enormous proper.
tions are touched then with a profound,
mystery; the solidity of the symbol
disappears, the greatness of the
thought remains, the unending vast
ness of the idea is overwhelming.
Block upon block, line by line, it was
built up with granite from many into
one simple whole. a true symbol of
what we Americans are trying to make
of ourselves, of our country, and OF
our belief. There is the solid founda-
ton, proved and tried. which we
know of and trust in. There is the
which the grand straight lines are felt
rather than seen. And there. high in
the still air, points the cleaning fu-
ture. perfect at all points. bright Mt all
points, lofty as all but Heaven itself.
There is the symbol. We may ask of
ourselves whether we are to overtalke
the shadows and reach the light, we or
our children, our children's children;
or whether the half-darkness will creep
up with us always, and with them, for
ages to come. and even to the end.
The Obelisl< is beautiful not only by
take the trouble to look at it with eyes
human rather than critical-at evening,
for instance. from the terrace of the
capitol, when all the world is sinking
toward its mighty plunge into dark
ness through the foam of the cloud
breakers and the purple wash of night
rising tide: or at early morning, when
the darkness sinks back. and the
first blush of day warns the
pinnacle of the lonely shaft-as
though it had stabbed night in the
| sky and drawn the sweet blood of day
light upon its point. Most notably is
it beautiful at such times when seen
| with the whole city from the great
| military cemetery on the heights of Ar
lington, than which few points in the
| world command a more lovely view.
There in the quiet earth the solemn
dead lie side by side, the many who
fought for us when we were but their
| children, and who. for ours. will fight
their immortal battles again in the
| clouds like the warriors of old. Many
of us have heroes of our name and race
| lying there in the broad tree-hemmed
meadows, and among the flowers, and
in that chosen rank where the great
generals lie, as they fought in the fore
front of the enemy, facing now not
| enemies but friends, the deep sweet
| valley with the quiet river at their
| feet. And far away, beside the airy
| dome of the capitol. the single shaft
| rises sunward, and tells in shadow
| time for us, the living, the hours of the
! dead mems endless day. CraH~-
/ ford in Cenfnrr