The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-26
STATUE IN POSITION
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK ADORNS
COMMENT PLACE.
History of the Famous Revolutionary
General-Hfs Capture of
vincennes.

agreement when they adjourned at their
last meeting. There were present Mr..
1-angsdale, Mr.. English and Mr.. McCollum.
The letters of withdrawal of Frederick Mac
Monnies were laid before the board, but no
action was taken. President Langsdale re-
ported the arrival of the George Rogers
Clark statue, which at the time being
put in place by Robert p. Parker. He
also reported that he had deposited with the
Auditor of State a warrant for 2,5225o, be-
ing receipts from the entrance fees and ele-
vator fees up to Jan. IS. The board will
meet again to-day. This will probably be
the last meeting before the designations
of Mr.. Langsdale and Mr. English take
effect
The sculptor who modelled the Clark statue
is John H. Mahoney, who lives on the South
Side. and has the confidence of the art
critics of the city. He spent some time
studying in Italy and has had some i'm
portant commissions in other cities, being
regarded highly wherever his work is
known. He also has the contract to model
the statue of William H. Harrison for
Monument Place. He brings to his art
thoroughly conscientious devotion to it's in
tellectual side and does not spare study
of all that pertains to the period in which
his subject lived. Speaking of the Clark
porter:
1T was due to Clark that this great
Mississippi valley belongs now to the United
States and not to England. When in the
closing days of the revolution 1t was ap-
parent that the American arms would pre-
vail, Clark's eyes turned to the great West.
ghenies would form the western boundary
of the new nation, but Clark believed the
Mississippi river ought to be its western
boundary and with small command he
could conquer the territory for America.
He set out and made his way west, cap
turing all the British Notifications as he
encountered them, in the name of Virginia,
where he had received encouragement from
Thomas Jefferson and other revolutionary
leaders. His men followed him faithfully
through the wilds meeting and overcoming
difficulties and dangers testing the greatest
powers pow OF endurance , AT last they reached
stood Fort Sackwell. The river full to
the banks, the ice was running and the men
were not equal to the order to cross. They
did not know the dangers in the river bot
tom or on the other side, and their loyalty
to duty had been strained to the last notch.
They declared they would go further.
CLARK was not daunted, but seized his
sword. sprang into the water and babe his
was infectious, and with nearly one accord
they sprang forward. Seeing this, he sent
Gp st to 5he T unr paeK
AS he went on he encouraged his men by
calling out to them the depth of the water,
getting shallower. In my model, represent
the hero as he was stepping from the water
on the west bank and up 1 to the elevation ion
Is still urging them on with his sword
drawn and grasped in his right hand. His
up and on, and at the same time it points
at the object of attack. The head is turned
to the left, looking down in the direction of
the troops. The face has an expression of
courage and determination, not unmingled
with the contempt the memory of their
slight show of cowardice had just caused.
I have represented him at the supreme
moment when all the fire and energy and
patriotism of his stern and mighty nature
was aroused to accomplish his purpose.
This was the act that wrested all the north
west territory from the British and after
wards, when the Constitution was framed
and adopted Virginia, in whose name the
hero conquered this new territory. ceded it
to the United mite States and io now five ofthe
boundaries. Clarks expedition changed
the course of history
Mr.. Mahoney says he secured a likeness
of the hero from his descendants who live
in st. Louis. Clark's body was buried in
Louisville. The statue is notable for the
expression of intense energy and irresist-
ible action. 1t is quite a coincidence that
the statue was erected on its pedestal of
honor on the anniversary of the very day
on which the notable act was performed
Feb. Is. The year was 1779, it therefore be-
ing just 1l6 years ago yesterday since the
fort was captured.
A descendant of Clark, who lives in De-
troit, recently gave the Free Press some in
teresting details of the hero OF Vincennes
saying that the expedition was a secret one
and did not even have the advice of General
Washington. Clark, he said was a Vir-
GINA borderer whose youth was spent in
those physical pursuits which gave vigor
TO the frame and activity to the mind.
This whole country between the rivers in
no very definite expressions, had been trans
TERED by , France to England by the treaty
OF Paris, 1863, and possession rather indefi-
nitely delivered in 1865. The people of I'LL
nois in iii demanded a government of their
own own by the people, as free and bold as had
been claimed as an English and American
principle In New England and South Caro-
lima; and in 1772 they sent. through their
nant protest to Lord Dartmouth, the British
secretary. against new government pro-
crown only. This government, against which
they protested, included Vincennes which
had been settled then more than seventy
that Congress should insist upon the Missis-
sippi as the boundary: Spain could not es-
tabiish her claims in this region. The con-
far; Clark had built Fort jefferson below
the mouth Of the Ohio, and Virginia had
ter of 1871 a detachment OF sixty-five Span
sion of small English fort, called Fort
Joseph, situated near the source of the Ili-
nolS river. This the Spanish minister called
q conquest. France could make no claim
she could only dispute the claim of the colo
MES. The negotiations at Paris, in 1882 were
| for the matters. of compromise between
these powers and Great Britain; it did not
matter how the Americans came out in the
transaction The conquest was fully made
by Clark in ITS and 1719: and in October
| IT'S, the county of Illinois was established
by the General Assembly of Virginia, COW
ering all the territory and provision was
made for its protection by reinforcements
to the army of Clark; and in May. 1880, the
act of October. ITS, continued and
amended, and other reinforcements ordered
by Virginia. AS an almost natural result
from Clarks campaign, the land between
| the rivers was actually under the governs
ment of this country, for it could not be de-
MED that the patent of Virginia, with some
portions to other colonies, covered the whole
region. so that the arms of Clark had set
tied the question OF possession, and civil as
| well as military rule of this great territory,
which now holds so many millions of peo-
pie These facts were before the British
| minister and before the world. What might
| have been the judgment of Great Britain,
| beset by France and Spain, and looking &c
it's own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. IL this campaign
| had never been made? 1t is said that pos
siby New Orleans and St. Louis and all the
great country of Louisiana would not have
been purchased of the first consul but for
L ha On uana ipp nf