Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-12-10
THE SOUTH AMERICAN WASHINGTON.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN WASHINGTON.
Showed off by itself In corner of
Central Park on the top Of wooded
hill, where only the people who live in
the high apartment houses at Eignty-
first Street can see 1t, Is an equestrian
statue. Ii Ia odd, bizarre, and inartistie,
and suggests 10 size and pose that eques-
trian statue to General jackson which
mounts guard before the White House
In Washington. II shows chocolate
cream soldier mastering with one hand
a rearing rockiug-horse, and with the
other pointing his sword towards an
imaginary enemy.
Sometimes ''sparrow" policeman
saunters up the hill and looks at the
statue with unenlightened eyes, ana
sometimes a nurse-miid seeks It's Sc
cluded site, and sits on the pedestal be-
low IL while the children OF this free re-
public play unconcernedly in Its shadow:
On the base Of this big statue Is carved
the name Of Simon Bolivar, the Liber-
ator of Venezuela. j..
Down on the northeastern coast OF
South America, In Caracas, the cspitai
Of the United States OF Venezuela, there
Ia pretty little plaza, called the Plaza
Washington. 1t Is not at all an I'M
portant plaza; ii Is not foored Tor
hundreds Of yards with rare mosaics like
the Plaza de Bolivar, nor lit by swing
ing electric lights, and the Presidents
band never plays there. But 1t has
fresh prettiness and restfulness all Its
own, and the narrow gravel paths are
clean and trim, and the grass grows rich
aud high, and the branches OF the trees
touch and interlsce and form green
roof over all, except in the very centre,
where there stands open to the blue sky
a statue OF Washington, calm, dignified,
beneiicent, and paternal. Its Washing
ton the statesman, not the soldier. The
sun OF the tropics beats down upon his
shoulders; the palms rustic aud whisper
pleasantly above his head. From the
barred windows OF the yellow and blue
and pink houses that line the little plaza
dark-eyed, dark-skiuned women look out
sleepily, but understandingly, at the
grave face Of the North American Boli-
var; aud even the policeman, with his
red blanket and Winchester csrbine,
comprehends when the gringos stop
and take of their hats and make low
bow TO the father of their country In his
pleasant place OF exile.
Other governments than those OF the
United States Of America and the United
States of Venezuela have put up statues
10 their great men In foreign capitals,
but the careers Of Washington and Boil
var bear SO striking resemblance, and
the histories Of the two countries OF
which they are the respective fathers
are so much alike, that they might be
written In parallel columns. And so 1t
seems especially appropriate that these
monuments 10 these patriots should
stand in each OF the two continents on
either side OF the dividing states OF
Central America.
IL will offend no true Venezuelan to-
dav IL IL be said Of his country that the
most interesting man In II Is dead one.
for he will allow no one TO 60 further
than himself Ia his admiration for Boil
var: and he has done so much to keep
his memory fresh by circulating por-
traits Of him on every coin and stamp OF
the country, by placing his statue at
every corner, and by hanging his picture
In every house, that he cannot blame the
visitor IL his strongest impression OF
Venezuels Is OF the young man who be-
gan at thirty-three TO liberate five re-
publcs, and who conquered territory
more than one-thlrd as great as the
whole Of Europe.-Harper's Magazine.