The morning times., 1897-02-28
Palais ROyal, a 1lsAHR G and 11th StS.

petty rules and learning necessary for the
guidance OF mere mOrtalS, to the accom-
plishment OF the giant achievement Of
this or any other a ge.
Here again the retiring disposition OF
real worth, and the generous self-abne-
cation, peculiarly Mr.. Green's own, have
somewhat dirumed the effulgent glory Of
his mighty deed. He says the plans which
I'VE made thereby dividing with the
general. But the general declared he
knew nothing of architecture and up to his
death assumed no architectural author
ship.
The understanding OF common mortality
wobbles on its bearings under the weight
of wonder, admiration, and reverence, not
unmixed with dread, that Expresses 1T as
the fact dd WIS upon il that AIR. Green, in
fifty-one days,alone, didit all! Stupendous
revelation! Marvellous man!
1t took Mr.. SmiUhmeyer and Mr. Pelz
nearly the whole OF thirteen years TO
bring their plans to such a satisfactory
state OF perfection that 1t was apparent
To the many eminent gentlemen who had
the procuring OF plans in charge and to the
librarian, Mr.. Spofford. and to Congress
that the requirements OF such building
We're fully met in them. In accomplishing
this they met in competition forty-one
architects from this country and abroad,
and their plans We're repeatedly ac-
cepted as superior to all others. Mr..
Suhthmeyer had Travelled over Europe
and studied, practically, all of It's Ii
brary architecture, as also in this country.
The literature OF the Italian Renaissance
and OF library architecture was also eX-
hausted by them. or the work of MeSSrs.
Smthmeyer and Pelz, the United States
Court of Claims said
claimants i'll the year 1874 gave up
their private business as architects, and
themselves almost exclusively to the
preparation of the plans above described.
It is true that they are only architects,
and it is further true that they competed
during those thirteen years only with
architects, and that their plans were
adopted after comparison with those or
o5her architects, who, though the best or
the profession, We're, after all, only arch
ItectS, and not engineers.
Had Mr.. Smithmeyer and Mr.. FelZ en-
Countered an en- gineeT in tins long COM
petition, or the Gargantuan intellect, 10
| the heaven-kisSing immensely of which
| this paper is feeble tIibute, their career
would nave been short and disastrous,
and, no doubt, they would have been early
driven fl ON the tield.
Had Congress only called, in S73, that
the solution of difficult architectural prob
lens and the production OF architectural
beauties were but the pastime OF even
subordinate engineers, all or the time and
labor, from 1873 to 1885, except that
of the first fifty-one days, would have
been savedl
1t is apparent, too, that Mr.. Green, in
his fervid generosity, which ignored his
own great claims and crowned Gen. Casey s
son as architect, in his lecture, has over
looked certain small matters which sound
discretion should have induced him to
bear in mind. 1t is very apt to be SO
when we act from the warm impulses of
the heart.
Gen. Casey's son was not given employ
ment on this building until S92, and, Mr..
( Green says, the new and different plans
were made 'inthe first t two months between
October and November %, 8SS." When
Mr.. Green made this statement to the
committee, only three months ago, he made
no mention of the generals young son as
architect, or many other connection tho ugh
the son had then had employment on the
building about two years, and though the
committee questioned Mr.. Green very closely
in regard to the matter, but said 1--WE
made, indicating himself and the general
only. Mr. Spofford appeared equally ignor-
ant that Gen. Casey's son was the architect,
for, when he was questioned about the
plans by the committee, he, too, failed to
mention that intel asting young gentleman S
name, and, finally, during an inquiry last
ing many days, n. ) one of the members of
the Joint Committee on the Library men,
toned it. Also, in 1 500, before the son
was given employment by the father on
the building (then Quilt to the roof, OF
had any connection with it whatever, the
latter dismissed Mr.. Pelz by letter con-
tanning the following:
LAS You have now entirely completed