Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-03-07
wAsn1NoroN. u. c. Feb. 50, 1901

streets anl good car services Passing
down the avenue we note less change as
we near the capitol; much of ell Wash
| ington is there as we saw it in 1851
when the incoming regiments passed
down the avenue, long lines of boys in
blue turned up by the treasury, ON by
the white house and over TO Virginia
where so many lie in the silent bivouc
of the dead recall how the youths
| of the land, with palpitating hearts
| buoyant STEPS and erect of form, bands
playing, flags unfurled, cheered the tall
form who ca me to the front of the white
house and bade them God speed How
the great awakening Of the nation filed
the streets with marching troops, and
how the camp fires of that grand army
glowed to the north, tie south and over
at Arlington; how the red. white and
blue was sang; how the divisions and
corps marched in review; and the grand
review of the army, when NJ Clellan
commanded that mighty host of you1s
men to defend the capital | cal to
mind four years later, when the arn'y of
the east and the west, for two days,
passed into reyiew-bronzed veterans,
the boys of 81, then commanding COM
panies and regiments, yea even brl-
gades Washington welcomed back
the living with banners and arches
and decorations beautiful to behold.
Although the armies marched by the re-
viewing stand two days they had left
more behind in silent tombs' than the
living in review. Peace came. but Lin
coin was not to review the thinnSd
ranks of the soldiers who were loyal to
him and the nation | see all this in the
pa and a new Washington, with the
leaders of the army in bronze, cheerless
as the pitiless storm pelt the statues and
whitens them with snow that is to-day
fast falling.
rode out past the statues of Farra-
gut and Depont two 'old salts of the
sea- on by the equestrian statues of
Generals Scott and Thomas. Scott is
viewing the valley of Mexico. while
Thomas is staying back the lines at
, Chicamauga Then we halt before the
equestrian statue of General Jackson.
horse reared. The artist has repre-
sented General jackson upon fiery
| horse, with the spirit of the rider, who
did his duty in spite of United States
court Injunction, when the military
| exigencies of the case demanded heroic
rather than civil action. Not far away,
! in one Of the beautiful circles, is d statue
Of Mcpherson. Down on the grand army
! place, south Of the treasury building a
base is completed for an equestrian stat
ne Of General Sherman. On the avenue
near by is statue of General Grant :
faithful friend, General Rawlins in
bronze. wearing the uniform of briga-
der general A little further down a
| statue of Benjamin Franklin, in CONT
mental costume, holding in hand scroll;
ON the base Is chiseled. Printer States
man, Philanthrophist, Philosopher.
/ Near by is an equestrian statue OF Gen
! eral Hancock; the horse chating at the
! bits. nostrils extended and left fore foot
paving the air The general is looking
| toward Virginia and waiting the au-
! spicious moment for the curtains to lift
| and send his divisions forward. Near
! the entrance to the capitol park Is the
/ Peace Monument, by the sailors and ma
rines, I'm memory of officers and men
who fell in defense of their country
The figures are: America weeping; His
( tory. with record tablet telling the
/ story, They died that the country might
live" TIeaningo on History is the mother
telling her sorrow. A little further to
| the sonth on Maryland avenue statue
of Garfield, in citizen suit, heroic in
size. looking toward the station where
he fell by the hand of an assassin At
the foot of the steps leading to the CAPT
| tol. bronze sitting figure OF Marshall,
| in the robes of supreme court justice.
We stand before the great bronze
doors of the capt. j and behold the won
derfuI mecha aism, similar to the cele-
! brated doors of the duomo at Florence.
They were designed in Rome and cast
/ in Munich The subjects are: Columbus
before tue council of Salamanca; de-
uarture from the convent; the audience
| before Ferdinand and Isabella; the sail.
ing; landing at San Salvador; encoun'
ter with the Indians; entry into Bar
celona: Columbus in chains, his death.
! On the transom arch is a portrait OF the
/ discoverer; ON the panel borders IN
l.apal robe and royal crown and suits OF
/ mai are the personages who played
their parts in the memorable world
drama Of the Fifteenth century; the
| soyerians. Alexander VI of Rome, Fer
dinand and Isabella, Charles the VIII,
John Of Portugal and Henry the VII OF
/ England, the friends and patrons OF
! Columbus Mendoza, Bobadilla prior OF
La Robida; the companions Of the dis
eoverer, Pinozn, Vespacci, Cortez and
Balbra.
The frames show portraits of Irving
! and Prescott, historians Of Columbns,
while the border is decorated with an
chors rudders casques and armor, sym
| bolical Of exploration and cOnquests,
while four race types stand for the CONT
nept-Asia, Africa, Europe and America
We enter and stand in the rotunda, dec
GRATED with eight oil paintings, memor'
able scenes in the history of the repub
lic-the landing of Columbus, discovery
of the Mississippi, baptism of Poca'
! bontas. embarkatIon Of the Pilgrims,
Declaration of Independence, surrender
Of Burgoyne, surrender Of COrnwalll'
and resignation Of Washington. In thi'
tribune the committee bas placed tht
statues Of Lincoln. Baker. Jefferson and
Hamilton the statesmen prominent. the
financier he who freed the slave ,anc
the warrior senator. Above the paint
ings are sculptured portraits of Colum
bus Raleigh, Cabot and La Sale. Higt
above is the allegory Of Washington, seat
ed. like Jove. on Olympus, with superna
beings attending him On his -.shi
ats Freedom, on his left Victory, and
at,out him floats the thirteen states az
aerial figures, their banner inscribed
IL Pluribus Cnun" Beneath this i
an allegory Of the Revolution The
group represents the fall of tyranny
Freedom with an eagle putting 70 rout'
the forces Of war. tyranny, discord
anger and revenge. Three pictures O
America Ceres Pomona. Vulcan an
Minerva
We pass from the rOtunda to the Oh
. hor4aa 0f rauresefltatireg now StRtuar