New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-01
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL
Mr.. Mccall on the Fitness and
Beauty of the Design.
From The Congressional Record of Janu-
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From The Congressional Record OF Janu-
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The notion of mere efficiency would
cover this world Of ours with concrete
structures, built with the most nicely cal
culated strains. and would fill them up
with human automatons, each devoted
TO his own narrow speciality. perhaps OF
making boot heel, and chased by fast
flying machinery all through the day. We
might produce more under such system,
but the individual would be shrunk; 1t
would make of US a race of dwarfs, and
our ores and coal. believe. might better
be permitted TO remain in the earth's un-
touched bosom. ! would not nave our
country when the final reckoning is 10
be made between her and other nations
nave nothing 10 present but an abnormal
ly developed efficiency, and have that
put beside the painting. the sculpture,
the literature, the music. the architecture
and those other conSummate flowers OF
civilization which other nations would
bring. ! do not underestimate a highly
developed industrial system. If only there
should he the more developed also those
higher and more artistic expressions OF
the aspirations Of our race which should
be the choicest possession OF every one
Of its children.
AS 10 the fitness Of this work, it is
said that YOU are going TO erect IN mem
DRY OF Abraham Lincoln Greek tenn
pie But what would YOU have2 Would We
have an Egyptian obelisk, would We have
a Turkish mosque, or Gothic or Roman
esque chapel, or would we have an Ameri-
can skyscrapeT? We must have some
type, and by common consent there has
been no type better fitted for this purpose
than that shown in the marvellous con-
ception Of the Greek. In. whatever re-
lates 10 artistic expression, whether In
poetry, in eloquence, IN sculpture or ~
architecture who Is there in the world
who can suTpass the Greek? What more
speaking marbles We're ever carved than
those of Phidias? What strains of poet
~ have ever broken with swceter music
on the human ear than those of Iio-
mer and of Pindar? Where else mas
eloquencc reached the chselled beauty Of
Demosthenes? And although but few
remnants of the architecture OF the
Greeks have survived the hand OF tho
barbarian and the tooth of time, yet when
NE come in view Of some fragments OF
them to-day, broken though they may
be, and twenty centuries after their time,
we stand before them enthralled in won
der.
There is nothing more beautiful in
architecture than the column Of the
Greek. Would we speak scornfully OF this
Capitol in which We now are AS Greek
more decorated with the Greek style Of
architecture than this? The Greek col
uInn speaks. IL illustrates dignity, beauty.
simplicity and strength However he
soul OF Abraham Lincoln might have been
chiselled in it's making, as he came finally
10 be every one of those elements were
represented In his character.
So. Mr.. Speaker. ] am in favor OF this
memorial, which has been designed by the
greatest artists and architects whose ad.
Vice we could procure. I am in favor Of
il because OF IT'S site upon the banks or
the Potomac. 1t will be upon spot over
which the eyes OF Lincoln used 10 look
longingly and yearningly toward that part
Of the Union which he was trying to Keep
as a part OF our common country. IL VIII
have across the way the home. Of the
great Confederate chieftain. which now
is the cemetery Of thousands OF heroes
who wore both the blue and the gray. Ii
will be a memorial I'm keeping with the
majesty and the beauty Of his character.
In the fitness OF it's location, In the nooil-
ity OF It's character and In the unique
fame which II shall forever conmenlo-
rate generations distant will be- the day
when II shall be paralleled by any other
memorial reared 10 any one OF the chill
dren OF men. Applause