Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-05
More Memorials PLANNED
for the National Capital

eiai abilities. He engaged in land speculations
of unprecedented magnitude. and might have
been successful save that when come OF his
! partners became anxious he assumed their liza
bities. He built the mansion known as Nor
! r's' Folly at 18th and Chestnut Streets Phila-
d.lphia hut he forgot to reckon on the instabil.
. ity OF land values. Various considerations led
him into enterprises which brought about hank,
ruptcy.. .t&1R2
Morris did. not fail because of his
! excursion in that early speculation in
! Washington lots which wrecked the
fortunes of Greenleaf. Law. Nicholson
/ and others 1t was only one of the
misfortunes which befell him.
After the American revolution Robert
/ Morris formed partnership with
/ Ciouvenour Morris for engagement in
the India and Chinese trade So far as
/ known there was no kinship between
Robert and Gouvenour Morris. though
! there has been much popular confusion
/, on this point. Robert Morris was born
| in London and came to the colony OF
| Pennsylvania in his boyhood. Gouve-
nour Morris was, descendant of Lew
! is Morris. who was born in New York
city in 1871 and who was the son of an
| immigrant who had served in Crom-
/, wells army.
! Gouvcnour Morris had been assistant
to Robert Morris while the latter was
superintendent of finance before the
adoption of the Constitution. and THIS
has added to the confusion arising from
the two names. Robert Morris sustained
heavy losses in the prosecution of the
oriental trade and entered heavily IN
speculation in the public lands, then
known as western lands. covering NIL
| lions of acres. In this speculation he
lost, and this was the principal reason
for his financial ruin. The wife OF
Robert Morris was Maryland won.
an. She was Mary White. daughter OF
Thomas White, who settled on the east
eln shore. Commodore Henry w. Nor
ris. who was well known in Wash
ington during the civil war and who
superintended the construction OF the
warship Pensacola at the Washington
navy yard. was a grandson OF Robert
Morris.
| According to joint resolution in
troduced in the Senate by Mr.. Tillman. a
memorial to Francis Marion would be
erected in Washington. 1t recites That
! there be erected on the triangle stu
ated at the intersection of Pennsyl-
vania avenue and Sth street, being prop
| erty belonging to the United States. in
the city of Washington, a statue of
Francis Marion a memorial TO TINS
American revolutionary general. whose
distinguished services and ability were
of conspicuous benefit to the country, for
which purpose the sum of sl5,ooe, or
so much thereof may be necessary.
lis hereby appropriated. provided that
the design of the memorial statue snail
be approved by the commission of fine
arts.
Prominent in seeking to have the
government acquire the Indian eques-
trian statue. THE Scout. is Franklin
Steele. jr.. of Washington. 1t is sug-
gested that an appropriate place Tor
the statue would be in the smithsonian
grounds between the Smithsonian
building and the new National Museum
Mr. Steele has pointed out that while
there are fourteen equestrian statues
in Washington. none has been erected
to the Indian. He recalls that in Lin
coin Park, Chicago. there is an eques-
trian statue of a Sioux Indian. entitled
THE Signal of Peace and that before
the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is
another Indian equestrian statue en-
titled THE Appeal to the Great Spirit.
Mr.. Steele is not much impressed with
the part the Indian has been permitted
to play. in the art of the National
Capital. He points out that there is
bas-relief in the panel over the west
ern entrance to the rotunda which
, shows Pocahontas interceding for the
life of Capt John Smith. and this sub
ject is repeated in the historical frieze
of the rotunda by Constantine Bru-
midi. The Indian is given a role in
other paintings in the rotunda. and
in the Seth Eastman paintings which
hang on the wall of the room of the
House committee on Indian affairs
In the matter of the proposed me-
mortal TO the colored soldiers and sail
ors there is at work a nationwide as
ISOLATION. having an Office in Washing
for the Erection of a Monument in the
City Of Washington in Honor of the
Colored Soldiers and Sailors Who
Fought in the Wars of Our Country"