There is now in the Capitol a
group apparently prepared for a pediment, which is by no means mean.
I was informed that they were intended for this position; but they,
on the other band, are too good for such a place, and are also too
numerous.
This set of statues is by Crawford. Most of them are
well known, and they are very fine. They now stand within the old
chamber of the Representative House, and the pity is that, if
elevated to such a position as that indicated, they can never be
really seen. There are models of them all at West Point, and some
of them I have seen at other places in marble. The Historical
Society, at New York, has one or two of them. In and about the
front of the Capitol there are other efforts of sculpture - imposing
in their size, and assuming, if not affecting, much in the attitudes
chosen. Statuary at Washington runs too much on two subjects, which
are repeated perhaps almost ad nauseam: one is that of a stiff,
steady-looking, healthy, but ugly individual, with a square jaw and
big jowl, which represents the great general; he does not prepossess
the beholder, because he appears to be thoroughly ill natured. And
the other represents a melancholy, weak figure without any hair, but
often covered with feathers, and is intended to typify the red
Indian. The red Indian is generally supposed to be receiving
comfort; but it is manifest that he never enjoys the comfort
ministered to him.
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