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degradation of true art. “Bucephalus,” in marble or bronze was well enough by itself.
Place “
Alexander” upon his back, and though the animal gained a degree of interest, the
man lost immeasurably.
Xxiii.
Soon after the chalk sketch of my conception had been placed upon the canvas, I attended one of the receptions given by the
Secretary of the Navy and
Mrs. Welles.
While standing as I thought unobserved, near a corner of the room,
Mr. Seward approached me, and in a manner of more than usual warmth, said, “I told the
President the other day that you were painting your picture upon a false presumption.”
Looking at him in some surprise, I inquired his meaning.
“Oh,” he rejoined, “you appear to think in common with many other foolish people, that the great business of this Administration is the destruction of slavery.
Now allow me to say you are much mistaken.
Slavery was killed years ago. Its death knell was tolled when
Abraham Lincoln was elected
President.
The work of this Administration is the suppression of the
Rebellion and the preservation of the
Union.
Abolitionists, like the different religious sects, have been chasing one idea, until they have come to believe that their horizon absolutely bounds the world.
Slavery has been in fact but an incident in the history of the nation, inevitably bound to perish in ”