“The statues of the world are quiet historians”, a speaker at the dedication of the Sherman statue in DC said. And, unfortunately, they are permanent witnesses to their times. They can be an embarrassment to future generations and on the receiving end of revisionist history.
Take the case of the 1891 Liberty Place monument in New Orleans. It memorialized the 1874 temporary overthrow of the Reconstruction Government in that city by White Leaguers, a conservative group of white southerners who objected to the multi-racial carpetbag coalition of Gov. Kellogg. An obelisk was placed on the end of Canal St, and every year it received wreaths in honor of the occasion. WPA artists added plaques in 1934 to honor those who died challenging the federal "ursurpers." and celebrating the return of "white supremacy". But in 1974 another plaque, stating that the sentiments expressed were “contrary to the philosophies and beliefs of present day New Orleans” was added. In 1981, blank panels were placed over the 1934 additions,  and later the monument was moved to a semihidden space and another plaque “in honor of those Americans on both sides of the conflict who died in the battle of Liberty Place.” was added.
(Photo from nola_photos)
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