Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-02-18

Stansbury, III his sRecollections and an
ecdotes of the Presidents of the United
States, written for the columns Of Arthur s
Home Gazette. thus speaks Of the personal
appearance Of WASHINGTON
Gilbert Stuart, whose painting Of him has
inimortalized not bis subject, but himself, and
who as one long familiar with the human
eountenance, is ominently ct to speak on
such subject. often said, that the head aud
face Of Washington we're unlike those Of any
other human being that ever had conc under
bis observation. There was breadth about
the base Of the nose and largcness and pc
culiar form Of the sockets of the eyes, which
distinguished the face from all others. 1t is
not generally known, but it is nevertheless
true, that there was slight defect about the
eye. the eyelid did not rise entirely to its
place; this communicated that peculiar down
east look which distinguished the eye Of
Washington, giving an air of thought Of
modest reserve. of composure. almost APP
preaching to heaviness, which one who saw
him never can forget 1t affected the carri-
age and motion of his head, occasoning him
to raise it, when looking up upon stranger
approaching him, more than would have been
necessary, or natural had the eyclid been en-
tirely free. Yet so slight was the cause,
that by most persons the effect only was no.
ticed. Stuart failed in this expression. but
Peale has preserved it with admirable fideli-
ty in the portrait which hangs IN the Senate
!. Chamber at Washington When he was
reading or writing, you could not perceive it (;
when he was speaking it gave modesty,
gravity and dignity to his expressions: under
strong excitement, as in the beat of battle,
it vanished, and his eyes shone like stars.
Many persons have noticed popularity
about the mouth in Stuart's painting which
does not appear in Peale,s, nor in Trun,5ull's,
nor, indeed, in any other portrait, and which
differs especially from those painted in early
life. This popularity was nevertheless truly
painted; it was occasioned by the fact that
General Washington, as Stuart saw him.
wore an entire set of mineral teeth, (then a
thing very rare in this country made for
him by Greenwood, of New York, (to whom
he gave $500 for them) and which caused
his lips to project somewhat beyond their
natural form. But nothing can exceed the
perfect truth of the figure, and carriage of
the person, as given in Lord Lansdown's in
imitable picture and which Heath has with
equal truth and felicity transferred to copper.
The moulding of his limbs his step and bear
ing, were as peculiar and as readilyrecognizcd
as those of Napoleon. His tread was meas
ured and heavy, carrying in its sounds digni-
ty and command. He was born monarch,
in the highest and best sense of the term
The noble soul within looked ont from a Boz
dy as noble as itself; and no man who ever
stood in the presence Of either thought or
felt himself great man. 1t need hardly be
said that the idea Of personal familiarity
with Washington never entered into the
thought Of any Of the many of all ranks, con-
citions, and endowments, who at different
times approached him. The awe Of his pre-
sence fell alike on all men.