The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-12-24
nee oiIecsions of Washiu-l0 I.

The venerable G. ". =. Gusts, the distn-
guished relative Of Washington. ami who has
for number Of years past frequently enrich
ed the columns Of the National Hielligencer
by giving to the public his "reminiscences of
the . Father of his Country" publishes an
other part of his . Recollectionsp in Il late
number Of that paper The article is chieh-
ly confined TO the comparative merits Of the
portraits Of Washington which have been
eaken at different times. but il is also inter
spersed with minute descriptions of the per-
sSna attributes and traits Of the man, as he
appeared 70 sesy partial but discriminating
observer. Those Of our readers who have
not vet read it entire will be pleased with the
subioined and concluding paragraphs
= The eyes Of the Chief ere light gray
sh blue, deep sunken in their sockets, giving
the expression of gravity and thought. -
Stuart painted those eyes of deeper blue,
saying in n hundred wears they Will have
faded to the right color. His hair was Of a
hazel brown, and very thin in his latter days.
In his movements he preserved, in remark
able degree and TO advantage, the elastic step
that he had acquired in his service on the
frontier.
Being ordered one morning very early into
the library ut Mount Vernon, a spot that
none entered without orders, the weather be-
ing warm. we found the Chief very much un-
dressed, and, while looking on his manly
frame, We discovered that the centre Of his
chest was indented. This is an exception 10
the general rule laid down by anatomlsts,
that where the human frame possesses great
muscular power the chest should rather be
rounded out and protuberant than ndented
We We're equally surprised to find how thin
he was In person, beng, with the absence Of
tesh, literally man Of = thews and sinews."
He wore around his neck the miniature por
TRAIT of his wife. This he had worn through
all the ylcisstudes Of his eyentul career,
from the period of his marriage to the $ last
days at Mount Vernon"
In the appearance Of Washington there was
nothing Of bulkiness, but there was united
all that was dignlhed and graceful, while his
air and manner were at once noble and COM
mandng. No one approached him that did
not feel for him, rs Lord Erskine observed,
: 4 degree of awful reverence" He wore U
sword with peculiar grace. The Nl@omte
dc Aouilcs sad it was because 'sthe man
was made for a sword and not the sword for
4 the man.
/ Lafayette, not long after the war Of the
Revolution, wrote letter to Col. Trumbull
urging him to paint an equestrian portrait of
/ tne Chief as he appeared on the field OF Mon
mouth. The illustrious Frenchman, Amer-
cas- great benetactor, said To US = / was u
very young MAJ or General on that memora
4 Die day, and had great deal TO do, but took
time, amid the heat and fury OF the fight, 10
gaze upon and admire Washington, as,
mounted on splendid charger covered with
! foam, he rallied our line with words never to
/ be forgotten. "Stand fast, my boys, and
receive your enemy; the Southern troops are
advancing to support you - | thought then,
as do now.' continued the good Lafayette,
that never have | seen so superb ii man.
| Our readers may ask, shall the standard
portraiiure be equestrian We reply, to the
1 portrait Of 50 accomplished cavalier as
/ Washington was, the white charger, with the
| leopard skin housings, &C., would be un en-
beiishment, the Chief to be dismounted,
with arm resting on the saddle, after the
manner Of 1rumbull.
But whether equestrian or not, the Ameri
cans have the materials for the standard be-
/ lore them in the head from Stuart, with
some slight notifications from the original
Of l112, and tie figure from TrumbuH en-
I tire. They have only to choose their artist,
ana let the work be done
/ When this noble empire shall have achiev-
cd It's high destiny, and, embracing CONT
nent, attained power and grandeur unex-
ampled in the history of nations, the future
American, from the topnost height Of his
greatness, will look back upon the early
/ days Of his country and call up the s. time-
| hopored memories Of the heroic era and
the age of Washington and when. contem-
| plating the image Of the pater PatriA, per
petuated by the melloWed tiuts of the can