The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-01-30

of Washington, we give not only the result OF
our personal observation and experience OF
many years. but Information derived from the
highest authority-a favorite nephew.
Major Lawrence Lewis asked his uncle what
was his height in the prime of life9 He re-
Piled, t'In my best days, Lawrence, stood
six feet and two inches in ordinary shoes
We know that he measured by standard pre-
csely six feet, when laid out in death. OF
his weight we are an evidence, having heard
him say to Crawford, governor Of Canada, in
1880, my weight in my best days, sir,
| never exceeded from two hundred and ten to
twenty His form was unique, unlike. most
and then gather in at the hips. The form of
Washington desiated from the general rule,
since it descended from the shoulders to the
hips in perpendicular lines, the breadth of the
trunk being nearly as great at the one as the
other. His limbs werelong, large and sinewy;
in his lower limbs be was what is usually called
straight -limbed. ID His joints feet and hands
| were large. and could a cast have been made
from his right hand, so far did its dimensions
exceed natures model that it would have
been preserved in museums for ages rs the
anatomical wonder of the 18th century q La
| fayette remembered this remarkable hand.
| when. during his triumph in America, he said
to US in tie portico at Mount Vernon, ''lt was
here in 1884 was first introduced to you by
the good general; it is long while ago; you
were then avery little gentleman, rugged out
in cap and feather, and held by one finger of
the generals mighty hand Ii was all you
could do at that time, my dear sir <..
The eyes of the chief were light grayish
blue, deep sunken in their sockets. giving the
expression of gravity and thought. Stuart
painted these eyes ola deeper blue, saying in
a hundred years they will have faded to the
right color His hair was Of hazel brown,
and very thin in his latter days. In hismove-
ments he preserved, in a remarkable degree
and to advantage, the elastic step that he had
| acquired in his service on the frontier. =., e
Being ordered one morning very early into
the library, at Mount Vernon, a spot that none
entered without orders, the weather being
warm, we found the chief very much. un-
dressed, and, while looking on his smanly
| frame, we discovered that the centre OF his
chest was indented. This is an exception o.
the general rule laid down by anatomists, that
where the human frame possessed great mus.
cular power, the chest should rather be round
ed out and protuberant than indented We
were equally surprised to find how thin he
was in person, being, with the absence of flesh;
| literally man of ssthews md sinews." He
wore around his neck the miniature portrait Of
his wife. This he had worn through all the
vicissitudes Of his eventful career, from the
period of his marriage to the 'last days al
Mount Vernon '"' -7
In the appearance of Washington there
was nothing of bulkiness, but there was united
all that was digni6ed and graceful, while his
air and manner were at once noble and com
manding. No one approached him that die
not feel for him, as lord Erskine Observed SO
degree of awful reverence He wore a swort
with peculiar grace. The viscomte de Nouille
said it was because 'the man was made 70
the sword, and not the sword for the man."
Lafayette, not long after the war of the re
volution wrote letter to col. Trumbull urgins
him to paint an equestrian portrait of the chic
as he appeared on the field ofMonmouth. Th'
illustrious F,enchman, Americas great bene
factor, said to US: ri was very young ma jor
general on that memorable day, and had ;
great deal to do, but took time, among The
heat and fury of the fight, to gaze upon anc
admire Washington, as, mounted on a splendic
charger covered with foam, he rallied our line
with words never to be forgotten. Stand fast
my boys, and receive your enemy; the south
ern troops are advancing to support you' q
thought then as do now," continued the gooC
Lafayette, "that never have seen so superb
a man."
| Our readers may ask, shall the standard
portraiture be equestrian? We reply, to the
portrait of one SO accomplished cavalier as
Washington was, the white charger, with the
leopard skin housings, &C., would be an en-
bellishment, the chief to be dismounted, will
arm resting on the saddle, after the manner Of
Trumbull. ta. -rs ..s...r5 -Mtsa s.S.
But whether equestrian or not, the Ameri-
cans have the materials for the standard before
them in the head from Stuart, with some slight
modification from the original of 1879, and the
figure from Trumbull entire. They have only
to choose their artist and let the work be done
When this noble empire shall have achieved
attained power and grandeur unexampled in
the history of nations, the future American,
from the topmost height ofits greatness, will look
back upon the early days of his country, and
call uf the me-honored'' memories of the
heroic era of the age of Washington; and, when
contemplating the image of the pater patria,
perpetuated By the mellowed tints of the can
vas, and the freshness oftime- enduring bronze,
With honest pride of ancestry be will exclailn.
my 4brefather was the associate of that great
man in the perils and glorcs Of the struggle
for Americana independence. Let there be un-
dying homo 20 the memory of Washington.
Ever green be - laurels that deck his trophied
tomb, ever living be the homage in the hearts
of his countrrmen and mankind, for the patriot
the hero and0 0he sage, who, under Providence,
with humble means, SO much contributed to
raise his native land from the depths of depend
ence and to place herin the rank of nations;
who presided over her civic destinies in the
dawn of the great experiment of selfgovern-
ment; and who, after an illustrious life spent in
the service of liberty and mankind, and with
out cloud to dim the lustre of his fame, de-
scended to the grave with the august title Of
the father of his country! Il Nat. Intel.
.-. .--~~~~-~~-~~.~-o~~~~~>-
MODIFYING CAND1DArE.-Ata a democratic
meeting held at Indianapolis, says the Chicago
Citizen, lieut.. gov. Willard was recommended
as a candidate for governor next year, provi.
ded he would agree to refrain from that un-
healthful and degrading stmulant called bran
du coon O. bo -ofor,,