The Portland daily press., 1881-07-23
SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 20.
Sitting For Their Pictures.
The Artist Healeys Recollections of
jackson and Clay.

lctltrJ
John Quincy Adams" said Mr. Healey.
'was one of the three best takers who ever
sat to be painted by me. Louis Philippe was
the second, and DR.. o. A. Brownson third of
this trio. L ought, perhaps, to have made it
quartet, and to have taken in Bismarck for he ia
magnificent talker. 1 was also agreeably sur.
prised in the conversational faculties of An
drew jackson; his manners, too, were entire
~ different from what l had supposed had
In some manner unfortunately gathered the
impression that he was coarse, bullying sort
of man; and was indeed surprised to find
that his manners were more like those of the
late Duke of Sutherland than like those of
frontier politician.
He was extremely courteous, aud may be
classed as a splendid sitter. After 1 had fin
ished painting his portrait at the Hermitage,
near Nashville, the family asked me to make q
copy Of il when returned to Paris, but said:
"A copy Is always copy. So 1 asked the old
man to let me paint him again from the life.
He consented and passed many pleasant and
profitable hours in his society. L remember
well the intense vehemence of manner with
which, after 1 had related circumstance
about myself and the necessity of telling an
unpleasant untruth on one occasion, he said,
shaking his head with great violence: AL
ways tell the truth, Mr.. Healeyi' As was
ready to leave Nashville 1 learned that Henry
Clay, whom had a commission to paint was
grounded on a steamer (near Louisville, and
that he would be unavoidably detained for
some days. L remained in Nashville, there
fore, longer than L intended and shall never
forget my interview with Old Hickory.
THE impression made on me by Henry Clay
was very powerful. 1t might be said of Hem
~ Clay and John G. Calhoun that the former
made up his mind that he would create a bril-
liant impression, and of the latter that he
Could not help creating it. Mr.. Clay enter
tanned me with great courtesy at his elegant
home near Lexington. | remember that one
evening, after he had had numerous COM
pany to dinner, he gave US novel entertain
ment in his parlor, it being nothing else than
song by company of negro MINISTRIES, who
were, believe, the originators of the perfor-
mances which have become so popular
throughout the country. One day, after the
picture was done, Mr.. Clay said to me: You
have never asked to see my stock
81 apologiZed for the omission, and he took
me, with all the enthusiasm of a country farm
er. through his superb barns and stables, show
ing me his blooded stock and entering into the
smallest details concerning their origin. 1 re-
manned in Lexington two months One day,
after we had engaged in q rather more init
mate conversation than usual, and had spok-
en- several times with deep feeling of Mr..
jackson, Mr.; Clay, with a peculiar look at me,
as il he was determined to get nv sincere opin-
ion asked nae if did not think MIR. Jackson's
expressions of religious faith were all shams
1 could make but one answer to this, and said
that had never seen more truly religious
man than Andrew jackson. A shadow
passed over Mr.. Clay's face, and a moment af-
terward he shook his finger at me, and said:
sAh! l see it is with you as with all who ever
approached that man; he has made you his
partisanP"