THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS. CONDUCTED BY JAMES B. LONGACRE, PHILADELPHIA; AND JAMES HERRING, NEW YORK: Under the Superintendence of the American Academy of the Fine Arts. VOLUME I. "These are deeds which should not pass away, And names that must not wither, though the earth Forgets her empires with a just decay, The enslavers and the enslaved, their death and birth." PHILADELPHIA, HENRY PERKINS, 159 CHESTNUT STREET. LONDON, O. RICH, 12 RED LION SQUARE. 1834. 1731116 11 5 4 2 3 0 5.35 HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY 562 いい Entered according to the act of congress, in the year 1833, by JAMES HERRing, in the clerk's office of the district court of the southern district of New York. ADDRESS. THE first volume of the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS is now presented to that public, whose annals it is designed to illustrate, and whose favour its conductors have the proud satisfaction to know they have not erringly anticipated. It is, therefore, with no ordinary feelings they meet their friends and patrons on this occasion, and tender their grateful acknowledgements of the cordial and cheering support their enterprise has received from their countrymen. The fate of some earlier attempts of a kindred character, cast a shadow upon the first annunciation of their purpose with a disheartening admonition; but, with the advancement of art, a more auspicious era has dawned, and the American people now display a becoming solicitude for the preservation of the relics of their own glory. The enterprise presents the loftiest appeal to national honour and self respect, as an effort at once to preserve the features, and to rescue, from the wasting hand of time, the memory of those whose noble deeds, exalted fame, or eminent virtues, have shed a lustre upon their age. The value of such a collection of portraits has been well expressed by a writer of the last century,* who says, "In every age and nation distinguished for arts and learning, the inclination of transmitting the memory and even the features of illustrious persons to posterity, has uniformly prevailed. The greatest poets, orators and historians, were contemporaries with the most celebrated painters, statuaries, and engravers of gems and medals; and the desire to be acquainted with a man's aspect, has ever risen in proportion to the known excellence of his character, and the admiration of his writings." With regard to the execution of their undertaking, the conductors of the National Portrait Gallery are happily spared the necessity of Granger commenting upon their own labours, by the prevailing sentiments of approbation which it has elicited; and when it is remembered, by how severe a test the infant arts of our country are tried, from the general circulation among us of the chef d'œuvres of European art, developed in the maturity of strength in similar departments, it is difficult to repress the glow of exultation which is warranted by a successful essay. So far, however, as exertion to deserve the praise awarded them. is concerned, the conductors of the work can assure their friends it has not been cheaply earned. At the outset, difficulties were anticipated, yet not equal to those which have been met. The great extent of our territory, with the migratory habits of our people, has scattered far and wide the materials requisite for the work, both pictorial and literary-and it is often that only by patient and persevering effort, they can be obtained, or rendered available. Impediments, of nearly equal magnitude, have been encountered in the manufacture of the work, for which no similar undertaking had prepared the way; and whatever confidence the projectors of this may have had in the efficiency of their own arrangements, the history of other failures was too generally known, and too freshly remembered by the people, to whom their appeal was necessarily made, to prevent their early professions from being received without distrust, which could only be removed by the accomplishment of their promises. What they have been able to achieve thus far, is now before the public, on whose candid estimate they confidently rest their claims for continued and increased support towards the future portions of the work. To the numerous contributors to the literary portion of this work, from Maine to Kentucky, we are bound to render our acknowledgements of gratitude; and for the ready permission to use their pictures, granted by the corporations of the cities of New York and Boston; of Yale College; the New York Lyceum; the Massachusetts Historical Society;-to Mr Peale, the liberal proprietor of the Delaplaine collection;-to Colonel Trumbull, Mr Sully, Mr Harding, Mr. Leslie, Miss Goodrich, Mr Ingham, and, indeed, to all the painters, whose aid has been cheerfully lent to us during the past year, we tender our warmest thanks. JAMES B. LONGACRE. |