fences ruined, his stock driven away, and his family obliged to live in a state of exile.

"Francis Lewis, in 1775, removed his family and effects to his country seat on Long Island, and in the autumn of that year his house was plundered by the British, and his library and valuable papers of every description were destroyed; his wife fell into their power, and was detained a prisoner for several months, without even the comfort of a bed to lie upon, or a change of clothes.

"William Floyd's family, while he was at Philadelphia, attending upon Congress, were obliged to flee for safety to Connecticut. His house was occupied by a company of horsemen, which made it a place of rendezvous during the remainder of the war. Thus, for nearly seven years, he and his family were refugees from their habitation; nor did he, during this long period, derive any benefit from his landed estate.

"Lastly, Philip Livingston's family fled to Kingston to escape the British army; and here they were compelled to remain while he was at Philadelphia, sick and deprived of the consolations of home, though for a few last days of his illness, he was attended by his son Henry, who was at that time a member of General Washington's family."

"I am truly surprised at the wealth you say the New York signers had," said Mr. A—, "and which they risked when they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor,' by signing the declaration."

"In fact," replied Mr. B- -," there was no poor man among the noble fifty-six, except Samuel Adams, and he had once been very well off. The signers were generally wealthy. The delegates had to advance money for their own necessary expenses, and labor without immediate pay for their services, and therefore none but the rich could accept such offices, however worthy they might otherwise be. It is related of Charles Carroll, the richest man in the colonies, that when he had signed the declaration, some one exclaimed, There go a few million.'

"Further, the truth is that the great question of the entire independence of the colonies from the mother country, although favored by a few of the ablest and boldest of our statesmen, had not been seriously agitated among the masses of the people until the winter of 1775-76, and they were not yet prepared to take this most important step. Several of the colonies had instructed their delegates to join in all measures that might be agreed to in Congress for the advancement of the interests, safety, and dignity of the colonies; but others had directed theirs to refrain from voting for independence. John Dickinson and George Read represented the sentiments of this latter class, although personally, they were no less patriotic

than the other delegates. This was shown by Mr. Dickinson, when a few days after the Fourth, he marched with the American army to face the enemy. He accompanied his regiment to Elizabethtown in July to repel the invading British, and remained there until the end of his term of service."

"In examining these names, I do not find that of Robert R. Livingston of New York," inquired Mr. A. "I remember that he was appointed on the committee to prepare a declaration, and must, therefore, have been supposed to be favorable to the measure. Why does not his name appear?"

"He was necessarily absent from Philadelphia for several days before the Fourth," said Mr. B, "and, as before remarked, he did not return to Congress until after the recess. The case of Richard Henry Lee, also, looks a little odd, until explained. On the seventh of June he brought the great question before the house by submitting the resolution, 'That these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown; and that all connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved.' Now, according to parliamentary usage, he should have been chosen chairman of the committee, and have reported the declaration when drafted. But neither he nor Mr. Jefferson, who penned the document, was its chairman, as would have seemed appropriate; but, it was reported by Benjamin Harrison. The fact was, that on the 10th of June Lee received sudden intelligence of the dangerous illness of his wife, and he left at once for home, and did not return until some time in August.

By the way, several anecdotes are related of this Benjamin Harrison while in Congress. In May, 1775, he and John Hancock were both named for president of Congress, in place of Peyton Randolph. Harrison at once yielded to Hancock, but, seeing him modestly hesitating to take the chair, and being a portly man (almost one-fourth of a ton), of gigantic strength, with characteristic good nature and playfulness, he seized Mr. Hancock in his athletic arms as though he were a child, and bore him to the seat of honor; then, turning around with his honest, beaming face, he said to his amused associates, 'Gentlemen, we will show mother Britain how little we care for her, by making a Massachusetts man president, whom she has excluded from pardon by a public proclamation.' Another anecdote is related of Harrison, how, at the signing he said to Elbridge Gerry, who was a small slight man, 'When the hanging-time comes, I shall have the advantage of you; I am so heavy, it will be over with me in a minute, but you will be kicking in the air half-an-hour after I am gone.' At the same time,

one of the members remarked, 'We must all hang together in this busines.' 'Yes,' replied Dr. Franklin quickly, 'We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.'"

Mr. A said, "I am obliged for this important and interesting information; and in looking back to my first statement, I find there is but very little of it left unmodified."

Mr. B- responding courteously, remarked, "I think, to sum up, it is really true, sir;

I. That the original draft by Mr. Jefferson was not signed by any one on the fourth of July, 1776, except John Hancock, president, and Charles Thomson, secretary. II. That the engrossed copy of the declaration which had been made July fourth, was generally signed August second. III. That the vote approving of the declaration was not unanimous on July Fourth, but was spoken and voted against. IV. That one at least, who was present July Fourth, and approved of the declaration, is not enrolled among the signers. V. That at least one-eighth of the signers were not members of the Congress on July Fourth. VI. That the signing by the delegates unanimously was a happy after-thought, for the inspiriting and encouraging of the people to maintain that declaration for which each and all the delegates, had voluntarily pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors."

M.M. Baldwin

GROTON, N. Y.

WASHINGTON PORTRAITS, BY REMBRANDT PEALE

PRESIDENT WASHINGTON AND MARTHA WASHINGTON

For the first time in the history of this magazine, now closing its twentieth volume, the current number opens with a pair of frontispieces of great rarity and beauty. These portraits of our first President and Mrs. Washington, never before published, have been engraved expressly for this periodical from the original paintings by Rembrandt Peale.* As examples of art, of great merit, they are worthy of careful study, while as a notable addition to the already famous gallery of Washington portraiture of this magazine, they are beyond price. They were painted by Rembrandt Peale, in 1853, for a New York lady, Mrs. Campbell, and are now the property of a New York lady, Miss Caroline Phelps Stokes of Madison square. The following letter in the well known handwriting of the eminent artist, which has been carefully preserved, explains itself.

"502 Vine street above Broad Philadelphia Nov 28, 1853

Mrs Campbell D'r Madame

As our friend Mrs Cooper did not send me your address, I enclose this to her care for your early reception, in order to have your answer and advise how to direct the box containing your Washingtons, which I am desirous of sending this week. You will therefore oblige me with a note to say whether the box shall be directed to your house, or to the framemaker's, you may have employed to make the frames. In either case please send the exact directions by Thursday's mail.

I have felt sorry that the long continued cloudy and damp weather retarded the final finishing of your pictures until now-but hope they will be none the less welcome. You are the first lady in America to possess the portrait of Mrs Washington, which I am happy to say pleases all who have seen it.

As Mrs Peale and I propose visiting New York next week, to finish our examination of the Crystal Palace, you need not send me your check for the payment, which I can more conveniently receive at Mrs Cooper's..

I remain

Respectfully yours

Rembrandt Peale."

*The paintings from which our frontispieces this month have been engraved are in the possession of Miss Caroline Phelps Stokes of New York city.

Washington's portrait in this instance was the mature result of Rembrandt Peale's long continued efforts, based upon his early studies from life, to produce a likeness worthy of his distinguished subject. Born in 1788, young Peale was from infancy the watchful companion of his father's artistic labors, and when eight years of age could draw with the precision of many artists of twenty-five. He was seventeen when he first obtained a sitting from Washington, and commenced the portrait that was the ruling ambition of his life to perfect. This was in 1795, the same year that Stuart painted his first portrait of our first President. One of his brothers said, "Rembrandt was crazy on the subject of Washington; he dreamed over, and talked about his picture in his sleep." Rembrandt Peale has left many interesting items on record concerning his work. He writes on one occasion:

"Washington gave me three sittings. At the first and second, my father's painting and mine advance well together; being at my right hand his was a little less full than mine. In the third sitting, perceiving that he was beginning to repaint the forehead, and proceed downwards, as was his custom, I feared he would have too little time to study the mouth and lower part of the face; and therefore I began at the chin, and proceeded upward. The result of this decision was, that there was something in the upper part of my father's study that I preferred, and something in the lower portion of mine which better satisfied me. At subsequent periods I made several studies to combine them: To profit more fully by the occasion, my uncle, James Peale, during the second and third sittings, painted on my left hand a miniature on ivory; and for a time my elder brother stood beyond my uncle, to make a profile sketch. Seeing my father, my uncle James, my brother Raphael, and myself all at work, Washington exclaimed, 'Why, gentlemen, I am being Pealed all around.'"

Rembrandt Peale was a remakably industrious artist. He painted his last bust-portrait in 1859, for the father of John A. McAllister, of Philadelphia. On the panel of the frame, he inserted a few descriptive words under his own signature, dated June, 1859, from which the following is quoted: "Washington sat expressly to me in September, 1795-my father at my request making a study of him at the same time. . . . I was born the 22d of February, 1788, consequently, I had entered the eightysecond year of my age when I made this, my 75th copy, for John McAllister, Jr., of Philadelphia."

In a letter written by Rembrandt Peale to a gentleman in Philadelphia, in 1854, in reference to his early painting of Washington, he says:

'When Washington sat to me, in 1795, the latter part of September, he came to my room at 7 o'clock, each time as he entered, in the act of putting his watch into his fob, thus giving me an example of punctuality which I have since enforced on all my sitters.