IN the preparation of this work the author's aim has been to present a series of character sketches of the eminent persons selected for portraiture. These selections of subjects have been made for the purpose of placing before the present generation of Americans salient points in the careers of public men, whose attainments in statesmanship were the result of their own individual exertions and force of character rather than of fortunate circumstances. Therefore, these brief studies are not biographies. The author had the good fortune of personal acquaintance with most of the statesmen of the latter part of the period illustrated by his pen; and he considers it an advantage to his readers that they may thus receive from him some of the impressions which these conspicuous personages made upon the mental vision of those who heard and saw them while they were living examples of nobility of aim and success of achievement in American statesmanship.

S

13

THE STATUE OF SUMNER, BY THOMAS BALL, IN THE PUB-

39

69

91

119

143

223

255

281

313

333

PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND,

ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

THE HOUSE IN WHICH HENRY CLAY WAS BORN,

THE SCHOOLHOUSE OF THE Slashes,

HENRY CLAY BETWEEN THIRTY AND FORTY,

CLAY'S TOMB AT LEXINGTON, KY., .

HENRY CLAY'S BED, USED BY HIM FOR FIFTY YEARS,

HOUSE WHERE WEBSTER WAS BORN AT SALISBURY (NOW

PAGE

12

15

19

36

37

THE WEBSTER STATUE IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK, .

53

58

PAGE

WEBSTER'S TOMB AT MArshfield,

CALHOUN IN EARLY LIFE, .

CALHOUN'S HOME AT FORT HILL, S. C., .

CALHOUN'S LIBRARY AND OFFICE,

JOINING OF THE CENTRAL AND UNION PACIFIC,

THE SUB-TREASURY BUILDING IN WALL STREET, NEW

68

70

73

84

96

.

146

149

160

THE SEWARD STATUE, BY RANDOLPH ROGERS, IN MAD-

THE HOUSE IN WHICH MR. CHASE WAS BORN, AT COR-

NISH, N. H.,

THE CHASE HOME AT KEENE, N. H.-MONADNOCK IN

THE BACKGROUND,

EDGEWOOD HOUSE, MR. CHASE'S RESIDENCE AT WASH-

INGTON, D. C.,

MR. CHASE'S DESK IN THE LIBRARY AT EDGEWOOD HOUSE, 169

THE NEGRO-PEW. [AN ACTUAL VIEW],

LINCOLN'S APPROVED LIKENESS,

LINCOLN'S EARLY HOME AT ELIZABETHTOWN, KY.,

LINCOLN'S WRESTLING-BOUT WITH ARMSTRONG,

THE HOME OF LINCOLN AT SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,

THE ST. GAUDEN'S STATUE OF LINCOLN AT LINCOLN

PARK, CHICAGO,

STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS,

GIDEON WELles,

THE NATIONAL LINCOLN MONUMENT AT SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,

HOUSE WHERE LINCOLN DIED IN WASHINGTON

TENTH STREET, N. W.,

DEATH-MASK OF LINCOLN, .

THE BUST OF SUMNER IN THE MUSEUM OF ART, Bos-

TON, BY HIS FRIEND, THOMAS CRAWFORD,