Excerpt from National Portrait Gallery of Eminent Americans, Vol. 1 of 2: Including Orators, Statesmen, Naval and Military Heroes, Jurists, Authors, Etc; From Original Full Length Paintings by Alonzo Chappel; With Biographical and Historical Narratives Understood or appreciated till we penetrate to the motives and opportunities Of the individuals who have lived and died for the grand result. Then our hearts are warmed, our resolves strengthened, and our hopes encouraged to increase and magnify our own parts in the ever-acting drama. Biography may be said to be the key to history. It admits us into the privacies and behind the scenes, and makes us acquainted with the separate parts Of the great whole. In some respects the sight may be calculated to diminish our admiration; but this is only at a casual view, and to an inferior order of Observers. There will always be found great actors as the supporters of great events. Nothing, as Lear says. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.