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[39]

His advice was taken, and Letters were received from the most intimate friends and Relatives of Washington repeating in each instance the language they had previously and spontaneously uttered ... I repeat the words previously and spontaneously, in contradiction to Newspaper assertions that their names were appended to a prepared Certificate - an imputation inconsistent with the high character of those Gentlemen who were pleased to give their written opinions.  Judges Marshall; Peters Washington  Cranch & Thatcher; [[strikethrough]] Bishop White [[/strikethrough]] Governor Walcott & Howard; Carroll of Carrollton; Bishop White Colonel Talmadge; Wm Rush & others.... these letters were published during the lifetime of their responsible authors The originals are preserved in this volume extracts from which are printed in these pamphlets. Judge Washington, who was a frequent visitor to the Capitol, one day took me aside to say that when he visited the portrait at a distance it seemed less like than when seen near- he thought there was something wrong about the eyes, & perhaps a slight irregularity was not marked in the lips, caused by early loss of teeth. I took occasion the next day to correct the mouth from my original study; but it was some time before I could ascertain