A large part of the so-called original documents or first-hand sources of information is to be found in letters and private papers of prominent men. For most readers there is nothing better than the "American Statesmen Series，" from which the following might be selected： H. C. Lodge's "George Washington "(2 vols.， 1889) and "Alexander Hamilton" (1882)； J. T. Morse's "Benjamin Franklin" (1889)， "John Adams" (1885)， and "Thomas Jefferson" (1883)； Theodore Roosevelt's "Gouverneur Morris，" (1888). Other readable volumes are P. L. Ford's "The True George Washington" (1896) and "The Many-sided Franklin" (1899)； F. S. Oliver's "Alexander Hamilton， An Essay on American Union" (New ed. London， 1907)； W. G. Brown's "Life of Oliver Ellsworth"(1905)； A. McL.
Hamilton's "The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton" (1910)；
James Schouler's "Thomas Jefferson" (1893)； Gaillard Hunt's "Life of James Madison" (1902).
Of the collections of documents it may be worth while to notice：
"Documentary History of the Constitution of the United States，" 5 vols. (1894-1905)； B. P. Poore's "Federal and State Constitutions， Colonial Charters， etc.，" 2 vols. (1877)； F. N.
Thorpe's "The Federal and State Constitutions， Colonial Charters， and other Organic Laws"， 7 vols. (1909)； and the "Journals of the Continental Congress" (1904-1914)， edited from the original records in the Library of Congress by Worthington C. Ford and Gaillard Hunt， of which 23 volumes have appeared， bringing the records down through 1782.
第一章NOTES ON THE PORTRAITS OF MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION WHO SIGNED THE CONSTITUTION BY VICTOR HUGO PALTSITS
Forty signatures were attached to the Constitution of the United States in the Federal Convention on September 17， 1787， by thirty-nine delegates， representing twelve States， and the secretary of the Convention， as the attesting officer. George Washington， who signed as president of the Convention， was a delegate from Virginia. There are reproduced in this volume the effigies or pretended effigies of thirty-seven of them， from etchings by Albert Rosenthal in an extra-illustrated volume devoted to the Members of the Federal Convention， 1787， in the Thomas Addis Emmet Collection owned by the New York Public Library. The autographs are from the same source. This series presents no portraits of David Brearley of New Jersey， Thomas Fitzsimons of Pennsylvania， and Jacob Broom of Delaware. With respect to the others we give such information as Albert Rosenthal， the Philadelphia artist， inscribed on each portrait and also such other data as have been unearthed from the correspondence of Dr. Emmet， preserved in the Manuscript Division of the New York Public Library.
Considerable controversy has raged， on and off， but especially of late， in regard to the painted and etched portraits which Rosenthal produced nearly a generation ago， and in particular respecting portraits which were hung in Independence Hall， Philadelphia. Statements in the case by Rosenthal and by the late Charles Henry Hart are in the "American Art News，" March 3， 1917， p. 4. See also Hart's paper on bogus American portraits in "Annual Report， 1913，" of the American Historical Association. To these may be added some interesting facts which are not sufficiently known by American students.
In the ninth decade of the nineteenth century， principally from 1885 to 1888， a few collectors of American autographs united in an informal association which was sometimes called a "Club，" for the purpose of procuring portraits of American historical characters which they desired to associate with respective autographs as extra-illustrations. They were pioneers in their work and their purposes were honorable. They cooperated in effort and expenses， 'in a most commendable mutuality. Prime movers and workers were the late Dr. Emmet， of New York， and Simon Gratz， Esq.， still active in Philadelphia. These men have done much to stimulate appreciation for and the preservation of the fundamental sources of American history. When they began， and for many years thereafter， not the same critical standards reigned among American historians， much less among American collectors， as the canons now require. The members of the "Club" entered into an extensive correspondence with the descendants of persons whose portraits they wished to trace and then have reproduced. They were sometimes misled by these descendants， who themselves， often great-grandchildren or more removed by ties and time， assumed that a given portrait represented the particular person in demand， because in their own uncritical minds a tradition was as good as a fact.
The members of the "Club，" then， did the best they could with the assistance and standards of their time. The following extract from a letter written by Gratz to Emmet， November 10， 1885， reveals much that should be better known. He wrote very frankly as follows： "What you say in regard to Rosenthal's work is correct： but the fault is not his. Many of the photographs are utterly wanting in expression or character； and if the artist were to undertake to correct these deficiencies by ****** the portrait what he may SUPPOSE it should be， his production (while presenting a better appearance ARTISTICALLY) might be very much less of a LIKENESS than the photograph from which he works.
Rosenthal always shows me a rough proof of the unfinished etching， so that I may advise him as to corrections & additions which I may consider justifiable & advisable."
Other correspondence shows that Rosenthal received about twenty dollars for each plate which he etched for the "Club."
The following arrangement of data follows the order of the names as signed to the Constitution. The Emmet numbers identify the etchings in the bound volume from which they have been reproduced.
