But enough of politics for the present; this letter goes by private hand, and, as news, will be superseded before it can arrive.

Let me rather take the opportunity to say some things that I have let lie by, while writing of political events.  Especially of our artists I wish to say something.  I know many of thorn, if not all, and see with pleasure our young country so fairly represented.

Among the painters I saw of Brown only two or three pictures at the exhibition in Florence; they were coarse, flashy things.  I was told he could do better; but a man who indulges himself with such, coarse sale-work cannot surely do well at any time.

The merits of Terry and Freeman are not my merits; they are beside both favorites in our country, and have a sufficient number of pictures there for every one to judge.  I am no connoisseur as regards the technical merits of paintings; it is only poetic invention, or a tender feeling of nature, which captivates me.

Terry loves grace, and consciously works from the model.  The result is a pleasing transposition of the hues of this clime.  But the design of the picture is never original, nor is it laden with any message from, the heart.  Of Freeman I know less; as the two or three pictures of his that I have seen never interested me.  I have not visited his studio.

Of Hicks I think very highly.  He is a man of ideas, an original observer, and with a poetic heart.  His system of coloring is derived from a thoughtful study, not a mere imitation of nature, and shows the fineness of his organization.  Struggling unaided to pursue the expensive studies of his art, he has had only a small studio, and received only orders for little cabinet pictures.  Could, he carry out adequately his ideas, in him would be found the treasure of genius.  He has made the drawings for a large picture of many figures; the design is original and noble, the grouping highly effective.  Could he paint this picture, I believe it would be a real boon to the lovers of art, the lovers of truth.  I hope very much that, when he returns to the United States, some competent patron of art—­one of the few who have mind as well as purse—­will see the drawings and order the picture.  Otherwise he cannot paint it, as the expenses attendant on models for so many figures, &c. are great, and the time demanded could not otherwise be taken from the claims of the day.

Among landscape painters Cropsey and Cranch have the true artist spirit.  In faculties, each has what the other wants.  Cropsey is a reverent and careful student of nature in detail; it is no pedantry, but a true love he has, and his pictures are full of little, gentle signs of intimacy.  They please and touch; but yet in poetic feeling of the heart of nature he is not equal to Cranch, who produces fine effects by means more superficial, and, on examination, less satisfactory.  Each might take somewhat from the other to advantage, could he do it without diminishing