The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-18 00:00:00

United States.

"By the direction of the President, you are
hereby instructed to cause the arrest of all pro-
minent leaders or conspirators, persons called
Fenians, whom you may have probable cause to
believe have been or may be guilty of violations of
the neutrality laws of the United States.
(Signed)

" JAMES SPEED, Attorney-General."

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.
At a special meeting of the " American Numis-
matic and Archaeological Society," held at their
rooms, on the 27th of April, 1865, when the assas-
sination of President Lincoln was still the theme of
conversation and the subject of thought everywhere,
after remarks pertinent to the occasion had been
made by several of the members, the following re-
solution was offered and passed unanimously :-
4‘ Resolved—That since it is the duty of this Society to
perpetuate the memorials of historic greatness, we will
cause to be struck in bronze a medal, designed to com-

memorate the life and perpetuate the name of Abraham
Lincoln ; and that a committee be appointed to carry this

resolution into effect."

A Committee was accordingly appointed, of which
Mr. John Hanna, 75, William-street, Treasurer of
the Society, was Chairman. The various die-sinkers
were at once communicated with, and at the fol-
lowing meeting the Committee reported a design
and inscription for the medal, which were accepted,
and submitted to the proposition of Mr. Emil
Sigel to complete the dies, his being the most satis-
factory work exhibited.
A contract was accordingly entered into with
Mr. Sigel, and the work commenced. Meanwhile
the Committee prepared circulars and subscription

papers and circulated them extensively, and sub-
scriptions began to come in rapidly enough to show
that there was at least no danger of loss from the

undertaking.
Various matters interfered with the rapid com-
pletion by Mr. Sigel of his labours, and it was not
until the middle of March in the present year that
he was able to furnish specimen copies complete,
although imperfect copies had been presented to the
President of the United States, and to the Hon.
George Bancroft, on the occasion of the oration
delivered by the latter at the Capitol in Washington
on the anniversary of the birth of Mr. Lincoln.
At length, everything being completed and in readi-
ness, the difficulties of obtaining a sufficiently
powerful press having been surmounted, the dies
were put in press, and the process of striking com-
menced. Sixteen bronze medals and a few in white
metal had been struck, when by some accident not
yet fully understood the dies were broken so badly
as to necessitate the abandonment of all idea of
striking from them medals in hard metal, although
it was believed that they would strike impressions
in soft metal without the injury being apparent.
The Committee having reported this misfortune at
a late meeting of the Society action was taken on
the evidence furnished, exonerating both the Com-
mittee and Mr. Sigel from all blame in the matter,
and authorising the Committee to proceed in the
work, have new dies made, and complete the medal
as originally proposed ; Mr. Sigel's new proposi-
tion to furnish new dies by the first of August next
being accordingly accepted. _ _ .

The few impressions of the medal that were suc•
cessfully struck leave nothing to be desired, either
in sharpness and force of outline or in the life-like
appearance of the portrait. The medal will be a
credit to the artist and to the country.
Mn. GEORGE PEABODY.—The New York Herald
publishes the following brief sketch of the career of Mr.
Peabody, whose princely munificence on both sides of the
Atlantic has rendered his name familiar as household
words. Although George Peabody was only eleven years
old when he left his native place (Washington-street,
South Danvers, Massachusetts), there aro many still there
who remember him in his school days, sixty years ago,
and can recall how ho dealt out groceries and beer to the
villagers in Mr. Proctor's little store in Main-street—then
but a lad.of eleven years, the embryo merchant who was
destined to win the esteem of the two hemispheres, to
receive royal favours from " the first lady in England," and
to become the recipient of blessings from thousands of
poor whom his bounty had relieved. He is remembered
as a fine frank boy, with always something commanding
in his manner ; quick to learn, and active to work. He
was full of pluck too, and would brook no insult from his
playmates. One of his school mates still living, a Mr.
Osborne, had a fisticuff match with young George the
grocer's boy, half a century ago, and when Mr. Peabody,
the London banker, returned from Europe, the ancient
enemies met as friends, and had an old-time gossip about
their school days. Young Peabody was not much of a
student. He had little time for study, and was but a brief
period at the district school, where he received all the
education he got. His parents were poor, and labour be-
came a necessity to the boy. His first venture beyond his
native town was in Thetford, Vermont, and afterwards at
Newbury, where he became clerk in the grocery store of
his brother. He was then only fifteen years old, and began
to demonstrate that business tact which has since marked
his character. While yet under ago his uncle placed him
at the head of his establishment in Georgetown, district of
Columbia ; but the establishment not being successful, he
was set up in the wholesale dry goods business by Mr.
Elisha Riggs. Prosperity then began to smile on him.
Next year he war junior partner in the house of Riggs,
Peabody, and Co., and removed to Baltimore. Branch
houses were soon established in Philadelphia and New
York. In 1827 he went to England to purchase goods,
and here his first relations with that country commenced.
By the death of Mr. Riggs, in 1829, Mr. Peabody became
senior partner. Eight years later he took up his residence
permanently in England, where he established himself as
a banker in 1843. The foundation of his fortune was now
laid, and vigorously ho built up the structure. On the
occasion of an anniversary of South Danvers he sent from
London a toast in a sealed envelope as follows :—" Educa-
tion--a debt from the present to future generations." A
sum of $20,000 accompanied the toast, for the endowment
of an institute and library in his native town. Subse-
quently ho increased it to $50,000, and donated $lO,OOO
for a branch institute in North Danvers. He was equally
liberal to other enterprises, contributing $lO,OOO to the
first Grinnell Arctic Expedition, and $500,000 in 1856 for
an institute in Baltimore for the
promotion of science, art,
and literature.
Charlotte Cushman's mother died recently in
England.
John G. Whittier refuses to be a candidate for
Congress from the fifth di§trict of-Massachusetts.
The President has nominated John• Logan (father
of the gallant General) Marshal for the Southern District
of Illinois.
The widow of Paul Akers, the sculptor, whose
" Rock me to Sleep, Mother," and other gems of pathetic
poetry, are well known, has married again; her new hus-
band being a Mr. Allen, of washingt on city.
An uncle of Prince Christian of Augustenburg
some years ago married an American lady named Leo.
He died a few months afterwards, and his widow now re•
sides in Paris with her sister, the Baroness Wachter.
Thus it will happen that after her marriage the Princess
Reiena will be niece of a New York lady.