Washington telegraph., 1852-03-03

", lHE OFFERING OF PATRIOTISM TO Ex.nrrn
WoRrH-A large number of the citizens Of We,r
YORK, deslrous OF signalling their reSnect .nJ
veneratlon to Henry Clay, as a man 2 natr;ot
ana statesman-lna manner worthy the neerY
less intellect and unequaled national service -
the one, and OF their own appreciation ot wbst
was due to eloquence, patriotism, and private and
PUBIC :,i wolIlnpresented him. on the 9th instant
with magnificent gold medal prepared at great
expense and In the highest style of art
Inc committee appointed to present this snlen.
did testimonial, waited upon the illusrious states
man IN his private chamber, the delicate state ~
his health prohibiting even the slightest eyposure
Inc ineoal is three and half inches in dame
ter, and OF circular form, enclosed in a case nj
beautiful chased silver The front of the case
presents view of Ashland. above which is an
| engraving OF the monument erected to Mr. Claw
on the national road. The other side gives mic.
ture OF the Capitol, the great theatre of his glo
rous pubic career. The diverse of the medal
presents the head and bust of the mighty states
man, IN strong bas-relief, encircled by richly en-
graved tn, representing the union of the
States, In which the leading staples of the differ.
ent lantudes form most appropriate ornaments.
he reverse side has the following inscrptions
upon IT, indicating the most illusrious periods in
the history OF the great old Kentuckian:
SENATE 1896; Speaker 1911; War 1912: Ghent
1914; spanish America, 1922 Missouri Compro-
mise, 1921; American System, 1924; Secretary of
State 1929; Panama Instructions. 1926: Tariff
Compromise. 1888; Public Domain. 1S33 and
1894; Peace with France Preserved. 1885. Com.
promise. 1902
lhe conclusion of the address of presentation.
by the committee, is as follows
"All national medals hitherto struck in this
country have been commemorative of the tri-
umphS of American arms but
Peace hath her victories
No less renowned than war;
Then let the triumphs of peace have their me-
mortal honors too. And let the first American
victor OF peace, thus commemorated, be the man
VINO, tor whole age, has ranked as the first citi
zen OF the great Republicu
Ihe reply of Mr.. Clay is so felicitous and ap-
proprIate, that we transfer it entire to our COL
umns. Everything coming from the lips of Mr..
Clay now possesses sad, mourntul interest,"
Hum, OF the hon heart, the indomitable will the
gigantic intellect: the all-pervading patriotism.
the glorious eoquence, must soon pass from earth
and earthly things. The contemplation is mel
ancholy one. Genius, eloquence, mind, services,
the love OF friends and the admiration of country
men, avail naught in warding off the shafts of the
lnsatlate archer death
Mr.. CLAY replied to the Committee as follows:
Ge'3e1en:-Ihis is among the, most interesting
and gratifying days of my life, although | have
Deen confined to these rooms for long time by
tedious and doubtful Illness You have come
here, the representatives of large and in!eli-
gent body OF ardent friends of mine in the CITY of
New York: to present to me beautiful and costly
gold m eddl intended to commemorate nv pnbic
lie. On one face of it are engraved all the great
puolc measures adopted in the National Councils
IN winch was supposed to have any conspicuous
agency and on the other remarkable and accu-
rate likeness OF me. The time and place of pre-
sentatlon and the friends who have contributed
this splendid testimonial. give to it an inestimabe
value. The time is when am about to retire for
ever from pubic life, and when [ cannot expect
much longer to ilnger here below: the place is the
city Of Washington, the principal theatre of those
puonc services which have commended them
selves to your appreciation Throughout nv
puohc lie have been blessed, every where in the
Unted States with more fewer true friends to
whom am bound by the strongest ties of graft
tude but nowhere have they surpassed those in
the city OF New York in zeal, constancy and fide-
NY and IN distinguished and various demonstra-
tons OF their affection and attachment Whilst
one Is IN the ardent pursuit of public life. and is
ned up Tor It's highest honors it is not pra acticabe
always TO discriminate, among his supporters, be-
tween those Who bestow their suffraoes from
pure, patriotic and dsinteresed motives and those
VINO are actGated by selfish ends but on this occa-
SION no such difficulty exists. You have come, at
much personal Inconvenience, to the bed OF d sick
and afflicted friend, to present to him. in your
names and IN the name of numerous body of
his personal and political friends, whom You rep
resent, most precious token of your esteem and
afectlonate regard. That friend has not now and
never VIII have any public patronage to dispense.
Ihe nigh and honorable and disinterested charac-
ter OF your motives not therefore. be ques-
toned.
gentlemen. request you to accept yourselves.
and to communicate to my absent friends whom
you represent, my cordial and heartfelt thanks
and my grateful and profound acknowledgements
for this rich tribute to the sentiments which they
fl ma t,g,
should have been most happy to have expressed
my great obligations to all OF them personally, if
1t had been in my power
l shall soon pass from the Jurisdiction of my
contemporaries, and Of the present generation to
that Of history and posterity if the one shall
deem me worthy of any record on its pages or
tradition shall transmit any recollection of me to
the other
1t is not within my legitimate province to ex-
press any opinion on my own public
public deeds. That Office belongs to them. and |
shall consider my future fame fortunate if it shall
be regarded by them with a small portion of the
favor with which the partiaity of yourselves and
your associates now complete it.
shall soon appear before higher and more
holy tribunal than any earthly one which can
unerrlnSy Judge Of the motives well the
acts OF man. To that tribunal | look forward.
with composure and confidence. that | shall be
acquitted of having ever been prompted, in the
discharge OF my public duties, by any mean or
sordid or selfish ends. been animated by any
other purpose than to promote the honor the pros
rerty, and glory of our common country.
Medals are generally struck by the authority
and paid tor out of the public treasury of Gov
ernrnent. and most frequently intended to reward
and slgnallze the triumphs achieved by war
But that which you now so kindly tender to my
acceptance is the spontaneous offering of private
citizens, from their private purses, for public
vices exclusively to the civil department. shall
fondly and gratefully cherish and preserve it
whist life enlures, and transmit it to my descen-
dants under the hope that they will receive and
carefully guard it, with emotions of lively graft
tude to my New York friends as the proudest
and richest legacy that could leave them.
". o. Bulletin.