The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-12


ing is an account Of the proceedings which took
place on the occasion:
Daniel Ulman, esq on behalf of the citizens
OF New York, addressed Mr. Clay in brief but
impressive manner, concluding ns follows:
"All national medals, hitherto struck in this
country have been conmemoIat alive of the tri-
umphs of American arms, bat
'Peace hath her victories
No less renowned than war;"
Then let the triunphs Of peace have their me.
mortal honors, too. And let the first American
victor OF peace, thus commemorated, be the man
"who, for a whole age, has ranked as the fl 81
citizen Of the great republic"
Mr. Clay received the address standing, with
the deepest attention and then proceeded to OBJ.
serve that, although it had been his habit, in ad.
dressing public bodies, larger or smaller, to
speak extemporaneously he had been induced
on this occasion, as well out of profound respect
to the committee as in regard to his feeble state
of health, to depart from his ordinary practice
and reduce his reply to writing He then read,
in firm though somewhat feeble voice, the fol-
lowing reply:
"GENTLEMEN--This is among the most inter-
estng and gratifying days Of my life, although
u
time by tedious and doubtful illness. You have
come here the representatives of a large enlght-
ened body of ardent and devoted friends of mine
in the city of New York, TO present to me a
beautiful and costly gold medal intended to CON-
memorate my public life. Ga one face of it is
engraved all the great public measures adopted
in the national councils in which l. was sup.
posed to have had any conspicuous agency, and
on the other remark able and accurate likeness
of me. The time and place of presentation,
and the friends who have contributed this splen-
did testimonial, give to it an inestimable value.
The time is when am about to retire forever
from pub ic life, and when cannot expect much
longer to linger here below; the place is the
city OF Washington, the principal theatre OF
those public services which have commended
themselves to your appreciation. Throughout
my public life have been blessed, everywhere
in the United States, with more or fewer true
friends, to whom am bound by the strongest
sentiments Of gratitude; but nowhere have they
surpassed those in the city Of New York in zeal,
consistency, and fidelity, and in distinguished and
various demonstrations of their affection and
attachment Whilst one is in the ardent pursuit
Of public life, and is held up for its highest hon
ors, it is no. practicable always to discriminate,
among his supporters, between those who be-
stow their suffrages from pure patriotic, and dis
interested motives, and those who are actuated
by selfish ends but on this occasion no such
difficulty exists You have come, at much per-
sonal Inconvenience, to the bed of n sick and
atfi cted friend, to present to him, in your names
and IN the name OF numerous body of his per-
sonal and political friends. whom you represent
u most precious token Of your esteem and af-
feetionate regard. That friend has not now,
and never will have, any public patronage to dis
sense. The high and honorable and distin-
guished character of your motives cannot,
therefore, be questioned.
Gentlemen, request you to accept your
selves, ard to communicate to my absent friends
whom you represent my cordial and heartfelt
thanks, and my grateful and profound acknowl-
edgments, for this rich tribute to the sentiments
which they do me the honor to entertain TO.
wards mo- | should have been most happy to
have expressed my great obligations to all of
them personally, if it had been in my power.
81 shall soon pass from the jurisdiction of my
contemporaries aud 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.
cit is not within my legitimate province to
express any opinion on my own public career or
public deeds. That office belongs to them, and
! shall consider my future fame fortunate if it
shall be regarded by them with small portion
of the favor with which tho partially of your
selves and your associates now contemplate it
g. shall soon appear before higher and more
holy tribunal than any earthly one, which can
unerringly Judge of the motives as we'll as the
acts of man. To that tribunal look forward
with composul and cofdence that shall be
acquitted of having ever been prompted, in the
discharge of my public duties, by any mean, or
sordid, or selfish ends, or been animated by any
other purpose than to promote the honor, the
prosperity, and glory of our common country.
"MedaIs are genera lily struck by the authority
and paid for out of the public treasury of gov
eminent, and mos, frequently are intended to re-
ward and signalize the trumphs achieved in war
But that which you now so kindly tender to my
acceptance is the spotaneous offering Of private
citizens, from their private purses, for public ser
vices exclusively in the civil department. | shall
fondly and gratefully cherish and preserve il
whilst life endures, and transmit it to my de-
scendants under the hope that they will receive
and carefully guard it, with emo ions of lively
gratitude to my New York friends, as the
proudest and richest legacy that | could leave
them"
During the delivery of this beautiful and ap.
propriate reply, says the IteHigencer, the most
perfect silence pervaded the chamber; every eye
was fixed on the tall and commanding form so
long known to the public, but respect and admi
ration were mingled with tender regret on wit
Messing the evident struggle between the urim
paired vigor Of the mind and the feebleness of
its now emaciated and shaken tenement. Yet
the eye still glittered with unsubdued lustre,
and at times the tones of his voice rose into ain
emphasis which reminded one of ancient days.
The manuscript having been laid aside, Mr.
Clay proceeded to more minute examination
of the medal, at which he had previous to re-
plying, curiously glanced, and the Iateligencer
adds:
Mr.. Clay expressed favorable opinion ofthe
head, as giving his features with great truthful.
ness, but pIayfully remarked that he did not
know before that his nose was quite 80 promi.
nent; and then added in alusion to the great
intrinsic value Of the medal from its material,
~ no can tell but, fifty or hundred years
hence some Goth may get hold of this and say
the nose of this old dead fellow will serve to buy
me a great many things that | want, and may