Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-10-28

Pens,NALA AND por,rlc,L.--The following scrap
Of history in the Binhamtol. Democrat ol October
l., from the locality rnd tho personal familiarity
with the relations of the great mtn named which
j. exhibited in the comment Is aseribrd by the
liuthdo Commercial 10 the pen Of Daniel Dlokin-
son &:
among the causes of c iran cement between
Mr. Clay and Gen. Taylor. and probably the
great and iina "uc was this Mr.. Clay il may
lr remembered, haI stn inhumany butchcred
AT Bucnn Vista in tie Mexcan war. That son
lci' widow and PROMISING mrny y boy. nf somr
sixteen or seventeen sat.. lhi- boy wa nnX. aus
10 lc appoint, a CADET NJ W-4i Point nul 70 i've
military education and his request WAS warmly
seconded hv his mother and his crandfdhcr
Henry CLAY. Henry clay thcrcuppn wrote tn
Mr. Polk :hcn President and hi~ successful
rival for the station requesting the appointment
IT his grnnlson : cndet mt large. Mr.. Polk ut
once ordered his name to be placed on tho list for
appointment, aad it was dnc but Governor
Marcy, then Secretary of War npon the cxamin-
alton usunl in snch cas,s. fund HAT he waS be
low the requisite age Ia enter tho academy. nnd
the rules # the War Department were too i'm
printive to hc chnnged, nnd his name was not for
that reason. sent to the S mate. Mr., Polk. how.
ever. placed on the files I" the War Department n
letter. under his own hand, detailing the crcum.
STANCES, aud requested his sucscN4or, whoever he
might he, appoint youn. Clny. who. in tho first
gar bI Inc thrn htSt AnnllnlsirOlbn, NDnlu DC
of sufficient age General Taylor. n political
friend Of Mr.. Clay, proved to be his successor.
The list Of cadets is usually prepared by tho Sec
retary Of War, and corrected by the President,
and in making up the list under General Tayor's
Administration, Mr.. Crawford, his Secretary OF
War, placed young Clny's name ut he head OF the
li.t. Central TAYLOR. when he came to review
the list, struck uut the name with bis own hand,
and refused TO appoint him. This strange act
never forgotten nor forgiven ly Henry Clay,
and it is believed both parties died without any
change in their relations.
when General Ta7lor's death was announced
in the Senate and Mr.. Webster. General Cass,
and others pronounced euloges upon his eharact-
rr Mr. Clay. on being beckonel to rise, waved
his hand significantly and re'nuined silent"
DIsINTERFsrED BENEvolENrE.-A 4 few days 20
n dead letter was returned to the Post Office DE.
partment, on the back of which printed label
was pasted, in the following words, 1--WE omit the
hamc of the pos.-lfice)
This letter was detained in tho npst office at
------, n. j.. on account Of the no,i-pavmcnt Of
postage. One who realizes how important it may
be to have letters forwarded Immediately has
placed the necessary stamps upon his letters. To
repay him please send one postage stamn. address
to Il x SAB, ~. j."
This excited the attention Of the Postnnsier
General, hy whose direction Mr.. King addressed
w 'He hI ic mining Hsk-
ink an explanation, remarking that "the service
performed appears TO he voluntary and without
other remuneration than the consciousness OF hay-
ing performed Il friendly act"
The following is the postmas ter's reply:
p. o., ~. j., Oct. n, 1859.
SIR: The service is voluntary and is performed
by one of our wealthy citizens, who has expended
in this way from 5000 to 800 during the whole
time since the postage on letters has been required
to be prepaid. believe have never yet return
cd to the Post Office Department single letter in
consequence Of non-prepayment of postage, nor
has it been necessary, owing to the generosity of
this individual. that should notify any one Of
letter leng held for postage.
by the use Of these la.els considerable por.
ton Of the sum advanced by him is received back
again. lie lras given me standing authority to
prepay and forward all letters b,th foreign and
domestic of that description, and his motive is the
consciousness of having performed n friendly
act"
have tie honor t. be, very respectfully, your
obedient servant, -, L. NJ.
To Hon. IIoRATIo KING.
lst. Asst. p NJ. GenL.
Washington Constitution