Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-02-14
LETTER FROM sPRINGFIELD.
Especial Correspondence Of Cincinnati Gazssse.l
SPRINGFIELD, I'LL. Feb. l..

Especial Correspondence Of Cincinnati Gszsste.l
SPRINGFIELD, H., Feb. 1.
There are occasional CLEANS Of the most
sunny incident, shining into the gloom of
routine so shaded by care and intense ankle
ty asis the daily life of Mr.. Lincoln The
testimonials which passing days bring him :,
OF the affectionate devotion of the people to =
his name and his fortunes, are most cheering
to mind 80 entirely in sympathy with the,
people as his, and form happy augury for
the future. | cannot but think that the
coming Presidential progress will result in
great good, in fixing and cettraizing the
floating and vague sentiment Of patriotism
among the people.
Let me tell you an incident of to day. The
agent of the United States Express Com
pany brought to Mr.. Lincoln bundle which
his private Secretary, fearless Of Internal
machines or hand grenades, opened, In
contained an elegant bronze medal of Henry
Clay. This is its history;
| Shortly before the great Commoner was
promoted to higher sphere, few of his
friends who knew him best, and loved him
\ most, conceived the idea of memorial which
should hand down to the latest pUsterity
the lineaments of the idolized statesman asd
the record Of his glory. A medal was cast
! Ouone side was the head of the royal plebe-.
ian, encircled by the wreath of laurel, fade
less as his fame. ID. ID. Jones, del; C. G..
. Wright, .fccit. On the diverse, the record
9 of his noblest achievements stood, hshoring
/, the bronze. and around it was twined the
,, American garland-the corn and tobacco.
One impression was struck impure Calis-
fornia gold, massive and virgin. Itwas pre-
sented to the distinguished patriot by COM
mittee of New Workers, Hon. Daniel Ullman
being the channel of communication Hem
ry Clay received it, with aspeech of rare
Y beauty and .pathos, in which the pride of
y y genius mingled strangely with the Christian
. Resignation inspired by the breath of Heaven,
y y that even then was blowing over his soul
One hundred and fifty copies were made
y in bronze. The memorial was too precious
= !. to become vulgar. Actuated by that feeling
q of refined delicacy that characterized the
e leaders of that chivalrous Old Wing party,
: they broke the dies, sndthe world wilfnev-
4 er have another copy of the most exquisi Q
Il specimen Ofmeniswatology that America h. q
= yet produced.
n Daniel Ullman laid away one medal. He
!, cherished the hope that though the Sage Of
= Ashland might perish without attaining the
n place he would so highly have honorcd, yet
) his principles would survive, incapable OF
decay, and lead their exponent to the sum-
D nit oI power ana place. When that con-
If summation came, the medal should be his.
Eight years was not very long to wait. -
A. Though the puerilities of Pierce's reign,
Is through the ill-starred hours of the Admin.
> istration of Clays bitterest detractor and
ir most malignant foe, he kept the medal, stout
/ hearted. i
N One day last November, if you read tn,
ID newspapers, you know that there was Cla,
~ Wing elected President; man who hac
sat, all his stalwart youth, at the feet of the
n great Kentuckian, and the lesson of whose
+ boyhood had so strongly mingled the love o.
al Clay and the country, that he was never able
8 to separate the two emotions He was six
IN foot-four, and honest By consulting I'll.
IF Journals of the period you will find he wa,
: called Abraham Lincoln.
,eI Daniel Ullman heard of it in the East.
an He recognized the voice crying aloud in IL !,
n wilderness. He acknowledged the tard,
/. justice ofrccompensing events He saw tn,
e. whirligig of Time bringing round his reve1
ges.
a He sent the medal to Springfield, wher
ar in due time, it arrived. Ii.