The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-31
BLAINE TO CLAY.

The Lexington Leader tells the story
of the finding of very interesting
letter from James G. Blaine to Henry
Clay. It says that Mr.. Thomas H
Clay, in looking through the old papers
of his grandfather, Henry Clay, found
it. 1t was written in 1851, when Mr..
Blaine was a young man with all the
world before him. At the time it was
written he was teaching school at
prennon Springs, Henry county, Ken
! lucky. He was just about TO leave the
| Blue Grass state with the intention OF
going south, and asked a letter of in
PRODUCTION to friends of Clay's. The
letter, which is very interesting be-
cause OF the personality of the writer,
is as follows:
Western Military Institute. Drennon
Springs, KY, Nov. II, '51-Honored
Sir: Some four years since, when l
first came to this state, l had the
good fortune to be introduced to your
acquaintance, and commended to your
confidence, in a letter from the Hon.
I. M. f. Mckennan, of my native
state. You generously offered then to
give me the benefit of your counsel.
but forebode calling upon you, know
ing as ] did the thousand demands that
were made upon your kind feelings.
Since that time / have held a chair in
this institute, but intend resigning next
month, with the view OF settling in the
south and practicing the profession of
| law-the study of which l have in
part completed.
Would you at this late day esteem
it presumption in ME to request from
you a letter of introduction to some
one of your countless friends in the
particularly in NatcheZ or New
Orleans, as 1 propose visiting those
places this winter?
Permit me to say, sir, that l do not
make this request with the mere sell
fish view of obtaining any direct adj
vantage Though this l do not affect
to disregard), but 1 earnestly desire
in time TO come to have some memento
of the Patriot Statesman" whom from
my earliest years 1 have been taught
to honor and reverence.
I am the son of Ephraim Blaine, OF
Pennsylvania, man who, tho per-
haps you may not remember him, was
during a long life one of your most
ardent admirers and Jealous support
ers.
1 inclose a letter from Mr.. McKen-
non to Governor Metcalfe. which 1
have never had an opportunity to use.
With the sincere hope that your life
may be prolonged these many years
yet, and that you may prove in time
to come, as in time past, our refuge in
national danger and Distress, 1 have
the honor to be with highest respect,
your ob't servant,
JAS. G. BLAINE,
Hon. Henry Clay, Ashland.
1t would be a satisfaction to know
if he got the letter he sought and
whether or not it availed him any
thing. We know that he cid not go
south, but returned to Pennsylvania
and soon after moved to Augusta, Me-,
which was ever afterwards his home.
One can scarcely help wondering what
would have been the result on his fu-
ture life, of a residence in the south,
either at Natchez or at New Orleans.
He rose to a fame almost as great as
that of the great apostle of. protection
HIMSELF both aspired to the presi
dency, but neither attained his ambi-
ton; and they are as apt to be per-
manently remembered for their disap-
pointments as for their achievements.