Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-09-17
POLITICAL.


uepehu iHHe on ue possession Oi Office. 4
more striking proof OF The truth OF this remarl
need not he wished. than is tnrnished IN The
case of him whose name we have placed nj thu
had OF this article. Ia The FIVE and twenty
years during which Mar. Clay has been occupi.
ed in public offices, there has n.ye, been a
moment, in which SO great a portion of peblic
respect aud regard has seemed o t'ach 10 him
rs M present, when party calntnpy aud party
Glamour have driven him. aud his associates IN
the executive government OF our country
from their stations. when the ihnfd rate men.
whom circumstance aud fortune have placed
in power, ~ one is almost tempted 10 think,
by way OF u jest upon our elective aystems,
shall have passed away, leaving no more track
than the slightest cloud leaves IN the sky over
which IL passes, the name Of hlr. Clay will be
connected with memorials Of talent aud evi.
dcnGes of patriotism which viii embody hs
name aud character ia the history ofhis coun.
try.
II Is not our purpose, however, to pass eneo.
NUNS on this distinguished man, nor II is even
our object I" eud'avor to attract public atten-
ton towards him. This las purpose, indeed.
would be quite suprrlluom. In this part of The
country, certainly. We hesitate nai 10 say thai
he Is. nj this moment, mn objec, of higher am
more general regard than any other public
man. Admiration Tor his talent and respeet
" hb HfHh'iDbts Mt accompanied, NtiY Btl-
orally throughout New England, n, leas', with
HE conviction that he has suffered great injns.
lice, mud much uumeritcd abuse. The lime
mffy come, or II may not, when il shall be
deemed proper to give expression, IN The most
e1rctnal manner, TO these sentiments of attach
nlent. But, in the meantime. the truth tint
they exist, deep aud strong, is TOO obvious
70, any thing but ialsehoud or folly To deny.
hr. Clay has himself not frequently visited
New England. Tie has been seen but by few OF
her citlzens aud on this account, mnlnly, W.
have tho ght u few observations IN regard
10 him might not be unacceptable to our lea,
ders.
IN personal Appearance, Mr.. e. is rather a.
bovc tho ordinary height, well made, though
somewhat slender, and Of a striking and manly
carriage aud department lie may now be
we suppose, fifty FIVE years of nge. Fur the
list SIX OF seven years his hralth has been del
icate, and occasionally ferblp but recently IL
Is understood TO have much Improved. and now
10 give u promise of entire restoration nnd con-
itmation. In his o. ordinary intercourse, Mr. &.
Is socia,, accessible, aud interesting. The
trankness ui his character overil1ws his man
ners and IN social MS well as IN public life. he
has found some mes, that generosity. aud IN.
sospeeting conf itnce have betrayed him into
the power Of men Of more cunning than prlnei.
Iify " Hfliihlb'h1 lHil W. y
the true spltit of conversation. II is moi, with
him, an occasion for II set and formal speech !,
nor yet one confined 10 interIogatofies anG
u swers on mere topics of course. lie con.
verses with ease aud proprlety bis discourse
is sufficiently " sweet aud voIuble, . and II IN
dicates nj the same time, n man Of sense, and
character using that word, ~ It's sense OF In
dlvlduality. His Information is various ond
general, especially IN relation 10 mniters of
business aud politics with much morn ot learn
ing aud oflilerature, than the nature Of his ed.
uca' ION aud the employnonIs OF his lie would
tad MS 10 expect.
Mr.. G. went eVrly from Virginia 10 keniuc-
Nv. 10 follow his fortunes in the new and open.
ing world Of tue west. HIS profession was the
Law n profession which not Only shaf pens the
intellect, and strengthens the understanding
but, by the stimulus of u constantly present
md active c0mpe Iti0n, as well as by its con
Lexicon with the means Of political advance.
meni, in a government like ours. naturally n
wakens, in ardent minds strong paintings ofam-
biiion. Mr.. Clay reached immediately n high
standing, IN his profession, aud found himspI If
also AT an early period u member of the legis
lalnre oil the state.-Ffom the chair of the pop
ular branch OF ilRt body, he was elected a sn.
nator of the United states, IN 1910. If we err not
in the dare. He remained not long in this sir
ualinn, percriying 10 doubi, that the capitol
had another theatre bette fitted for the pant
which he was likely 10 act. He resigned his
sent ia the senate, we belIeye, nfter having
flied II but n Jingle session, aud was returned
n membrr of the National House oi Rrp,esqn.
~lari,es from the Lexington District. II is an
occurrence without n parallel. thai the first day
he took his seat ~ the House be was elected It's
Speaker. The event justified this confidence
IN advance. lie filed u char, in wi ich, be-
fore or .Ince Sedg~ick ai.d Irumbull, Macon
and Gheves have sat, with an ability, u may
now well be the p%roudesi hope oil any successor
10 equal For thorough aud exaci knowledge
of parliamentary usage and the rules Of the
house, for clearness OF pei ception and prompt
itudr al deris,on. IL wonl6 be prrsumptuons, we
suppose, TO expect sonnio see his superior
When having been out ot Congress, he return.
ed TO IL again in 1923 two thirds of The mem.
brrs conourred in placing him once more in The
chair, although the speaker Of the preceding
congress, Mr. T.. +. Barbour, was candidate
against him.
Though lis Speaker, Mr.. &. was accustomed
10 bear a part in the debates ofthe House, on
all occasions Of leadn interest. II is not our
purpose to speak Of the degree Of ability mani-
fcsiel by these speeches. They have been
universally read. aud he whole country is ia.
milijr with hem. But ali have not seen nor
heard Mr.. C.. aud thei efore a remark or Two on
his manner and appearance as a public spea-
ker, will not he ont of place here. OF what
may he called the personal requisites for an
acceptable public speaker, he has an uncom-
mon share. lie has a tall aud erect figure,
with a general air aud appearance such as pre-.
posse sses and strikes the audience. His voice
is perhaps not equalled by that of any other
public speaker in The county. II has not only
great force and Compass. but Is also clear
flexible, and susceptible of great variety of
mo iulation. He has no doubt, sometimes the
common fault Of the counfry-at least the com
mon fault of members Of Congress-speoking
loo loud and his earnestness and ardor occa-
siouaIly expose him 10 the danger oftoo much
apparent yehemence. A northern audience,
especially, would he likely to think that he
speaks, even on ordinary topics, aud under or
binary circumstances, with a degree of warmth