Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-10-10
HENRY cIAN

: HENRY CLAY.
Inc North American Review Tor the present
month contains article the Life of Heinz,
CLAY, from which extract Is published in the
Boston Daily Advertiser. The following conclu
Ding part OF 1t will be acceptable to many OF our
readers:
topics connected with the personal disputes Of the
day; and the details OF the administration by
Mr. Clay OF the Department of State are farI.ili.
ariy known to our readers, shall here close
tins rapid survey Of his political life. Whether il
VIII be his fortune to cud 1t in uuiutorruptcd re.
llrencnt, or to appear again upon the political
theatre IN II still higher character than any which
ne mas yet sustained, Is question of small i'm
portance to himself, although, i'll our opinion of
much to the country. In the ordinary peaceful
progress OF events, which we may venture TO hope
Will not be disturbed for many years to come Il
President of the United States has but little OPP
portunIty of extending the reputation by which lie
has raised himself TO that dignity Mr.. Clay has
already recommended his name to the future
historian as Il leading actor III the most important
political revolutions of the agc-as the founder of
new era lii the economical policy of his own
country The honor of the PrcsidencY-emincni
as II undoubtedly is-can add nothing TO such dis
tlnction. HIS name is one, of which the absence
from our list OF Presidents would be remarked in
after times much more than its presence there; as
the plusosophic Roman historian observes OF the
statues OF DrutuS and Cassus, which one of the
prodgatc Emperors afraid to produce in some
procession, where lc Parldcd those OF the most
OF the heroes and patriots of the Republic, that
they were only Ii. more conspicuous from not
being seen. 10 mggis rcfuigeLaEt, guod nan a.
deGUuiUr.
1t may perhaps he expected that we should Of
ier, before we close, some remarks upon the pc
culIar characteristics that nguishcd Mr.. Clay
statesman and an orator; but doubt whether
much can be added i'll this way TO the impression
produced by survey Of his political The
only test OF cioqucncc is effect and the talent of
statesman IL best shown by account of the
principles he proiesses, and the measures he re-
commends. Ii may be said, however, in general,
That Mr. Clay is particularly remarkable, Il po-
HlIcIah, tor large and comprehensive scope Of
ihlnd He looks ut his subject from elevated
poInt-takcs i'll at one view all the various consi-
dcTdtons that bear upon 1t, and is thus enabled
give To- each It's proper relative Importance. This
faculty is in him the more commentaries mas
much as 1t is not the natural result Of the profess
Sional pursuits TO which large part Of his liic
has been devoted. The ordinary effect of long
practice at the bar, is rather to encourage the
habit OF minute distinctions founded in Il nice OBJ
scrvation of details, which, though unimportant
|" the merits of case, sometimes decisive Of
It's tate iii court OF Justice IT has, accordngv
often been remarked in England, that the most
eminent lawyers nave rarely sustained in Parla
nent the reputation which they had previously
acquired at the bar; and it can hardly be doubted
that 1t Is IN consequence Of the large number of
gentlemen of this profession in Congress, that the
regular course ofbUsiness is often interrupted
by caPtious and quibb!ing debates upon questions
OF constitutional power. large and comprc
henslve view OF political affairs IS also, Of ueccs
OF actual corruption, which occurs much less fire.
quenty than is commonly supposed, the ordinary
source OF error is partial and limited view of
the subJec. under consideration. Personal, local,
sectional Interests and feelings absorb the atten-
ton, and direct the conduct, of men OF narrow
minds. 1T is only By rising above this limited
sphere OF vision, and looking exclusively to the
general good OF the whole, that able to
discover, under any given circumstances, the truo
course of policy. This faculty has been. as we
have said, exhibited in remarkable manner by
Mr.. Clay. The eloqucnce by which lie acquired
so much influence over his contemporaries and
for long time swaycd in Il nIanner Mt will the
debates IN the House of Representatives, is Of II
warm and popular rather than strictly arrliiiien-
tative cast. His published speeches probably do
but little Justice It. Some of the best which he
ever madc--as, for example, those upon the Mis- !
sour sucs'lon-havc never been reported; and |
OF those that are reported at length, few, we be-
IIeve, have been corrected by himself. Even when
speech IS rcporteG lth care by the speaker him
self, and suPposng him, which is seldom the
case, to be equally distinguished for written and
oral eloGucncc, his work viii after all afford We
ry liant notion OF the means which produced the
mighty eject. Who can undertake to represent |
IN written forms Of words the flashing cyc-the !
quiverlng lp-thc graceful gesturc-thc rich |
deep imprisoned tones, that thrill with a sort of
supcrhuman power to the inmost rCCcsscs Of the |
hcarR These after all, the life and spirit of
the published speech is a mere slleo- |
ton. Those of Mr.. Clay, however inadcduately |
thcy may represent the spoken originals, will |
OF TINS kind of composition. They have not the
deep philosophy of Burke and Mlckintosh, nor
the high rhetorical finish of Canning; but belong
rather to the school of natural and practical ora
tor, which comPrc'.cnGs IN England such men
rs FIT, Fox, Castlercagh, and Burdett, and in
THIS country almost all who have at any time OBJ
tanned a reputation for e,ogucncc. One of the
most elaborate and substantial of Mr.. Clay's re.
ported speeches. is that upon the tariff of 1924 |
Ii is, in fact complete treatise upon the subject
and thong. the doctrine may not tie in every part
Tree from exception, presents, in the main, a mas
terry view ot the true economical policy of the
country. The work before us contains nIrnbcr
OF extracts from this and the other speeches, Sc
Icclcd in general with much judgments; but such
fragments hardly give better idea of the entire
work. than the single brick in the Grccl. fable of
the house from whicnit was taken, and of which
1t was TO serve rs specimen. Rather than attempt
to satisfy in this way the expectations that may
have been raised in the minds ofuuy Of our readers
by the present article, would refer them, for tho
only far representation that can be conveyed
III print--auh chat very imperfect onc-of the
speeches oi this accomplished orator to the publish
cd collection, OF which they viii find some notice
N preceding number Of this journal"
FJOu The .JO1rHG3 Of Commerce. I