Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-03-31
From the Richmond Wing.
DINNER TO MIR. CLAY.

James, S. s. Baxter. w. Lambert, Bernar1
Peyton, /. A. Goddin, ]. NJ Wickham, DIR. |
Samuel Patteson, Sherwin McRae and w. b. Il
Archer, Vice Presidents.
The cloth being reno sed-
The President said, that the first and high
est duty of us all was to our country and It's in
stitutions-therefme, he first proposed
The PEOPLE ofthe UNITED STATES, the Con-
sTITUTloN, and the UNION.
Hail Columbia
The President said, that, in his opinion, it
was always proper, on occasions like the pres
ent, next after the expression of our Loyalty of
our country and its institutions, to manifest
those sentiments of profound veneratlon and |
gratitude, which every good citizen must enter
tain for the man, of whom Gen. Lee said, that |
he was "frst in war, first in peace, and first in
the hearts of his Countrymen'- whom Chief |
Justice Marshall said, that "more than any |
other individual, and as much as to one indi- |
vidual was possible, he contributed to found |
this our wide spreading empire, and to give to |
the Western world independence and free |
dom"-and whom Mr.. Madison called "the |
hero of liberty, the friend of man, and the IA |
Their of his cruntry''-a body of eulogium by |
men of the first abilities, as justly deserved as
it was forcibly expressed. He should then |
next propose
The halLolced memory of WAsHINGToN.
A Dirge.1
The President then SAID, that he had now
toast to propose to the Company, the design to
offer which had recalled to his memory an an
ecdote he had somewhere read or heard.
clergyman, who held himself bound in con-
science to speak tae strict exact truth on all
occasions, and thought falsehood, or the least
eXaggeration or tlattery, sinful even in an cpl
taph was called upon to preach the funeral
sermon Of a man whose character during his
whole life had been in very bad odour. He
pronounced an excellent, edifying, religious and
moral discourse; but when he came, as usual,
to speak of the character of the deceased, he
only said-"As to the character of our departed
brother, | cannot say any good of him, and |
will not speak harm Of the dead" The applj-
cation of this story would, he presumed, be
perceived by this good company, when, out of
good will towards the man (Which he for one
sincerely felt) and out of respect to the Chief
Magistrate and first officer of the Republic, he
proposed
The PRESIDENT of he UNITED STATES.
IThe Presidents March,
The President said, he had now TO propose
to the company a name, at which the minions
of corruption trembed through all her venal
courts, and the leaders and the retainers of the
SpoilS system turned pale
WILLIAM Henry HARRISON
Yankee Doodle.1
After this, the President said, that the occa-
sion required he should preface what he had
next to propose to the company with few re-
marks-a very lew--ior a sense Of what he
owed to the wishes and feelings Of the compa-
ny, whose mouth-piece he was, warned him
not TO detain them long from the enjoyment of
a pleasure which their bosoms were throbbng
with the anticipation Of The little he had to
say, would, he knew, be heard with that deep
silence, which better indicates intense and
heartfelt sympathy, than the loudest and most
rapturous plaudits.
Our good friend (he said) who sits at my
right hand, is here among the scenes, if not
among the companions, of his youth; and
feel by the instinct of an intallible sympathy,
how his heart beats at the Renaissance. There
are men here who knew him in his early bloom,
and surely anticipated the far and rich fruit
which the very blossom promised. There are
men present, who knew him III the first years
| of his manhood, when, though his talents and
virtues were developed, he was yet unknown
to general fame; who loresaw, that he must
| soon be transferred to our national councils, 70
bear his part on theatre co-extensive with the
relations of the Republic and that, thence
forth, he would "read his history in a nations
eyes" And all of US know how he has been
engaged for thirty years III the service of his
country, with an untlring industry and never
tagging zeal, with a disinterestedness rarely
equalled and never surpassed, and with an abil-
ity, of which | cannot IN his hearing, give ut
terance to my conceptions in all their warmth
and fulness- ] shall not attempt to give him
his Just need of praise-if were to make the
ATTEMPT, his presence would restrain and check
me in the execution of my purpose--and, be-
sides, it is a theme to which my humble voice
is all unsuited and unequal; a theme for Fame
with her far resounding trumpet, and for His
tory immortal and impartial, with her pen Of
steel and tables of imperishable adamant.
have only to give voice to the sentiments OF
this company. We wish him ''long life, long
, health, long pleasure" and friends as sincere
as we are. While he lives, the patriots of this
land, in all difficulties, troubles and dangers,
which shall compass them, viii never want a
point around which they may rally--a leader,
under whose guidance they may hope to pre-
vent, or to correct or mitigate evil. And when
IT shall please God 10 take him from this scene
of care to him, and usefulness to us-long,
long may the dispensation be deferred every
patriot viii feel and bewail the national be-
our children shall be taught to repeat his name
with gratitude and yeneraton-tor ehearse the
story of his deeds-and to learn, from his ex-
ample, that in order 10 earn a nations love, il
is necessary 10 be faithful and strenuous in heI
service, and regardless of wrongs personal &c
themselves alone; that to achieve true glory
they must aim at noble ends by honest means
that virtue is an essential ingredient of wisdom
that to be great, they must be good. Let Us
drink
The health Of orr honored guest, HENRY
CLAY.
Old Lang Syne.1
After the long continued and enthusiastic
cheering which followed this toast, Mr.. Clay
rose and addressed the company in a strain o
warm and touching eloquence, which, surely
for appropriate sentiments, a judicious selection
of topics, felicity of language, and the mora
and political instruction which he happily min
gled with the effusion of his feelings, neve
was surpassed by an speech on the like occa
sion. His own heart was moved, and he NOV
ed the hearts of his hearers. He spoke 70
about an hour. We regret, that the crowd il
: the room was such, that no place could be fount
7 In which a note of what he said could be ia
ken.
Vice President Mcfarland rose and said
? It would, OF course, be expected that the Chic
, MAGISTRATE Of the Commonwealth would no
7 be forgotten on this occasion. It would, IN
2 deed, become US TO remember him, even if HI
: had failed to signalize his official term by tn,
independence and purity of his administration
L