Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-07-21
mr.. OF Avs SPEEO n,
At the great Festival, given ut Lexington, Ky. on
the 9Th of June.
Mr.. President. Ladie. and Gentlemen,

enable me 10 be heard by this immense multi
tude, should have 10 invoke to my aid, and
tn throw into my voice, its loudest thunders.
As cannot do that, hope shall be excused
for such an use ofmy lungs as is practicable
and not inconsistent with the preservation of
my health. Aud feel that it is our first duty
to express our obligations to kind and boun-
tiful Providence, for the copious and genial
showers with which he has Just blessed our
land-a refrcshnent of which it stood much
in need. For one, offer to him my humble
and dutiful thanks. The Inconvenience to MS,
on this festive occasion, is very slight, while
the sum of good which these timely rains will
produce is very great and encouraging.
Fellow-citizens, find myself now liz q stu
alton somewhat like one in which was plac-
| ed few years ago when travelling through
the State of Indiana, from which my friend
MIR. Raridcn) near me CONES. 4 stopped at
village, containing some four or five hundred
inhabitants, and had scarcely aiighted before
found myself surrounded in the bar-room by
every adult male resident of the place. After
while, observed group consulting togeth-
er in one corner of the room, and shortly af-
ter, was ditlidenuy approached by one of
them, tall, lank, lean, but sedate and sober
looking person, with long face and high
cheek bones, who, addressing me said, he was
commissioned by his ncighbors, to request that
would say Jew words to them. WHY nv
good friend said j, should be very happy to
do any thing gratifying to yourself and your
neighbors, but an very much fatigued and
hungry and thirsty, and do not think the
occasion is exactly suitable for speech, and
| wish you would excuse inc to your friends.
Well, says he, Mr.. Clay, confess ] thought
50 myself especially as we have no wine TO
offer you to drink !
Now, if the worthy citizen of Indiana was
right in supposing, that glass of wine was a
necessary preliminary, and precedent condi-
ton, to the delivery Of speech, you have no
just right to expect one from ME at this time
for during the sumptuous repast from which
we have just risen. you offered me nothing to
drink but cold water-eXcellent water, it is
true, from the classic fountain of our lamented
friend Mr.. Maxwell, which has so often re-
called us on celebrations of our great anniver-
sary [Great laughter
protest against any inference Of my being
inimical to the Temperance cAuse. On the
contrary, think it an admirable cause, that
has done great good, and will continue to do
good, as long as legal coercion is not en-
ployed, and it rests exclusively upon persua-
sion, and its own intrinsic merits
have great and growing repugnance TO
speaking IN the open air to large assemblage
But whilst the faculty of speech remains to
me, can never feel that repugnance, never feel
other than grateful sensations, in making nv
Acknowledgements under such circumstances
as those which have brought us toy ether
Not that am SO presumpuous as to believe
that have been the occasion solely of COL
lecting this vast multitude. Among the in
ducements, cannot help thinking that the fat
white virgin Durham lIeifer, of my friend Mr..
Bergman, that cost 5000, which has been
just served up, and the other good things which
have been so literally spread before us, ex-
erted some influence IN swelling this unpre-
cedentedly large meeting. Great laughter.I
cannot but feel, Mr. President, in offering
my respectful Acknowledgements for the honor
done me, in the eloquent address which you
have just delivered, and in the sentiment with
which you concluded it, that your warm par
TALLY, and the fervent friendship which has
so long existed between us, and the kindness
of my neghbors and friends around me, have
prompted an exaggerated description, in too
glowing colors; of my public services and my
poor abilities:
seize the opportunity to present my heart
felt thanks to the whole people of Kentucky,
for all the high honors and distinguished favors
which | have received, during long residence
with them, at their hands; for the liberal pat
ronage which received from them in nv pro-
iessional pursuit for the eminent places in
which they have put me, or enabled me TO
reach for the generous and unboiinded con-
fidence which they have bestowed upon me, at
all times for the gallant and answering
fidelity and attachment with which they stood
by me, throughout all the trials and vicssi-
tudes OF an evcntful and arduous life and "a
bove all, for the scornful indignation with
which they repealed an infamous caumny d.
rected against my name and fame at a moment-
Gus period of my public career In recalling
to our memory the circumstances OF that pc
Rod, one cannot but be filled with astonisil-
menl at the indeiatigabity with which the
calumny was propagateG and the jealous par
tisan use TO which it was applied, not only
without evidence, but in the face of full and
complete refutation. Under whatever decep-
ton, delusion or ignorance, it was received
elsewhere, with you, my friends and neighbors,
and with the good people Of Kentucky, it re-
ceived no countenance; but i'll proportion to
the venom and the malevolence of its circula-
ton was the vigor and magnauimity with
which / was generously supported. Upheld
| with the consciousness of the injustice of the
charge, should have borne myself with be-
! coming foritude, if | had been abandoned by
you as was by large portion of my
countryDen but to have been sustained and
yindicaed as was by the people Of my
own State, by you who knew me best,
and whom had so many reasons to love
aud esteem, greatly cheered and encouraged