Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-01
thenceforward to initiate the example

OF HENRY CLAY.
The highest reward Of the patriot is the
esteem and regard of his countrymen.--
This reward you are now enjoying--sta-
ton cannot command il; wealth cannot
purchase it. The spontaneous tribute
which has just been rendered to your char
acter by men of all parties, fills the meas
ure of public honor. Even that high seat
which millions eagerly desire you to occu-
Ply would not add one cubit to the stature
of your fame.
Think not this is adulation. 1t is no less
the interest than the duty Of every country
to acknowledge public worth, and we are
proud in presenting HENRY CLAY to our
brothers and sons as an example for their
imitation, and to the world as a noble spe-
cimen Of an American statesman.
A large portion of those who surround
yos trust your public services are not com.
pleted; and that, as the first man in their
regard, you may occupy the first place in
their gift. They still excaim with hope
and confidence
"Ay, stand erect! the cloud is broken;
Above thee bends the rainbow token;
The shadow of thine onward way
Is Frightening into perfect day.
And thou art still, as thou hast been,
The hope and trust of patriot men!"
Permit me now. sir, tn conclude my plea
SAINT duty, and. in the name of that portion
Of your fellnw.cilizens who have deputed
me, to bid you again a cordial welcome,
and | know / express the sen tment Of this
entire assemblage in adding our united
wish that your days may be long in the land,
and that serene and happy old age may
crown your useful and honorable life.
Mr.. CLAY then addressed the audience,
and after thanking Mr.. P. for the compli-
mentary manner in which he had been
pleased to address him, he required in feel
ing and gratified terms to this second evil
dence of the kindness and hospitality of the
people of Vicksburg towards him. He al
luded to the present distressed condition of
the country. and attributed il to the true
cause. He compared the condition of the
country some few years since, to stout,
athletic man, through whose arm the blood
flowed freely and copions, giving vigor
and animation to the whole system, but at
the moment when the body was in its finest
and most prosperous condition, the Physi-
clan introduced his lancet and extracted
from it "two-thirds" of its circulation
Such, said Mr.. CLAY, was the effect the
polite. Now we find property selling for
less than half its value-produce will
scarcely bring any price, and the country
has languished under bad system of pol
ICY" II will not say" said he, "who pro.
duced this distress" He required TO his
past life, of his devotion to his country;
"nearly half century of his life had
been spent in her service, and he was still
ready to serve her when occasion deman-
ded it.
Mr.. CLAY remarked that we held this
great republic in trust, and that it was a
duty we owed to ourselves, to our children,
and to the cause of freedom all over the
world, to hand it down to posterity pure
and untarnished as we received it from
our forefathers. He reminded the people
of all political parties to take calm and
dispassionate view of the state of the coun-
try, and let their opinions be the result of
calm and unbiased deliberation, and if
after forming an opinion upon such
course, any man chose to differ with him
in opinion, he would give him his hand as
freely as if he conceded with him.
Mr.. Clay concluded by thanking the
audience for this renewed evidence of
their friendship for him, and after being
introduced to many ladies and gentlemen,
he was escorted by the military and the
committee of reception to the residence Of
the Hon. s. S. Prentiss, where he received
a great number of his fellow citizens in
the course of the day. We now bring this
hasty and imperfect sketch to a close, I'M
der the full conviction that none of our
readers will be more conscious of its de-
fects than ourself; but now, whilst we are
attempting to describe it, Mr.. Clay is
minging with fair galaxy of beauty and
fashion at the ball, and we feel a strong in
cination to participate ourself. In con-
clusion, we will remark in all sincerity that
a more cordial and enthusiastic reception
never was given to any man than that
which Mr.. Clay received at Vicksburg.