The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-09-07
MIR. CLAY.

MIR, CLAY.
Mr. CLAY has been candidate for the Presi-
dency from the moment of his return from Eu
rope, at the close of the last war, up to the pre-
sent time, now period Of six-and-twenty
wears Twice or thrice he has gone to the
polls, and once with the whole support of the
party TO which he belonged. That he will con-
tinue to be candidate till success or death ex-
tingushes such condition, no one acquainted
with his character and his ipdomitable ambition
can doubt Let us do Mr.. Clay justice; let us
commend his virtues, and applaud his talents;
let us praise him for all in him that is praise
worthy and this the more cheerfuly, as we do
not intend TO extenuate his political faults, and
the fatal fatal consequences of his political con-
duct in 1S41 Without much literature, or any
great extent of general knowledge, he has
strong understanding, now good deal cult
waited by habits OF business. good person,
fine voice, an attractive and commanding man
ner, fiji him emnenlly for public debate; and he
loves, TO lamentable excess, what he excels in
His irritable temper brooks no contradiction,
and by far fonder of invective and retort, than
of The influences of soft persuasion, neither
friend nor foe, who opposes him in debate, can
expect quarter. Indeed on these occasions he
treats his friends worse than his foes for while
he looks upon the latter as enemies, IN lawful
war, he regards The former as rebellious subjects
who deserve no mercy. To pr, else logic, or
cool reasoning, he Las litle pretence; but for
the illustration and enforcement OF general prn-
cpes, his resources respectable, and The skill
with which he uses them evinces both adroness
and practice He has other important qualities
of dst gushed leader in popular assemblies.
He is bold, fearless, ready, ardent, and when
dis comfited and overlhrown, as be often is, even
in good cause, by his imprudence and excess,
he can retire, beating such note Of retreat ne
vertheless, as still .eems TO have an air OF triumph
in il. Excessively fond of admiration, as
publ orator, and consequently studying effect
more than wise man should, he cannot and
never could, forego joke, or sarcasm, which
should bring applause from the gallery, though,
at the same time, it should plant dagger, or
create rulnus in,medic0biie, in another's
heart The natural result Of this temper has been
fully shown. " he no man, in his speeches,
gains more general applause, no man inflics so
dislike in the bosom Of his adversaries.
The history Of Mr.. Clay's opinions, since
1906, and of his steady efior,s-steady IN their
objects though far from steady in tt cir means
must hereafter form topics of discussion. The
position in which he has now chosen TO place
himself and the hostties which he has COM
menced, render this absolutely necessary for the
rurposes of lawful defence. At present we
confine ourselves to The occurrences in '39, 40.
Mr.. Clay was candidate for he nomination
of President, at the Harrisburg Convention, in
December, 1899. His sanguine and ardent
temperament would not suffer him TO indulge in
the least apprehension Of defeat. No friend,
nor all his friends together, could persuade HIM
that Gen. Harrison or Gen. Scott would be more
likely than himself TO succeed against Mr.. Van
Buren,. He would not believe ibid not be
heve it--does not believe it nov. At this mo-
meni, he is perfectly convinced, that if he had
been nominated, he would have been elected :;
and the defeat of his nomination he imputes to
ueachery and fraud. There are those who pre-
ferred another candidate, and whom, for that
reason alone, lie CHOOSES TO consider and de-
nounce as enemies and traitors, whom he has
since pursued, and will pursue, TILL they go TO
their graves, or he goes to his, with mplacable
resentment. He has an iron memory for inJu-
res and he is like other men who hate without
cause. A sort of consciousness that they them
selves are wrong, and that they have no cause
to hate, only leads them to hate the more. A
conscience, accusing itself of unjust resent
ment., often seeks TO quiet its own pangs, by
increased exaspeation.
As to Mr.. Clay's apparently graceful with
drawal fiom the controversy, for the sake OF har-
mony, and the letter produced and read on the
occasion, there nothing in all this but show.
Mr.. Clay's friends never gave up their persls-
tence, their pertinacity their adherence Ito use
the strongest Parliamentary phrase 10 Mr..
Claws nomination, till he was beaten, thorough
ly beaten, irrccoveraby beaten, in the Conven-
ton. And then, an attempt was made, adroit
enough, but such deceived nobody, TO turn
his defeat into withdrawal
But from that disappointment Mr.. Clay IS
wounded spirit has never recovered He soon
srterwar DIS, indeed endeavored to make the best