The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-04-18

The following snecdote of Henry Clay,so en-
inently characteristic OF the man, aud SO honor
able 10 The statesman, we have upon the author
ny Of distinguished Senator Of the United States.
w give II, as nearly as we are able, in the Ian
guage in which we had it from The lips of the
honorable Senator himself.
II was during the last session OF Mr.. Clay's
| service 10 the Senate-that session during which
the nomination of Edward Everett, as Minister to
England, was confirmed. II will be remembered
that for a number Of weeks after the nomination
81 ,Mr. Everett great suspense and anxiety were
ielt throughout the country, as to the course
which the Senate might take upon the question
OF his confirmation. The Southernm members, or
at least portion of them, demanded his rejection,
on The ground of his having expressed sentiments
upon The subject of Abolition highly offensive to
the South, and such as the South was called npon
both directly and indirectly, to rebuke and con-
denim. Matters stood thus, when, at the close
or near the close, of one Of the Executive ses-
slons OF the Senate, on long summers day, Mr..
Clay had left his seat, and taking up his broad
brimmed straw hat, which he was accustomed to
wear IN the warm season, began walking slowly
backward and forward near the door of the Sen.
ate, expecting every moment that an adjourn
ment would take place. Just then Senator
from the South, whose name the gentleman to
whom we are indebted for these facts did not feel
himself at liberty to mention, rose in his place,
and called the attention of the Senate to pub.
lished correspondence which he held in his hand,
between Mr.. Everett and certain abotionists,
who had addressed to him series of questions
touching the subject Of slavery. The CORE
spondence had taken place at time when, if we
recollect rightly, Mr.. Everett was candidate for
Governor Of Massachusetts,.
The language used by Mr.. Everett, said the
narrator, was strong. stronger than we OF ---
| should consider to have been justifable. The
Senator having read the correspondence, made it
the text of strong denunciatory speech against
Mr.. Everett, earnestly and vehemently appealing
| to the representatives of the Southern interests
and institutions of that body, to rebuke> such
sentiments, by rejecting the nomination of the
man by whom they were put forth. This CORE
| spondence, together with the speech of the Sem
ator who brought it forward, arrested the atten-
| ton OF the whole Senate and awakened new and
| strong apprehensons among the friends of Mr.
Everett, as to the fate of his nomination. Soon
after the Senator in question had risen from his
seat and commenced speaking, Mr.. Clay was OBJ
served to pause in his walk to and fro, and as the
Senator from the South proceeded in his speech,
he tMr. CD became, evidently, more and more
interested, till, at length, he gradually returned
to his accustomed seat, and was standing by it,
when the gentleman who was occupying the
floor finished his speech with the following EN-.
phatic language -" If, under the circumstances,
Mr.. President, the Senate shall confirm the no.
mnation of Mr.. Everett, consider the Union
virtually dissolved"
"And say, sir" said Mr.. Clay, instantly ta-
king up the words of the honorable Senator
that if this Senate, sitting on the nomination Of
Mr.. Everett, or any other man as Minister to
1 foreign Court, shall take upon itself to reject
that nomination. on the ground that the person
nominated has expressed to his neighbors and
fellow citizens of the State to which he belongs,
sentiments not in accordance with our own, yet
in no way impeaching his character or affecting
his qualifications for the post to which he is nonl-
mated then, sir, said Mr.. Clay, elevating him
self to his full height, and raising his voice to
that ciaron-Iike tone of mpassioned eloqlence
for which he, above all living men, is so justly
distinguished, then, sir, tell the honorable gen.
teman and the Senate, THAT WE HAVE NO
LONGER ANY UNION TO DISSOLVE!n
Proceeding from this point, Mr.. c. poured forth,
for the space of about ten minutes, the most eo-
quent speech | ever heard from him in all my
life. Sand that speech" said the gentleman
from whom these facts were derived, settled he
question Of Mr.. Ererett's nomination" -[ Nor
wich Courier.