Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-09-12

has done US. (Great cheering)
The Office Of President Of The United
States--of the Great Republic, as men
have already learned to call it, and upon
which the nations begin to gaze with in
terest, watching is mighty progress and
anticipating its wondrous destinies--is is
too high and noble TO be filed by any
one who has not by his taleMs and pub
lie virtues raised himself above the com
mon level of mankind. In HENRY
CLAY, Of Kentucky, we behold man
who, by his eloquence, would have cast
additional lustre on the character Of the
Parliament of England for exalted tai
cnt, in the best days Of her Burkes and
her Sheridans, and even in those of her
Chatham himself. 1t twill derogate moth
ing from the character of any American
statesman whose history | have studied,
to say that after more than thirty years
ofpublc service, Mr.. Clay has found
reason to change his opinion less fire.
quently than any other, and has excelled
all who have honored the councils of our
country, by the extraordinary uniformity
and consistency Of his public conduct
He has twice saved the Union of these
States, when all men admitted that il
was in imminent peril.
While knew him in the Senate ofthe
United States, he was acknowledged bv
men Of all parties to be the peace maker
Of that body and rs such he was per-
sonally beloved by men Of all parties in
the Senate, with scarcely q solitary ex-
ceptlon. His character for chivalrous
and manly sentiment gained for him an
influence which was always used to al
lay, but never TO excite, unkind feelings
amongst others. | have studied him
closely, and | must say that | never me,
with that man whose mora! courage eX-
ceeded his. The maxim which was
eternally on his lips in the worst of times,
was, never to despair of the Republic.
Al the tendencies OF his nature seemed
to be conservative in their character.-
His unccasng efforts seemed to be di-
rected to strengthen the works of the
fathers Of the Republic, or to rebuild
such Of their noblest institutions as had
fallen beneath the destructive hands of
others. His ambition never led hun to
tear down or demolish the institutions of
his country. lie was man of unllring
industry in the discharge of his public
duties /: and he could perform more in
telectual labor within the same period of
time, than any man | ever knew. As
he loved to make others happy, while in
his society, his efforts to please them
were the more successful, because they
evidently sprung from the native good
ness Of his heart. His bitterest enemy
never dared to impeach his integrity in
n pecunary matter; and although he
has encountered at different periods of
his life, all the vicissitudes and tempta-
tons, both of poverty and afl!uence,
there was no business transaction OF that
life, which ever left stain upon hls
fame. Always obedient to the dictates
of public duty he fearlessly bade conse-
quences take care of themselves, when
ever the interests or honor of his country
required personal sacrifices of himself IL
was upon such occasions, that his charac-
ter displayed itself with the most brilliant
lustre. Then it was that his patriotism
burned with an intensity unsurpassed by
that ofth ancient Roman, who devoted
himself to the Internal Gods, to insure
victory to the Republic. Then it was
that, reckless alike OF the shaft Of person
al and party malice, he barred his ow".
bosom to the storm, and dared every
thing for his country. Then it was that
the arrows Of calumny few ihickest
around him, and that noble bosom was
gored with many n wound, inflicted by
;hc felon blows of his assailanls. During
the war with Great Britain, he stood al
the head Of the great democratic party
of this country-a party the Proudes'
boast of which was, that it fos'ered the
industry Of the people, and avenged the
wrongs and insults they suffered from their
foes. In that day, the post Of honor as
signed to Mr. Clay, as the head Of his
party, was also the post Of danger The
leaders Of the opposition were among
the most able and talented men Our coun
try ever produced and the champion
chosen by his party to contend with the
Kings, the Qrinceys, the IaUsons, and
the Randol phs of that day, was Henry
Clay of Kentucky. While real and
honest difference Of opinion divided the
Democratic and Federalist parties, MIR.
Clay was the Ajax lebanon ofthe form
er but when that difference ceased TO
exist, no man exhibited greater magnan-
nifty towards the very political opponents,
who owed their defeat so much To his
own stupendous exertions. When Fed
eralism was no longer dangerous rival
Of that Democracy which he had led to
victory, he disdancd TO initiate the cx-
amples of those Of our modern Democrats,
whose greatest glory is in tho denurcia.
,ion and prescription Of fallen foe. -
These modern Democrats took no part
in the political conflicts of the day when
the struggle with the mighty power oi
England tried mems souls. While Hen.
ry Clay was rousing the spirit OF hIs
countrymen to battle, with that voice
which sounded like the notes Of war
trumpet, and directing the wisdom OF the
National Councils in that bloody strug
Gle. nne-tcnths Of your modern Democ-
racy which now drnounces hlm as a
Fcderaist and British Wing, were
riding their corp.stalk horses ~ the nur-
sery, or pulling in the arms oflhcir moth
ers OF such as these are the me!
whose delight 1t is 10 gnaw the dry bone
of Federalism and make war upon the
hclplcss skeleton. Bu, not Of such as
these was Henry Clay, whose lon-lik'
sp,tit. after IL had hunted down n noble
uu,rry. disdaincd to feast with the Jack