The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-02-20
HENRY CLAY.

The following beautiful tribute to MIR. CLAY,
we extract from the admirable speech Of Rev. Mr..
CApERs, Of Barbour delivered at a Wing Con-
vention Of Alabama: NJ ds N
~ have insinuated, sir that the temple Of liber-
ty has been shaken to its very base, by the genius
Of this thing called democracy. And who doubts
It Who has forgotten the scenes Of 1881 and
80, when the sound of the drum was heard in
Carolina, her plains covered with the armies Of
Andrew the Great, and her coasts lined with his
frgates of war. What patriot heart beat not
with painful anxiety, when the issue was sus-
pended on an appeal to Congress! The appeal
was made--t was rejected-the genius of demo-
cracy reigned in the temple of liberty, and instead
Of an armistice, the Bloody Force Bill passed.
The tocsn Of war sounded throughout the cap
tol and the armies of Government were COM
manded to bow " the traitors" or exterlninate
them from the home of their fathers. Sir, it was
an eventful hour--the old lion of democracy how
ling for the blood of freemens' sons-and the god
dess of Liberty weeping over the scene! 1t was
indeed an eventful hour-one fell blow and con-
H.ct ensues which dissolves the Union, and spreads
death and desolation throughout the land. In the
eyentfu moment, the visage of the care-worn
majestic being appeared, on whose brow SEEM
ed to be suspended the ponderous weight OF lib
erty and the Union, when 10 voice as from
the ghost of Washington exclaimed" Save the
Of your fathers !"e44a 81 3sf 3H M
Twas CLAY sir, that matchless statesman
CLAY! bearing in one hand the olive branch of
peace; and in the other the sword OF truth and
liberty, he approached the altar consecraied to IL
ber,y-,here he laid his offering, and there, with
that burning mpassioned eloquence, congenlal
with his exalted nature--in the name OF liberty,
and in the name of the blood-stained spirits who
purchased il, he babe the daring sons of democrat
Il tI,n., the,
blood of their brothers.. His mandate was obeyed,
the old Lion OF Democracy crouched in his lair
peace was restored, and the Union saved
Mr.. President, my heart recurs to the scenes
of that eventful hour with emotions nnutterabe,
and when it shall cease to beat with the warmest
oulsa,ions of moral appreciation for the matchless
actor in that great drama of my country's liberty,
let me receive the execratons of my country, aDo
The curse of my country Is God. said It then,
and | say it now, fearless of contradiction, that
such an instance of power OF mind over the dar-
ING passions of despotism was never before exhl-
bited to the world. The edict was passed-the
bloody warrant signed-the old lion of democracy
urasped it in his paWbut one stroke of that over
towering aoauence before which kings tremble
and despots bow, made the hero OF New Orleans
make on his throne, and restore to the polluted
altar Of liberty, the blood-stained edict which he
had seized with delight, .s "a ta6l. y rs aalts.t5
reneat it. sir, such an instance of the power of
mind over the daring passions Of despotism had
never before been exhibited to the world. There
was wreath of civil renown---a halo of immortal
glory around the brow of HENRY CLAY in that
hour which presents him in bold relief as the
greatest orator, the purest patriot and the most
nagnaninous statesman in the universe. Talk Of
Calhoun, sir, as the great Hercules of mind and
spirit-great indeed are the powers of Hercules,
but great as Hercules is, the lion Of democracy
had him bound in cords Of hemp and whetting
his bloody fangs, he was ready to tear the Hercu-
lean giant into thousand atoms. bed AFt
Talk of Webster as the great master.sprIt OF
the age--great indeed is Wcbster--but Webster
was there, sir, and great as he it, ne had not the