The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-04-25
ANECDoTE OF MIR. CLAY.

ANECDOTE OF MR.. CLAY.
The following anecdote of Henry Clay,
so eminently characteristic of the man, and
so honorable to the statesman, we have up
on the authority of a distinguished Senator
Of the U. S. We give it as nearly as we are
able in the language in which we had it from
the lips of the Hon. Senator himself.
1t was during the last session ofMr. Clay's
service in the Senate-that session during
which the nomination of Edward Everett, as
minister to England, was confirmed. 1t
will be remembered that, for a number of
weeks after the nomination of Mr.. Everett,
great suspense andIanxiety were felt through
out the country, as 10 the course which the
Senate might take upon the question of his
confirmation. The Southern members, or
at least a portion of them, demanded his re-
lection, on the ground of his having ex-
clifton, highly offensive to the South, and
such as the South, was called upon, both di-
rectly and indirectly, to rebuke and con-
denim. Matters stood thus, when at the
close, or near the close, of one of the Exec
utiyv sessions of tho Senate, on a long SUM-
mer's day, Mr.. Clay had left his seat.and Ia
king up his broad brimmed straw hat which
he was accustomed TO wear in the warm sea-
son, began walking backward and forward
near the door of the Senate, expecting eve
ry moment that an adl ournment would take
place. Just then a SenatoT 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 a pub
lished correspondence which he held in his
hand, between Mr.. Everett and certain abo-
litionists, who had addressed to him a series
of Questions touching the subject of slavery.
The correspondence had taken place at a
time when, if we recollect rightly, Mr.. Ever
EFT was candidate for Governor of Massachu-
sets. 81
The language used by Mr.. Everett, said
the narrator, was strong, stronger than we
Of should consider TO have been l%ustifi-
able. The Senator having read the cores
pondence, made it the text of a strong de-
mandatory speech against Mr.. Everett,earn-
estIy and vehemenily appealing TO the re-.
representatives. of the Southern interests and
institutions ofthat body, TO such dangerous
sentiments, by rejecting the nomination of
the man by whom the were put forth. This
correspondence, together with the speech of
the Senator who broughtit forward, arrested
the attention of the whole Senate and ava
kened new and strong apprehensions 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 com
menced speaking, Mr.. Clay was observed to
pause in his walk TO and fro, and as the SEN
ator from the South proceeded in his speech,
he (Mr. c. 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 emphatic language:-"lf under
the circumstances, Mr.. President, the SEN
ate shall confirm the nomination of Mr.. Ev-
erett, I shall consider the Union virtually
dissolred."
"And | say, sir" said Mr.. Clay, instantly
taking up the words of the honorable Sena-
tor, "that if this Senate, sitting on the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Everett, or any other man as
a Minister to a foreign court, shall take upon
itselfto reject differentiation, on the ground
that the person nominated has expressed toI
his neighbors and fellow-citizens of the
State to which he belongs, sentiments not
in accordance with our own, yet in no way