Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1844-04-19
ANECDOTE OF Mr.. CLAY.

ANECDOTE OF Mr.. CLAY.
| The following anecdote of Henry Clay, so en-
inently characteristic of the man, and so honora-
bic TO tho statesman, we have upon tho authority
of distinguished Senator Of tho L.. S. Wo
give It as nearly as we are able in the language
! in which we had it from the lips Of the Honoro-
bic Senator himself.
1t was during the last session Of Mr.. Clay's
service In the Sepate-that session during which
the nomination of Edward Everett, as minister
! to England, confirmed. 1t will be remem-
bered that, for number Of weeks after the NOM
ination of Mr.. Everett, great suspense and anxi-
ETY. were felt throughout the country, as to tho
course which the Senate night take upon the quos-
ton of his confirmation. The Southern men,
bers 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 the South was
called upon, both directly and indirectly, to re-
buke and condemn. Matters stood thus when at
the close, near the close, of one of the Exec
utive sessions Of the Senate, a long summers
day. Mr.. Clay had left his seat, and taking up
his broad brimmed straw hat which he was
customed to in the warm season, began
walking slowly backward and forward near tho
door of the Senate, expecting every moment that
an adjournment would take place. Just then
| Senator from the South, whose name the gentle
man to whom indebted for these facts did
not feel himself at liberty to mention, in his
place, and called the attention of the Senate to
published correspondence which he held In his
hand, between Mr.. Everett and certain abolition
lists. who had addressed to him series of queS-
tons touching the subject of slavery. The
| respondence had taken place at a time when, if
recollect rightly, Mr.. Everett was a 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 iustfable. The
Senator ha wing read the cOrrcsnOndcnce made
the text of a strong denunciatory speech against
Mr.. Everett. earnestly and vehemently appealing
to the representatives Of the Southern interests
and institutions of that body, to such dangerous
sentiments, by rejecting the nomination of the
man by whom they put forth. This
respondence, 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 apprehenslons among the friends of Mr..
Everett as to the fate of his nominations. Soon
| after the Senator in question had risen from his
scat and commenced speaking, Mr.. Clay was OBJ
served to pause in his walk to and fno and as tho
Senator from the South proceeded in his speech,
he (Mr. c. became, evidently, moro and moro in
terosted till, at length, he gradually returned to
his accustomed scat, and was standing by it when
she gentleman who was occupying the floor, fin
ished his speech with tho following emphatic Ian
guagc :-"If under the circumstances, Mr.. Pres
ident, the Senate shall confirm the nomination of
Mr.. Everett, I consider the Union virtually dis
solred.''
"And say, sir,'' said Mr.. Clay, instantly ia
king up the words of the honorable Senator, ''that
if this Senate, sitting tho nomination of Mr..
Everett, or any othor a Minister to for
cgn Court, shall take upon itself to reject that
nomination, on the ground that the person nomi-
| mated has expressed to his neighbors and fellow
citizens of the State to which he belongs, senti-
ments not in accordance with own, yet in no
way impeaching his character affecting his
qualifications for the post to which he is nom-
mated then, sir, said Mr.. Clay, elevating him
self to his full height and raising his voice to that
clarion-like tone of mpassioned eloquence for
which he, above all living men, is SO justly distin-
gushed, ''then, sir, tell the Honorable gentleman
and the Senate THAT WE HAVE NO LON
GER ANY UNION TO DISSOLVED Proceed
ing from this point, Mr.. c. poured forth, for the
space of about ten minutes, tho most eloquent
speech ever heard from him in all my life.-
'And that Speech" said the gentleman from
whom these facts derived, ''seetled tie qses-
ton Of Mr.. Ereress's nomination"
Norwich Courier.