Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-10-18
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
col rows LIFE AND TIMES OF HENRY CLAY.

coLToN'S LIFE AND TIMES VI HENhf ohAi'
This work is rapidly passing through the press,
Ill soon be ready for delivery. The wide
sooDs which the nature of the subject will present
~ he universal regard in which the character and
osr;ces of Mr.. Clay are held, have created deep
and general interest in the public mind in this forth
coming work We have reason to believe (says
the New York Courier and Enqurer) that il will
fully answer the public expectation.
The following passage gives very interesting
and graphic sketch of one of the very many able
and eloquent speeches oil Mr.. CLAY Which nave
never been published
among lost speeches OF Mr. CLAY, the memory OF
which lives while they who heard them live and the thought
OF which awakens life the feelings they Produced was
one delivered Lexington late May lsi3 the occasion
and history Of which are as follows After Mr. Clay had
tired from the Senate the United States, in ls42, till the
next wear during which time expected he would be
nominated for President in 1874 great efforts made IN
Kentucky and throughout the Unon by his political oppo
nen not only Willy him, but to bring into odium the twenty
seventh Congress- which the last in which Mr. Clay had
seat as Senator, and the endeavos Of which chiefly
directed establish the policy and called tor by the
political revolution of 1870 Mr. Clay vrulenty traduc
ed by base persons Lexington and that neghbohood
As perpetual dropping stone these incessant at
tacks though false and foul and known TO be such, if
common mind. He Therefore resolved and caused notice
10 be published that he would his Of Fay
and the adjoining counties Lexington day speci
fed TO repe these charges His friends whom this
SION he had not consulted regretted the step being
cessay They thought these attacks unworthy Of notice
This difference Of opinion painful to Mr. Clay, and no
doubt contributed little to that depth and power of feeling
which he manifested the occasion The notice brought
together great Of people, whom no place but the
public square could accommodate The patriarch statesman
was to appear before his old friends and neighbors Of forty
years standing and for the last time in that capa
city in which he had been heard for many years. and in
which expected to hear him again. And was
the vile tongue of caumny that TO be encountered
ssThe following OF this address furnished for
the author by highly respected flowcitizen of Mr. Clay
and the words of the opening, quoted, exact
When Mr. Cay he was evidently much excited.
He commenced by saying, with marked emphasis, Fellow
citizens, old 1nan-quite old man. Here he
bent himself downward. But yet will be found
too old to vndicate my principles TO stand by my friends
to defend his louder and louder at each
member Of the sentence and eleyang his person
in most impressive manner. He then proceeded
II happens that have again located myself the
practice of my profession office within few rods of the
which occupied when, than forty years ago. first
among you orphan and stranger and your fathers
took me by the hand and made what feel like
old who has been long the hunters and hounds
Through brakes and bers and distant pains and has
as returned to his ancient lair lay himself down and die
And yet the vile OF party barking my heels and
the bloodhounds OF personal malgny aiming throat
scoRS AND DETT THEM, As EVER DID,
'sWhen he uttered these last words he raised himself to
his posture, and elevated his hands wide
extended his head seeming have nearly doubled the
height of his tall person. The effect overwhemngin
describable.
To any approximate idea Of the effect of this speech
which continued for hours fully sustained throughout in vim
dicaon of the Congress, of Wing policy and
principles and defence of the himself against
unnatos should have of all the attributes Of eo
quence ascrbed Mr. Clay in this chapter the of
y of which wanting that occasion Nor should
be forgotten that he then sixtysix years old II may
be asked if any be named in all history who
produced such effect few words and those the
exodium of his Grafton They all heo that what he said
was true. I am an old man. Didn't they know that
And the he said il they began weep When he
pointed his present Office and the place of the old one
few rods distant they all knew that 81 here thar
forty years ago orphan and stranger They knew that
Your fathers took by the hand and made what am
II impossible conceive of the effect of this They wept
like children and only wished they could do much They
could at least stand by him. Il feel like old stag Now
he speaking Kentucky hunters Their all
for what coming. And by the time he had gone through
with the figure and its application, the struggle between the
sympathy which streamed from the OF and the in
dgnaon which cenched the fists Of others Of that multi
tudeal knowing all true every word Of twas like
the throes Of q mountain agony part of the sublimity
Of the spectacle consisted in what might be the
fruit Of such passion for Of his defamers pre-
But when Mr. Clay in all the majesty Of his
lofness, threw his high and his voice into the
heavenshe stood under canopy-and said scorn and
defy them, as did, they dashed away their and
resolved be stout OF heart he, and vncate his
honor reply expected But prudence got the better
Of the purpose"