The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-06-26
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.
VISIT TO Mr.. CLAY AT ASHLAND.

Correspondence Of The New York Tribune.
VISIT TO Mr.. CLAY AT ASHLAND.
LEXINGTON, Ky, May 25, 1916.
have at last realized one of my dearest
wishes, that of seeing Henry Clay at Ash
land. called on him with friend this morn
ing, buthe was absent on his farm, and Charles
the "freed ~slave," told US he would not be at
home until the afternoon, so we returned to
Lexington, and at 5 P. NJ. retraced our steps
to Ashland. Mr.. Clay had returned, and
meeting US at the door, took hold of our
hands before ! could ever present a letter of
introduction, and made US welcome TO his
house. His manners completely overcame
all the ceremonies of | had prepared,
and was so Lervous as TO give my left hand
instead of the right for his grasp. But we
were soon perfectly at home, as every man
must be with Henry Clay, and in a halfhour's
time we had talked about the various Sec
lions Of the country had visited in the past
year, MIR. Clay occasionally giving US Incl
dents and recolIections Of his own life, and
felt as though had known him personal
ly for years. He is it at present rather feeb-
lie in health, and was obliged 10 resort to
glasses on reading my letter, but his steps
and his voice are firm and strong as those of
a man in prime of life. The room into which
we were shown, was a species of sitting and
audience room; a bust of Mr.. Clay graced a
niche IN one corner, and one which | Judged
TO be Theodore Frelinghuysen's stood in an
opposite corner. On one oil the side walls
hung the original or a copy OF "Wasuington
and his family on the other the engraving,
representing Mr.. Clay standing out in The
field with a globe at his feet; besides these
there were some family portraits, which, with
a splendid cut-glass vase, standing upon a
centre table, made up the furniture of the
room. Here MIR. Clay sat in bis easy chair
every thing about him neat and simple as his
| could see a log cabin engraved, he looked
and seemed more like the quiet happy farm
er than any thing else. Mr.. G. has lived at
Ashland forty years, the place bore that name
when he came to it, as he says probably on
account of the quantity of Ash timber on it,
and he has made it the most delightful re
treat in all tie West. The estate is about
six hundred acres large, all under the highest
cultivation, excepting some W hundred
acres of Park, which is entirely cleared OF
underbrush and small trees, and is, to use
the words ot Lord Morpeth, who staid at
Ashland nearly a week, the nearest approach
to all English Park ofany in this county
Ii seves also for a noble pasture, and here |
saw some of Mr.. Clay's fine horses and Dur
ham cattle. He is said to have some of the
finest stock in all Kentucky, which is 10 say
the finest in America, and IT | am able TO
Judge, | confirm that report. The larger
part of his firm is devoted to wheat, hemp,
rye, &c, and his crops look most splendidly.
He has also paid great attention to ornament
ing his lands with beautiful shade trees, shrubs,
flowers, and fruit orchards, From the road
which passes his place on the northwest side,
a carriage course leads up TO the house,
lined with locust, cypress, and cedar and
other rare trees, and the rose, jasmine and
ivy were clustering about them, and peeping
thro' the grass and boughs like SO many laugh
ing FAIRIES as we drove up.
Ashland is about a mile from Lexington,
East, on the road leading out of Main street,
and is on one ofthe l%ovliest situations around
that delightful town-Mr. C's. mansion is
nearly hidden from the road by the trees sur
rounding it, and is as quiet and secluded,
save to the throng of pilgrims continually
pouring up there to greet its more than royal
possessor, as though it were in the wilder
ness. Some parts Of it are now undergoing
repairs, and Mr.. Clay took US about to see his
contemplated Improvements. The houses
of his slaves are all very neat, and surround
ed by better gardens, and more shrub
berry than one half of the farm houses in the
country, and all the inmates were as happy
as human beings can be. Charles, of whom
so much has been said, is a kind of second
master of household TO MIR. Clay, and enjoys
the greatest trust and confidence. To him
can the keys ofthe wine-cellar be given with
out fear, and on all occasions were help was
needed, Mr.. Clay called for Charles. Charles
brought us up wine, Charles was at the door.
at the ca rriage, at the gate, every where in
fact, and as polite and civil as a man asking
for Office. He is a fine looking, middling
sized Negro, about 80 years old, and | dc
not believe he could be drawn from MIR. Clay
except by absolute animal force, so great i:
his devotions to him. AS | said, MIR. Clay
, has lived at Ashland forty years-he said he
had seen Cincinnati grow from a small vii
!, lage TO its present size, and had witnessed
the growth of much of the West in the same
time. Speaking of Cincinnati, he said i
: was the only city, the causes of whose rapi'
e rise he could not compass. He has neve
: been in ST. Louis, though he has land nea
that city, and intends visiting soon TO efec