Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1845-11-15

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ConoNs LrE AND Tmrg or IIeyaY
CLAy--Thg work - rapidly passing
through tho press, md will soon be ready
for delivery, The wide scope which tho
author will roylCw, and tho universal 70.
gard in which the character and sorvi.
cos Of Mr. CLAY arc held, have created n
deep and general interest IN the public
mind in this forthcoming work. We
have reason to believe, tsays the New
York Courier and Enquiror) that it will
fully answer the public expectation,
The following passage gives a very in
teresting aud graphic sketch Of one Of the
very many able and eloquent speeches Of
Mr.. Clay which have never been pub.
Iished:
"Among these lost speeches Of Mr.. Clay,
the memory OF which lives while they
who heard them lives, and the thought
Of which awakens to new life the feel
ings they produced, was one delivered a,
Lexington as late as May, 1913, the occa-
sion and history Of which are as follows:
After Mr.. Clay had retired from the
Senate Of the United States, in l842, till
the mex year, during which time 1t was
expected he would be nominated for Pres
ident in 1914, great efforts were made in
Kentucky, and throughout the Union, by
his political opponents, not only to viify
him, but TO bring into odlum tn twenty
seventh Congress, which was the last in
which Mr.. Clay had seat as Senator,
and the endeavors Of which were chiefly
directed to establish the policy and mea-
sures called for by the political revolution
of t840 Mr.. Clay was virulonlly tra-
duced by some base persons in Lexington
and that ighborhood As a perpetual
dropping wears a stone, so these incessant
attacks, though false and foul, and known
to be such, unno:iced and unrepelled,
might produce injurious effects on the
common mind He therefore resolved,
and caused notice to be published, that
he would meet his fellow-citizens of Fay
ere aud The adjoining counties at lex
ington on a day specified, 10 repel these
charges. His friends, whom on this oc-
casion he had not consulted, regretted
the step as being unnecessary. They
thought these attacks unworthy Of notice
This difference Of opinion was painful to
Mr.. Clay, and no doubt contributed not a
little to that depth and power Of feeling
which he manifested on the occasion. The
notice brought together a great concourse
of people, whom no place but the public
square could accommodate. The pat
riarch statesman was to appear before his
old friends and neighbors of forty years.
standing once more and for The fast time in
that capacity in which he had not been
heard for many years, and in which no
one ever expected to hear him again
And it was the vile tongue Of caIumny
that was to be encountered.
"The following account of this address
was furnished for the author by highly
respected fellow citizen Of Mr.. Clay, and
he words of The opening, as quoted, are
exact:
"Whon Mr.. Clay rose he was evidently
much excited. He commenced by saying,
With marked emphasis, 'Felow citizens,
am now an old maa--qHite an old man.
Here he bent himself downward. But
yet, it will be found am not too old to
indicate my principles, TO stand by my
risnds, or TO defend yse(--ralsing his
,oice louder and louder at each successive
member OF the sentence, and elevating
lis person in most impressive manner.
lie then proceeded:
"'It so happens that have again loca-
ed myself in the practice of my PROBES
ion ia an office within few rods Of one
which occupied when more than forty
ears ago, first came among you an or
han and stranger, and your fathers
ook me by the hand and made mo what
m. feel like an old stag who had been
,ng coursed by the hunters and hounds
nrounh brakes and briers, and DER distant
lains, and has at last returned to his an
lent lair tolay himselrdown and die And
ct. The ours OF parry are barking at my
cells and the bloodhounds Of personal
lalignity are aiming at my throat.
,oRN AND DEFY THEM, AS EVER DID,
"Wheu he uttered these last words, he
Used himself to his most erect posture,
I'd elevated his hands and arms wide ex-
nded above his head, seeming to havs
ubIed the heghth of his tall person.
he effect was observation-disclosures
BILE.
"To have my approximate idea Of tho
ect OF this speech, which continued for
urs, fully sustained throughout, in vim
cation OF the twenty -seventh Congress,
Wing policy and principles, and ia de-
nee Of the orator himseIfagainst his ca
mnia.ors, one should have a view of all
G attributes of eloquence sscribed TO
r. Clay in this chapter, the use OF
arcely one of which was wanting on