The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-10-30
COLTON'S LIFE AND TINES OF
HENRY CLAY.

the character and services of Mr.. CLAY are
held, liza We creaied a deep and general inter-
est in the public mind in this forthcoming
work. We have reason TO believe (says the
New York Courier and Enquirer) that it will
fully answer The public expectation.
The following passage gives a very inter
esting and graphic sketch of one the very
many able and eloquent speeches of MIR.
CLAY which have never been published:
"Among these last speeches of Mr.. CLAY,
the memory of which lives while they who
heard them live, and the thought of which
awakens to new life the feelings they pro-
dnced, was one delivered at Lexington as
late as May, lS43, the occasion and history
or which are as follows:
"Afier Mr.. Clay had retired from the Sem
ale of the United States, 1912, until the next
year during which time it was expected he
would be nominated for President in 1914.
great efforts were made in Kentucky; and
throughout the Union, by his political OPP
ponenis not only TO Willy him, but TO bring
into odium the twenty-seventh Congress-
which was The last in which Mr.. Clay had a seat
as a Senator, and the endeavors of which
were chiefly directed to establish the policy
and measures called for by the political rev.
olulion of 1910. Mr.. Clay was virulenily
traduced by some base persons in Lexington
and that neighborhood. AS a perpetual drop
ping wears a slone, so these incessent at.
tacks. though false and foul, and known to
be such, if unnoticed 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 Fayette and the adj
joining counties at Lexington on a day spe-
cited to repel these charges. His friends
whom on this occasion he had not consulted,
regretted the step as being Unnecessary
They thought these attacks unworthy of no.
lice. This difference ofopinion was painful
to Mr.. Clay, and no doubt contributed not a
little 10 that depth and power of feeling
which he manifested on the occasion. The no.
lice brought together a great concourse of
people, whom no place but the public square
could accommodate. The patriarch-stales-
man was 10 appear before his old friends and
neighburs of forty years. standing once more
and for the last time in that capacity in
which he had moi been heard for many years
and in which no one ever expected to hear
him again. And it was,the vile tongue of
Odiuttiuy -Ldt was u UO CuCOuiltGlCus
"The following account of his address was
furnished for the author by a highly respect
ed fellow-cilizen oil Mr.. Clay, and the words.
of the opening, as quoted, are exact:
"When Mr.. CLAY arose he was evidently
much excited. He commenced by saying,
with marked emphasis, 'FeIlow-cilizens, | an
now an old man-quite an DID, Here he
bent himself downward. But yet, it will
be found | am not too old 10 vindicate my
principles, to stand by my friends, or to de-
fend myself"-raising his voice louder and
louder al each successive member of the SEN
tence, and elevating his person in a most
impressive manner. He then proceeded:
ash SO happens that | have again located
, myself in the practice ofmy profession in an
Office within a few rods of one which | occu-
pied when more than forty years ago, | first
came among YOU an orphan and a stranger.
and your fathers took me by the hand and
made me what | am. | feel like an old
stag who has been long coursed by the hun
tiers and hounds through brakers and briers
and DER distan. plains, and has at last return
ed to his ancient lair TO lay himself DOWN
and die. And yet the vile ours of party are
barking at my heels and the bloodhounds of
personal malignity are aiming at my throat.
SCORN AND DEFY THEM, AS lever
DID.
"When he uttered these last words, he
saised himself to his most erect posture, and
elevated his hands and arms wide extended
above his head, seeming 10 have neatly
daubled the height of his tall person. The
effect was overwhelming Understandable.
ITO have any Approximate idea of the eff
feet of this speech, which continued for
hours, fully sustained throughout, in vindi-
cation Of the 9Th Congress, of Wing policy
and principles. and in defence ofthe orator
himself against his calumniators, one should
have a view of all the attributes ofeloquence
ascribed to Mr.. Clay in this chapter, the use
of scarcely one of which was wanting on
that occasion. Nor should it be forgotten
that he was then s~ixty-six years old. Itmay
be asked if any orator can be named in all
history who ever produced such an effect, in
so few words, and those the mere exordium
of his Grafton? They all knew that what he
said was true. Il am an old man, Didn't
they know that? And the moment he said
il they began to weep. When he pointed
TO his present office, and the place of the old
one, a few rods distant, they all knew that.
i came here more than forty years ago an
orphan and a Stranger They knew that.
Your fathers took me by the hand and made
me what | am 1t is impossible TO conceive
of the effect of this. They wept like child.
rem, and only wished they could do as much.
They could at least stand by him. Il feel
like an old stag Now lie is speakin to Ken
lucky hunters. Their ears are all erect for
what is coming. And by the time no had