Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-09-09
THE LYNCHBURG VIRGINIAN.
ryNcununG. SEPTEMBER .. 1850.
HENRY CLAY.

never permit all us NlNtf-liti hEttfs 10 diit III
laadng the same act great Human taste IS
varied All human conceptions are diversified,
tic consequence is, that different minds hew out
for themselves different models. No great man
has therefore, been universal fapoflte. Milton
is the acknowledged prince Of modern poet',
ranking with the great poets OF antiquity, aud
actually contending with them for the palm.
Yet man fond Of smooth. soft expressions
would prefer the illusions ofCowper; one of
les. refined taste the cutting satres Of Pope, 10
the sublime productions Of John Milton. But
still We have standard Of greatness which is
universal.
The patriot is esteemed great The man Of
ela4nence, whether that eoquenee be smooth
and flowing, or precipit)u and rushing; whether
II be beauteous as Cicero, or vehement as Demos
themes. the man Of eoguence IS esteemed great,
when he applies his great gift Of speech to the
promotion Of his counry's good. The sarcastic,
the beautiful, the augmentatiye aud the sublime
when blended into one composition give il attrac-
tons and charms, which but few can resist--yea
which all must hear with rapurous applause.
And when these great powers are brought in
times Of imminent danger, and thrust between il
and the sinking fortunes Of great nation, we see
in the act which throws gifts ike these upon
countrys altar an instance Of individual magma
nimity, teemiug with patriotism. We naturally
associate upon such occasions, the orator and the
patriot and viewing the subhmity of the oratory
and the grandeur of the patriot, we learn to
spect the individual. who inherils these high
qualities, as a man Of greatness.
Henry Clay is an orator and patriot. An
orator, for he has shaken Senates with his clo-
qaence. patriot, Tor in hours Of dangerhe has
served his country with untring devotion. Re
view his career. His eagle eye has detected
danger III its approach and his warning finger
has pointed 10 the coming evil. His eoqncnce
upon such occasions has awoke sleeping Senatcs
aroused the reclining nation, and drawn legsla-
tors aud people up, in the solid phalanx OF their
strength, to resist the coming danger. He has
been quick in detecting, ready in loretelling and
always eager IN defending. truer patriot new
CT htealhed, nobcr statesman never spoke.
lie has been no meteor dazzling but to asonsh
and darling but to amaze. But he has been a
! fixed ght in our political armament shining be-
nignahnY and shedding genial rays upon the
fruits o his country's constitution. As the bright
sun Of our political armament, Mr. Clay has of
ten stood behind the clouds, which blackened our
prospects, and as the blackness has thickened,
a and the danger decpcncd he has bars, from be-
meath II, with some mighty plan, which has
, gwen peace, tranquility anl prosperity TO the
> nation. II was so in 1892 it was 50 in 1919, and
it will be SO until death shall carry him hence
" Henry Clay as a man of genius Is quick and
i, powerful. lie has moro invention than learning.
= Ills speeches are composed Of the sublime rca-
sonihgs of the forum, and not of the labored meta
+ physics Of the study. Mr.. Clay relies upon his
, inventive faculties, their ampleness giving him
i a ready command over those measures, which
tend 10 promote the couutry's interest He
gmSps fact, examines lis relations weighs its
- Importance, contrasts il with similar facts, and
builds upon it his plans. (Not theories for they
are too practicable to be called theories.) Mr..
Clay possesses that forchoueht, which is the
qnntessence of superior wisdom, through the
operation Of which he can accurately calculate
the result OF existing measures. The predictions
; of Henry Clay, in relation to the annexation OF
Texas, afford a strong illustration of the power of
his extraordinary lntclIcct-parculally of that
species Of philoSophic reasoning, which enables
II us TO define coming results from the operation OF
/ present causes. In 1914 the propriety Of the an.
neXaiion of Texas was before the country Mr.
Clay. in common with the Whig party opposed
= the annexation Of that State. lie opposed il up
= on the ground hatit would hing immense evil
e upon the country. His predictions have been We
rfed. The war with Mexico came. Ii was begun
n nnconstilutionay, by Presidential declaration
e DUNG the session of Congress. 1t ended glori-
ouslH, II we view it only with reference to the
: American arms. But the close of the war was
only the beginning of the evils of the war The
. war ended with the acquisition of territory in di-
rect opposition to the spirit of the American 60
Nefninent, ms, however. was but the commence
meni oil long train of evils, which are yet flow
d lug and are destined to flow for time TO come
l. The acquisition of territory was made, the acqui-
siuon distracted the country, and opened an old
: teud between the North and the South. This
opening forms source of fruitful evil, being
no less than giving new energy 10 bitter sec
!, tional strife involving the peace of the country,
5 threatening the durability of the government and
the prepetulty of the Union.
As man of politics, Mr. Clay is a patriot.
i The country, the whole country is the object OF
his deliberations. As man of expanded mind
and exalted patriotism, he is the friend of the
II rights Of each and the champion of the interest
OF the whole. lie has inflicted the nation with
4 no war for the South, he has built up no faction
for the North but he has stood as great pacif-
5 Gator representing the nation And when faction
has been auaved against faction, fighting for the
spolls when section has been debating with sec
ton, each contcndug for the balance of power, as
the friend Of the constitution andhberty, Henry
Clay has set up above the claims of faction or
section, those OF the nation.
As man OF emncnce, Mr. Clay is self made
lie has worn no college livey--hc has inherited
no diploma. Born in humble life. he has been
. wattedto eminence'by none of the titled distinc-
tons OF bHth. Native energy urged him TO offer
himself a candidate for fame. His talent was
seen his virtue was learned-he one was re-