The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-02-27

VIC consequence; ana according to tho
everlasting law of mental as well as so
clal economy, the supply of every
sort of product soon accommodates it
self to the "dcmand." 1t was so there
But let Ms begin our brief and true
biosraphy----,hc biography of remark
a"lc man----of a man whom Henry Cla,
publicly pronounced at Lexington, som,
three years ago, to be the mi ghticst or
ator of the age.
The Rev. Henry Bascom is native
OF Kentucky. The son of poor but hon
est parents, his education was mostly
moral and l'lsical ill he arrived at the
ena OF eighteen summers, when he spro.
icssed conversion to use western
phrase, and Immediately became an
luncrant preacher in the Methodist con,
ncXlon. From that day his eagcrncss
tor knowledge and assnduity in the tolls
10 attain 1t, were unrcmlt,ing and as
tonlsi'inylv successful. Fortune, or
chance, favored his new anbition.--
His first circuit embraced the neighbor.
hood Of Henry Clay, then in all the
splcnder and golden pride of his fame.
Mrs. Clay was in the habit Of attend.
lng the appointments Of the young min.
Is'cr, and frequently urged her husband
to 80 and hcu him. At length the
great orator comseatch in order to
please her, but with the painful cxpcc.
tatlon OF being most numerically bored.
What, then, must have been lis sur
prise and pleasure. when the inspired
boy arose, and, from bcardless lin,
poured forth a torrent Of wortls.--rich.
rare, radiant, and flashing with the
starry Gshf of poesy from beginning to
cnd.r
= fha statesmen found himself aston.
!sNed, delighted, and borne away on an
IRRESISTIBLE stream Of enthusiastic clio.
4nence, whose source appeared utter
Y incNhaustible., lie bad come think.
annoyed g the stale monoto-
sssesse q lslc samsa2iaying of an
1Gollan harp, with its sweep Us high as
the heavens and its chords vibrating
around the world. He expected to be.
mold 4 .eG.omYssn,s sebblc, and now saw and
r~fecognized at glance a diamond of
the pnrcst ray, that needed only the
polishing hand Of the jewcllcr &C give it
Imatcli!ess brilhancy. lie determined
to be the jcwclcr himself. When the
service closed, he approached with tears
of JOY in his eyes and made his own in.
trodnction; graspcd young Bascom's s
hand with bro,hcrly warmth; greeted
his ears with those exquisite comph-
men's so grateful to aspiring genius;
invited HIM to his house; opened for his
! perpetual use the glass case of his
splendid library; procured for him with
ample means: and, more than all, cl,-
conraged him by that fine tlattcrv
which is to youthful ambition what nee.
tar was to the Olympian gods. How
transcendcntly pleasing are such in.
stances Of generosity III the history of
protcsstd politicians Their odor is
like the sweet perfume Of flowers on
natures owR altar. On that iav Hen
ry Clay was far q eater than at any
recorded hour, any crisis Of his destiny
when tlingin% pcals of thunder from q
voice that has so often shaken the very
wallis Of the Capital.
Thcnccforth the course of Bascou
was onwards and upwards; from the
circuit to a chaplaincy on the floor O
Congress; AMI thence to the professor.
chair Of distinguished western cole re
But we cannot convey an accurate idct
Of the man by such yaguc ycucrai,irs
a particular example becomes ncccssar,
to finish the portrait | viii be. lcav,
TO detail one as vivid on the tablets o
my memory as any event Of Yesterday
II was the hrSt time saw and hcar'
'hc lu'Iy oi kentucky.