New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-30

not that faultless monster whom the world
meier saw He was impulsive, high-tem
pered and impatient of contradiction. His
mental aptitudes inclined him rather to deal
with facts than with principles, and fitted
him rather to solve present difficulty than
to evolve and establish an eternal truth.
Hence the great body of his Speeches,
which have rarely been surpassed In CO.
gency and fertility Of illustration, in fitness
to the occasion and force of argument, will
be rarely consulted by future generations.
They have great but not latent nor peren-
NAL merit-their importance mainly ceases
with the occasion which called them into
being.
But having admitted this, and that he
had some of the faults and failings of frail
Human Nature, there remain to be con-
sidered only his merits, to be remembered
only his virtues. For this man had large,
warm, gallant, human heart-a true, lofty,
generous, manly soul. By nature frank,
brave and cordial, he drew kindred souls to
his by the power of an electric sympathy
and kindled noble impulses in breasts of
common mold. In his presence, the sordid
and the stolid were warmed into at least
temporary nobleness of aspiration. Only a
rare and lofty spirit could have endured for
half century the communications of that
metropolis of Shiny intrigue and sOulless
ambition, and yet preserved its franl<ness
and truthfulness to the end. None but a
genial and sunny nature could have borne
up unsecured against twenty-five years of
preposterous yet successful detraction, of
undeserved yet ignominious obloquy, and
seen the bloodhounds of Faction baying
furiously on his track, with deluded, fero-
cious majority often yelping in their train.
Yet we appeal to friend and foe in support
of our observation that no statesman OF our
age had less of the bearing of defeated
and disappointed aspirant than Henry Clay
in his later years.
Mr.. Clay lcas an aspirant, but a noble
one. For the first quarter of the present
century the idol of those who are led by
name like sheep by the tinkle of bell, and
for the second quarter Though he had
changed no iota) the object of dread and
detestation, he would have gladly received
that which he had nobly deserved, the
stamp Of popular appreciation involved in an
election to the Presidency. Yet if he had
been offered that election at any time on
the terms eagerly accepted by Others-if,
for instance, he had been assured that he
might be chosen if he would only consent
to play such dirty game of hidc-and-seek
as that by which Cnss, Douglas, Houston
g. Co. killed the River and HarbOr bill of
last Session, while evading the responsible
ty of voting directly against tive are
sure the proposer would have sneaked away
from the Great Commoner's presence a
much smaller man than he entered it.
Among the best remembered incidents
of our childhood is the reading of the noble
speech wherein, in 16l6-l9, Henry Clay ar
raigned at the bar of Congress and the
Country the outrageous usurpation of power
by Andrew Jackson in the unauthorized in
vasion and conquest of Florida, then the
undisputed colony of Nation with which
we were at peace. That speech by a civilian
in exposure and apprehension of the tyran-
MES and crimes of victorious and idOlized
Military Chieftain was worthy of the no
blest age of any Republic, ancient or mod
ern. We have often and decidedly dis
scented from Mr.. Clay's views in later years,
but we have never ceased to love and honor
him for his fearless patriotism in exposing
and resisting that great danger of Rcpub
lies, blind admiration of Military achieve
ment and disposition to varnish over the
crimes of conquerors. When such ex-
posures fall upon the public ear unheeded,
then is the Commonwealth ready to become
the prey of some mad Alexander, all-grasp-
ing Caesar or villain BoRaparte.
That Mr.. Clay changed his politics or
party associations in lS24-5, is among the
most successful falsehoods of the last gen.
Grafton. Five candidates for the Presi-
dency were in the field-all belonging to
the Democratic party of that time-three
of them members of the existing Demo-
cratic Enthusiastically Adams, Secre-
tary of State; Mr.. Crawford, Secretary of
War; Mr.. Calhoun, Secretary of the Navy.
u L. Z L