New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-11-16
DAILY CRESCENT.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL

OFFICIAL JOURNAL
IF THE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
Eulogy on Henry Clay.
The following tribute to the memory Of Henry Clay
which was delivered by the Hon. Alex MCiung, and
published by exder Of the Mississippi legislature
Of tho most eloquent and touching offerings to the
CRY Of the great statesman have yet seen:
LADIES AND GssrIEMES-We have met to commemorate
the life and services Of Henry Clay After long life
away The fiery and aspiring spirit whose earthly life was
long storm has at length sunk to rest Neither praise
censure reach him. When his naughty soul
passed from the earth and the grave closed ever his
dust 1t also entombed in the dark and chamber
bitterness of detraction the tiger ferocy OF
party spirit with which he had long wrsled Death
has haowed his and FURNISHED bis services bright
in the memory of his c0untrymen. We have met to
express in the manner which the custom Of country
has established appreciation of those services and
sense Of his glory We have met not as partisans Or
frends-potical personal-of tine iIlustrous dead.
but as Americans derons to do honor to great Amer
In attempting to discharge the duty which has been
imposed upon me, shall avoid the indscrimnate euogy
which se proverbia bleish of obituaries and funeral
discourss and shall however feeby to present Mr
Clay he was at least as he seem ed to me- Great
beings grand human creatures scattered sparsey
throughout time should be painted with TRUTH An In
discriminate deluge Of praise browns mediocrity and
greatness the grave where distinguish
between them When the greatest Of ali Euglishmen.
Oliver Cromwe sat to the painter Lely for his portrait
whose pencil addicted to fattery he sad Paint me
as ; leave not out wrinkle bemish. at
your peril' He wished to to the world as he was
greatness is wise in wishing It. No the world
and in every work Of action. All men unequal; and
tasteful well just to plant the praise where it is
true, rather than to drown all individuality and all
| character in one foaming chaos Of eulogy.
Henry Clay was most emphaticaticaly peculiar and
strongly marked character incomparaby more peculiar
of those who popularity considered bis
equals Impetuous torrent yet patient to gain his
ends overbearing and trampng winning and soot-
ing naughty and fierce yet kind and gentle dauutessiy
brave in all kinds Of courage yet enently prudent and
conservative in his pocy-a these moral attributes
antithetcal they would chime out under different
phases of his conduct
need not detain this audience with heightened bio
graphical sketch of Mr. Clay The leading historical
in Virginia certainly than ITS probably
year two earlier. His parenage was extremely humble
At the age Of twenty or Twenty-Five he emf
grated to Lexington Kentucky where he undertook to
pursue the great American road to emnence-the bar
For this career it would have seemed at that time that
his advantages small, indeed. Young, poor and
with scarcely ordinary attainments of edu
cation he entered the lists with numerous and able
p.titors Yet Henry Clay. destitute he was, Of al
adyentitious advantages not destined to struggle
upward along the aborous path through which
meocrty tolls to rank The cedar imbedded in barrer
upon the mountain side with scarcely soil to feet
its roots above the talest Of the forest for
is its nature do So this great Genius at sho
uplike shaft He to high rank at the bar In 7g
he elected to the Kentucky legislature in 1906 to
u S Senate in 1871 to the House Of Representatives
and there began bis national career Since that time Mr.
Clay has filed large space in the public eye. His caree
has been checksred. stormy and tempestuous Now th
object of universal praise attacked with very gen
pra cepsure now cuninatug upon the fortune
then dashed upon the rocks and overwhelmed witt
claor 1t his fate at periods Of his
drain to the bottom that measure Of relentless hat
with which souls resent the imperial pride
naughty genius 1t his fate to feel that constan
the only shield which greatness and glory
against the poison OF envy and SANDERS Venomou
! sting.
, He who ascends to mountains tops, shall find
The loftiest peaks most wrapt in clouds aud snow.
| He who surpasses subdues mankind,
Must look down on,the hate Of those below,
| Though high above the sun Of glory glow.
And far beneath are earth and ocean spread,
Around him are icy rocks, and loudly blow
| Contendiug temppsts on his naked head
Thus to reward the tolls which to those submits led.
That strong mind tried by every extremity of TO
tune aud if sometimes Inflated by yet borne
by the all deathless thirst for thegrand ince
tive to all great tolls glorious deeds he was never
pressed by defeat He faced his enemies he faced to
tune he faced defeat with the dauntess heal
. and the same unquaiipg brow. in youth and in ag
regardless when or how they came, or what the pc
might be. Yet when most overborne with calumn
when hatred ragged fercest against his person and
most stained with slander-even at that time to Ell
mics to friends he object of admiring
d When ashed into fury by disappointment defeat and
position and the stormy passions of his tempestuous sc
ragged like whrlwind his btterest opponents would
curously him with strange mixture OF hatred, e
and admiration
There are many phases which necessary regal
Mr. Clay, to reach correct estimate of his character
aud to accomplish their deinestion without degree
jumbng confusion is work of some difficulty. AS
orator he brilliant and grand None of his confer
poraries could so mems blood None approached hi
in his mastery the heart and the imagination of
hearers OF all the gifts with which nature decks h
favortes not the greatast grandes certainly but Il
most brilliant, the most fascinating and for the nome
the most powerful is exalted eoquence Before ts flee
ing brief glare the steady light of wisdom logic
: philosophy paes. the star fades before the metet
With this choice and glorious gift nature had endow
Mr. clay beyond all men Of the age Like all natural Oh
T. tors he very unequal sometimes sinking to commo
place mediocrty. then again. when the occasion rons
M his genius he would aoft in towering majesty
R. had little of the tnsel of rhetoric or the wor
fiery which always lies within the reach of tho rheto
cian's art Strong passions quick sensbty lofty sen
they Of all eoquence Passion feeling reas
wit poured forth from his lips in torrent so strong
to whrl away his hearers for the time
IT. slight uumporant physical qualities may appe
he in estimate Of the mighty dead that his were en-
neptly fitted for the orator tall slender erect perst
changing under the excitement of speech its loose fl
cdty Of muscle into the most vigorous and nerved
III gy eye SMALL indeed but deep and boniy SET a.
flaming with expressions and last and most important
rs ALL voice deep powerful mellow and rich, beyond
c. presson-rich is feeble phrase to express its rou
articulate fullness rolling up with the sublime swell
the ogan-a these together formed wonderful aids
m eoquence. And his great and numerous triumps att
their power. He had the true meserc stroke OF the
torthe power to infuse his feelings into his hearers
make them think he thought. and feel as he felt
form any adequate conception of the power OF
lY eoauence, who has heard Mr.. Clay when MS blo
up the tide of inspiration rolling full upon hi
m His words indeed might be written down but the la
uf mind which sent them forth red not ana DleZpS III
.d it's mint, could not be conveyed by letters As
attempt to paint the lightning. The crooked angu
line may be traced but the glare aud the flame and
~ roar and the terror and the electric flash, arc go
Stormy vehement and tempestuous were his pass
and his oratory there still underneath them all
cool stream reason running through the bottom of
brain which always pointed him to his object, and
III him his No orator, passionate. ever conn
A- ted fewer nprudcncies No passions stormy ever
their possessor watchful of his objects Reason
lu- the helm while passion blew the gale
As q debater. it would not be just to say that
Clay held the same rank at least it may be said "
,u. Justice that In all the walks Of debate he was
equally eminent. He able every where; and
ar, but gentle criticism to say that in trains
~ thought he did not shine forth with the power
lustre which marked his eloquence. 1t appears to
after critical study of his speeches, that he discus
facts with much power of his greatest rivals
appears also that he fell beneath some OF theH
the discussion Of principles Ono Of the greatest OF
compeers aunted him in the Senate with an ina bl
''s to nnalyze abstruse subjects The taunt was M
stronger probably by anger than truth or canaor we
warrant; yet it to me to have been partially
No one who studies Mr., Clay's arguments upon point
W. political economy. avoid perceiying how rarely lie
. alyzes the principle involved We see vast ARA
facts. many keen and thoughtful remarks about the
o. suits Of the but analysis OF its princpl
Ia scarcely ever attempted. He doubtless Understood
vs. prot tariff better than lie did any other
on. iect in the range of political economy and no one
read his speeches upon that question without being SUI
tn with this 1t is still marked whenever
an. discusses subject OF finance. phosophic dis
int1p