Washington telegraph., 1852-06-16
Henry Clay and Dr. jackson, of
philadelphia.

| The following from the last number OF the
| PHILADELPHIA North American will be read with
deep interest and emotion
| We had the pleasure of half an hours conver-
sation with this eminent physician and friend of
Mr.. CLAY. on Sunday, in Philadelphia, in refer
ence TO the character of the disease of his dis
tno,;shed patient DR.. Jackson has spent MANY
DAYS with MIR. Clay at Washington recently and
has taken that deep interest in his case which
springs not only from high devotion to his pro-
fessioh but from sincere love and regard for Mr.
CLAW. He tells us that the exertion which Mr.
CLAW made in 1S49-50 in behalf of the passage
of the compromise measures, in which he man.
ilested srch intense feeling and interest preapita-
ted his life ten gears, at least and that he is now
in consequence of such over exertions which en-
ployed him night and day, and time-where he
would have been in the ordinary course of nature
without such an effort, at the oge of eighty-fve
years. The excitement while it lasted kept him
alive but bodily decay soon followed, until now
there is not sufficient physical vitality to prolong
life. Younger men with good constitutions have
recuperative power sufficient to enable them
to master such physical relaxation but at IS no
one can expect so to overdo and so to master ma
ture.
Mr. Clay feels the truth of all this, and does
not mourn at what has been DONE nor repine
at the prospect before him. He knows that death
is not far on, and is prepared for the SUMMONS,
come when it may. He felt sad for awhile that
the pleasure of reading was denied him, and does
not retain so large interest In public affairs as
when in better health, though he is now read to
every day by his SON The world, he says, is
naturally becoming more and more contracted to
his view, and as day after day passes away, the
visions fife gradually recede and opens prospect
of the better world beyond the grave. The occas-
ional glimpses of restoration-a stronger pulse
a quieter rest at night-excite no hope wish to
proong his life, and on several occasions he las
told his physician that he has no desire to live,
His prostration of body has not troubled his
mind, and one feature of his eebleness is that he
cannot support himself alone, and is not allowed
to walk even with the support of others. DR..
Jackson told him recently that if he stood erect
he would faint and that if he should faint he would
breathe no Why is this?n asked Mr..
Clay. Because there is not enough of vitality in
the heart to give circulation to the blood" "Has
it then come to this,7 said Mr.. Clay and for a
moment sorrowfully. And seeing the necessity,
he has suffered himself to be borne like child to
and from his bed Mr. Clay throughout, has
studied his disease if disease it be throughout,
critically, fully, and even physically. He has
watched the gradual wasting away of life until,
there is but the faintest pulsation left to tell him
that the spirit still survives within its emaciated
tenement Of flesh. He will die calmly and beau
tifuiy he has lived, and his spirit will depart
full of the Christian hope of glorious immortali-
ty. That "unbought grace of life,''-the good
mans hope in God-which imparts so much dig
nifty to death, will make the sunset Of his life as
tranquil and pleasant to him as the shadows of a
tranquil twilight merging into the darkness of the
evening. There bright stars above to light
up such darkness as this, and further on, the
dawnin9 Of the perfect day of celestial paradise
Mr.. Clay, after fifty years service for his country,
Will ENJOY the rest OF eternity hereafter.