Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1852-07-22
From the New York Times.
HENRY CLAY.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND rrBllc CAREER.

| fallen al last Henry Clay, the renowned
end the pc, rless, has gone 10 his rest Al.
ter linz ering md painful Illness away
from his home but attended by all tilial and
friendly affection could bring TO his dying
couch he has closed his long. useful and
pvem(ul lie. For more than hall a century
he has been among the foremost men in all
the world-.he great leader in the Senaie Of
! The Ui.iled talrs-knnwn wherever the I'm
g!sh tongue is spoken. as the Eloquent
Champion Of Frecdoln, The defender oi The
wronged and the proIec,ur of ihe weak
great in all The nublesl attributes ol charac'
ser, aud pre- eminen.,uppn every Held, which
In the course of long and evenlful life, he
has been callel to enter Not nallon
only, but friends Of Freedom and admirers
Of high nobility Of character throughout The
world. will mourn his loss. YET he has
| fallen only alter his work was done. He
leaves as his monsmcnl, long years ol de-
vo,ion To his counmy's welare-a proud
record of ac,s. and of words, more powerful
than acls. for The advancement OF her glory,
aud the undying attachment Of the warmes'
aud the ,ruesl friends, any man could ever
claim.
Mr.. Clay was born on The l2lh Of April,
l777. and was thus Is years, 2 months, and
II days old. at The ii,ne Of his death
In announcing This grea. national calamity
the ordinary practice appears to require
something in the na,urc Of a biographical
outline of the life Of the departed. And
vet. so identified is the life of Henry Clay
with every prominent event in the federal
history ior the pas, half century. that If n
breach of the custom we're ever juslihable,
il would seem TO be so in this instance
The narr alive must french, a, every point,
on the history Of the nation; frequently on
lhu, of the world. His life is historical. =
But, as It's incidents bear closer tclanon TO
us than TO any after generation, we CANNOT
refrain from reci'ing them. il only To recall
y the foundation Of the wuest devotion Where's
with a people ever rewarded faithful public
servant. We turn back 10 tho first page OF
the story.
That part of The career o! Henry Clay
which preceded his appearance in the polil'
cal world, is not without lis interest, because
not without its pecuIiarilies. Few OF Gu'
public men enter upon active life jwilhou
the long preparatory drilling OF school and
college; the discipline Of mind, afhabis. ard
sometimes Of morals. Blu, Henry Clay
owed very iule 10 The schoolmas,er. BorI
on the twelfth day Of April, l777, his luther
Rev. Jnhn Clay. survived that period only
three years; aud dying. left The care OF ,
half dozen children 10 his widow. lily pre-
vided with the means Of ballling the cares
and exigrncirs of lie. A re.marriage II
Capt. Henry W atkins proved more fortunate
for the lady than such duplicate unions are
e, ap. 10 be. The s.ep-ialhel appears 10 have
entertained IL warmly aflecllonate feeling
towards the dependent liule family. Henry
after brief primary course from an Englis'
pedagogue. was provided with u pos, behin'
the counter OF Richmond shop keeper.-
Subsequently desk was found Tor him 4
the office of The Court Of Chancery, where
in addi,iun tu delightful intimacy with III
absorbing fc,ions Of the law. he acquired III
valu,ble friendship Of Hon. Theodor
Wy,hr, the learned and txcelen, Chance
lur of the State Of Virginia. Attracted b
he already obvious lalen, of the youth. tn
Chancellor for several years employed hi'
as an amanuensis; and in order 10 give h
prOiese every advantage OF professions
preparation. eventually placed him in It
Office Of Mr.. Brooke, the Attorney. Genera
where The year Of probationary reading WI
accomplished in the early part Of the yet
1897. Admitted 10 the bur, the young n
vocale cu>l about him, as young advocav
are upl to do, for a location in some profit
bly, itgous community, where the fortuna
conjunction Of talent with opportunity mig
be- brought about. few years before. Cal
Watkins. with his large family, had mgr
Ted to Woodiorj County, Kentucky, ,hine
miles or So from Lexington To Lexing'o
therefore. in November, 1897, the lulu
glory of Kentucky was a,lracIed aud the
re- found himself, 10 use his own languat
without parons, without the favor or cou
lenance Of The great uropulenl, without I
means Of paying his weekly board; ard
~ The midst of Bar uncommonly distinguish
by eminent members. IL remember" St
he in his farewell speech Of l842, "h'
comfortable though, shonld be il COZ
make one hundred pounds, Virginia mont
per year, aud with wha delight receiv
lhs first fifteen shilings fee. My hvI
IT. were more than realized. immediate
rushed into successful and lucrative pr
lice" So sU. sat& s
aU I hat this practice grew with unpurale
" ~. rapidly, is nol wonderful al all, consider
'Iny ,he very unusual brilliancy Of the lie
way novice. A master of The general plincir
"ho 'ho of Lew; thoroughly familiar with the RI
Wv of evidence, that most practical form ol le
,I"' 20 acquisitions; aud gifted with burning, c,
,ro' Gus, fluent eluquence, he al once took n
cu"' 20 as the 6rs Nisi PriuS, or jury lawyer,
w., the Slale. Cases OF the ulmos, MON
III =. crowded upon him. The criminal recC
,,uS IUS' OF Kentucky are adorned with many sp
NJ ~ did specimens Of his forensic oralory, &c
e0 rally resulting in The ucqulual OF the prise
hs defended, and always uttered with
,ed most clear and decided conviction Of
iune. justice of The cause 10 which he unreser'
n len ly devoted himself. His legal reputa
ID In was achieved al once; and had NOT The cls
.rma. Of political life in,erlered, Ihere is no
keel. mating The heigh, Of excellence 10 vi
f the the jurisconsul,, so early ripe inthe pro-
onaI ability, nigh, have attained, 1t is
however, The purpose Of this necessarily