Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-07-12
CONGRESS.
WEDNESDAY. Ju e 80, 1852.
IN SENATE,
Immediately after the reading OF the Journal

Immediately after the reading OF the Journal
yesterday
Mr.. Underwood Of Kentucky rose and said:
Mr.. President, rise to announce the death OF
my colleague, Mr.. CLAY. He died at his lodg-
ings. in the National Hotel Of this city. at sew
enteen minutes past eleven o'clock yesterday
morning, in the seventy sixth year Of his age.
He expired with perfect composure. and with
out groan or struggle.
by his death our country has lost one of its
most eminent citizens and statesman; and
think its greatest genius. shall not deiain the
Senate by narra,ing the transactions ofhis long
and useful life. His distinguished services as a
statesman are inseparably connected with the
history ofhis country. AS Representative and
Speaker in the other House Of Congress, as
Senator in this body, as Secretary of State and
as Envoy abroad, he has in all these positions
exhibited wisdom and patriotism which have
made a deep and lasting impression upon the
the grateful hearts Of his countrymen. His
thoughts and actions have already been publish
ed to the world in written biography; inCon.
gressional debates, and reports; in the Journals
of the two Houses; and inthe pages Of Amer
lean history. They have been commcmorated
ny monuments on the waysidc. They have
been engraven on medals Of gold. Their mem.
ory will survive the monuments Of marble and
the medals of gold; for these are effaced and
decayed by the friction of ages. But the
thoughts and action of my late colleague have
become identified with the immortality Of the
human mind, and will pass down from genera
tion to generation as portion of our national
inheritance, incapable Of annihilation so long a.
trop huc aIr
Mr.. President, the character Of Henry Clay
was formed and developed by the influence o.
our free institutions. His physical, mental, and
moral faculties were the gift Of God. Tha
they were greatly superior to the faculties al
lotted to most men cannot be questioned
They were not cultivated. improved and di
recfed by liberal or collegiate education. Hi.
respectable parents were not wealthy, and had
not the means of maintaining their children al
college Moreover his father died when he
was boy. At an early period, Mr.. Clay wa.
thrown upon his own resources. without patri
mony. He grew up in clreks office in Rich
mond Virginia. He there studied law. He
emigrated from his native State and settled in
Lexington, Kentucky. where he commenced
The practice of his profession before he was OF
full age
The road to wealth, to honor, and fame was
open before him. Under our constitution and
laws he might freely employ his great faculties
unobstructed by legal impedments, and unaid-
ed by exclusive privileges. Very soon Mr.
Clay made deep ami favorable impression
upon the people among whom he Legan his ca
reer. The excellence Of his natural faculties
was soon displayed. Necessity stimulated
him in their cultivation. His sssidui.y. skill
and fidelity in professional engagements secur.
ed public confidence. He was elected men,
ber ofthe Legislature of Kentucky, in which
body he served sessions prior to 1906. In tina,
year he vas elevated to seat in the Senate Of
the United States.
AT the bar and in the General Assembly of
Kentucky Mr.. Clay first manifested those high
qualities as public speaker which have secured
to him so much popular applause and admira-
ton. His physical and mental organization
eminently qualified him to become a great and
impressive orator. His person was tall, slen-
der and commanding; his temperament arden,
fearless, and full fhope: his countenance clear
expressive, and variably indicating the emotion
which predominated at the nome mt with exact
sinilitude; his voice, cultivated and moduated
foharmony with the sentiment he desired to ex
press.fell upon the ear like the melody Of enrap
turing music; his eye beaming with intelligence
and flashing with the corruscatlons Of genius;
his gestures and attitudes graceful and natural
These personal advantages won the proposes
sions of an audience even before his ntellectu.
at powers began to move his hearres; and when
his strong common sense. his profound rcasoais
ing, his clear conceptions of his subject in all
It's bearings. and his striking and beautiful H.
lustrations, united with such personal qualities,
were brought to the discussion Of any question.
his audience was enraptuped. convinced, and
led by the orator, as if enchanted by the Tyre OF
Orpheus H l
No man was ever blessed by his Creator
with faculties of higher order of excellence
than those given to Mr.. Clay. In the quick
ness Of his perceptions, and the rapidity with
which his conclusions were formed. he had
few equals and no superior. He was eminent
ly endowed with nice discriminating taste of
order, Symmetry and beauty. He detected in
a moment everything out Of place or deficient
in his room. upon his farm, in bis own or the
dress Of others He was skilful Judge of the
form and qualities of his domestic animals.
which he delighted to raise on his farm. l
could give you instances Of the quckness and
minuteness of his keen faculty Of observation
which never overlooked anything. A want
of neatness and order was offensive to him.
He was particular and neat in his handwrit.
ing and his apparel. A slcvenly. blot or negli-
gence Of any sort met his condemnation while
he was SO organized that he attended to, and
arranged little things to please and crafty his
natural love for neatness. order and beauty, his
great intellectual faculties grasped all the sub
jecls of Jurisprudence and politics with facul-
~ amounting almost to intuition. As a lawyer,
he stood at the head of his profession. As a
statesman, his stand at the head Of the Repub
lican Wing party for nearly halfa century, es-
tablshes his title to pre-emnence among his
illusirious associates.
Mr. Clay was deeply versed in all the
springs Of human action. He had read and
studied biography and history. Shortly after
left college, had occasion 10 call on him in
Frankfort. where he-w attending court, and
well | remember to have found him with Plu-
rarch's Lives in his hands. No one better
than he knew how to avail himself of human
motives. and all the circumstances which sur
rounded a subject, or could present them with
more force and skill; to accomplish the object
Of an argument % ~
Mr. Clay. throughout his public career, was
influenced by the loftiest patriotism. Conf
dent in the truth Of his convictions and the pur-
ty Of his purposes. he was ardent. sometimes
impstnous. in the pursuit Of objects which he
believed essential to the general welfare
Those who stood in his way were thrown aside