The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-02

DEATH OF THE HON HENRY CLAY.
The Anticipated formal annunciation of the
death of the Hon. Henry Clay brought together
an unusual auditory. Members of the House
of Representatives intermingled with Senators
the representatives of foreign sovereigns paid
the tribute of their presence; cabinet ministers,
and heads of bureaus and members of the judi
ciary clustered without the bar. OF the illus
trous contemporaries of the distinguished dead
but few remain; but one form attracted all eyes
the honorable Secretary of State, Daniel
Webster, sat there. The General-in- Chief OF
the Army, Major General Scott, too, was present.
Attorney General Crittenden, long the colleague
of the deceased; the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, a
contemporary 10 the Senate, and one o. the At
torney Generals predecessors; and numerous
others, as eminent for their eloquence and their
genius, there contemplated the end of human
greatness.
The Chaplain to the Senate, the Rev. G. M.
BUTLER, in his opening prayer, duplicated for
the living but he also afforded Christian con-
ISOLATION by speaking hopefully of the dead,
whose declining days were cheered by the Cos.
pei dispensation.
The Journal having been read
MIR. UNDERWOOD rose aud said: Mr.. Presi-
dent, rise to announce the death of my col.
league, Mr.. Clay He died at his lodgings, in
the National Hotel of this city, at seventeen
minutes past-eleven o'clock yesterday morning,
in the seventy sixth year of his age. He ex-
pired with perfect composure, and without u
gr0an or struggle.
BY his death our country has lost one of its
most eminent citizens and statesmen; and,
think, its greatest genius. shall not detain the
Senate by narrating the transactions of his long
and useful life His distinguished services as a
statesman are inseparaby connected with the
history of his country. AS Representative and
Speaker in the other House of Congress-, az
Senator in this body, as Secretary Of State, and
as envoy abroad, he has, in all these positions,
exhibited a wisdom and patriotism which have
made deep and lasting impression upon the
J grateful hearts of his countrymen. His thoughts
and his actions have already been published to
the world in written biography in Congress.
siona debates and reports; in the journals OF
the two Houses; and in thepages of American
history. They have been commemorated by
monuments erected on the ways'de. They have
been engraven on medals Of gold. Their mem
lory will survive the monuments of marble and
the medals of gold; for these are effaced and
decay by the friction of ages. But the thoughts
and actions of my late colleague have become
, identified with the immortality of the human
mind and will pass down from generation to
generation as a portion of our national inherit.
ance incapable of humiliation so long as genius
has mn admrer. or liberty friend.
Mr.. President the character of Henry Clay
was formed and developed by the influence Of
our free institutions. His physical, mental, and
moral faculties were the gift of God. That
!, they were greatly superior to the faculties
} allotted to most men cannot be questioned
!. They were not cultivated, improved and direct
ed by liberal or collegiate education. His
respectable parents were not wealthy, and had
not the means of maintaining their children nj
college. Moreover, his father died when he
was boy. AT an early PERIOD Mr.. Clay was
, thrown upon his own resources, without patri
mony. He grew up in clerks 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 orr Constitution ant
laws he might freely employ his great facultie.
u unobstructed by legal impedments, and unadet
It by exclusive privileges. Very soon Mr.. Ola,
d made deep and favorable impression upon th
, people among whom he began his career. Th,
exec Hence of his natural faculties was soor
displayed. Necessity stimulated him in thei
professional engagements secured public conf
dence He was elected member of the legisla
ture of Kentucky, in which body he served sever
al sessions prior to 1906. In that year he wa,
elevated to seat in the Senate of the United
, States.
At the bar and in the general assembly o
Kentucky Mr.. Clay first manifested those higl
9 qualities as public speaker which have secured
to him 30 much popular applause and admira
ton. His physical and mental organization
f emnently qualified him to become great ant
impressive orator. His person was tall, slender
, and commanding His countenance clear, ex
pressive, and Notwithstanding the eNptiol
!, which predominated at the moment with exac
0 similitude His voice, cultivated and modulatet
in harmony with the sentiment he desired t.
r express, fell upon the ear like the melody 0
enrapturing music. His eye beaming with in
: telligence and flashing with coruscations o
0 genius. His gestures and attitudes graceful
and natural. These personal advantages wol
the prepossessions of an audience, even befor
his intellectual powers began to move his hear
ers and when his strong common sense, hi
{ profound reasoning, his clear conceptions of hi
subject in all its bearings and his striking ant
beautiful illustrations, united with such persona
qualities, were brought TO the discussion of am
D question, his audience was enraptured con
WINGED, and led by the orator as il enchanted by
y the Tyre of Orpheus.
No man was ever blessed by his Creator will
faculties of higher order of excellence thar
those given to MIR. Clay 10 the quickness o.
his perceptions, and the rapdty with which his
conclusions were formed, he had few equals anc
no superior. He was eminen,ly endowed with
, nice discriminating taste for order, symmetry
and beauty. He detected in moment every
thing ont of place or deficient in bis room, upon
his farm, i'm his own or the dress of others. He
was skillful judge of the form and qualities OF
his domestic animals, which he delighted to raise
: on his farm. could give you instances of the
, quckness and minuteness of his keen faculty
of observation, whichever overlooked anything.
A want of neatness and order was offensive TO
: him. He was particular and neat in his hand
writing, and his apparel. A slovenly blot OF
) negligence Of any sort met his condemnation
while he was so organized that he attended to-