The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-04-12
HENRI r CLAY.


".' .s.,.h Of him who is the subject Of them :
ks' ..s..v CLAY was born ia Hanover county,
ms in .ha, portion Of IL known as "the
s,.ssss" His parents belonged to that mao-
N1,sss of society. which has furnished nine
s ,As O, the gyea, men of the world. His
'asr was Baptist preacher, aud died when
,.s ro. more than 1--WE years old. lie was
S.,f.n Of seven children, and was born on the
-, lay Of April, I77s, In the very crisis OF
revolutionary war; for the same year
ass.,ncuished by the capture OF Bur
.~vx and the battles Of Brandy wine and Ger
,.awn. Mr.. CLAY's parents were in re-
sr, s""., .irc cumstances at the time Of which we
=, and when he became old enough he
-. .reau auently employed in the laboTs OF the
,.,a such as pioughing. hoeing, cutting
I'd aud riding on . bag to mill. Some OF
-. .smirers sought 70 make capital out OF
ms eircums tance. calling him the @ Mill Boy
81 ,he slsshes," and representing him as hav-
i, sprung from the very dregs Of society
xathlug could be farther removed from the
at, Mr. CLAy's parents, though poor, were
,iyhly respectable people. His mother, par.
.fuariy. was remarkable for the strength o.
nsr understanding. and for the possession o.
,sase traits which are most commendable in
coraan-discretion, truth ard piety. Shs
lved 10 q great age, and died about the year
-, when her son was in the zenith of hi;
,eputation. Working on the farm and riding
mill on bag, were very common exercises
IL hose early days, even among boys whose
r.reais were much better of than Mr.. CLAYs;
M. in those days, work had not come to be
tocsidered a disgrace. and we have known
many gen tlemen Of high standing, in our day,
,.o never wore a shoe until at least fifteen
wars old. We have no doubt these mill-boy
sgys. spent in riding through the green lanes
# an almos: in.erminable forest, birds sing
;oy and squirrels chat,ering and friskiAg from
,mb To limb on all sides of him, were the
,,onisst of his existence. From the strait
.,sa circumstances Of his mother, he received
M other education than such rs he could OBJ
,.u 8, an old field school, where he was
,,psht 10 read, write and cipher. To minds
q, an inferior calibre, this stint of education
m,yht have proved serious misfortune. To
.urh mind AS that OF HENRY CLAY, we are
aisnosed TO think il was rare piece Of coed
lues. He was great original thinker Il man
who srappled with any problem, no matter
how difficult, depending for its solution upon
he unassisted exerton of his own power
| ,ul intellect, Had he been trained up in the
learning and usages of the schools, he would
have gained much knowledge, At the risk Of
falling into habits of thought prescribed by in
.siIeets inferior 10 his own, and would have
become, in all probability, the victim of pre-
esdents and the bond servant OF authorities
The daring originality of his mind, if not en-
tirry perverted or destroyed, would have lost
much OF its havor and all of its freshness
Al eagle he would have still been, but an eagle
shorn Of that plumage which distinguished
him above all the other kings of the air. As
was, he became the very model OF an Amer
Raa Statesman, operating in a new field un-
der Institutions which have not, and never
had. their like upon earth, and in the midst OF
circumstances which exist nowhere else in
the world. lie formed bis opinions of the
policy best adapted tC America from his own
PERSONAL observation, and an intimate know
ledge OF the character Of his own country
Zen. Inferior minds might derive sustenan ce
if0m hooks his book was the great volume OF
nature.
In The year l1:,2. his mother having married
ageHileman named WATKINS, aud removed to
kentucky, HENRY CLAY-then only fifteen
Years old-en'ered store kept by man named
DRsSY, in this city, near the Old Market. He
lad not remained there long, however, before
be entered the office of the late PETER TINS
Laf, at that time Clerk OF the old Chancery
Oouf' Here he soon attracted the notice OF
VnaAcelior WYTHE who instantly detec ted
'ae germs of future greatness in the quick
'iser, intelligent boy. 1t was probably through
LIS advice that he determined to study law,
'ad while still very young, lie actually COM
1'a1ei II, under his direction. During his
lsAoehee in this city, he became acquainted
"''A many OF the eminent men of the day and
si'r among others, with JOHN MARSHALL
SEscER RoANE, EDMUND PENDLEToN, BUSH.
s'D WASHINGTON, JOHN WICKHAM, DANIEL
Vail, &c., and was SO Fortunate as to hear
FA'EIeX HENRY speak on two occasions-once
sOie the Circuit Cour: Of the United States
" Aeqaestioh of the pay ment OF the British
''ss, aud once before the Legislatu on the
GAINS of the supernumerary officers in the
sAe service during the Revolutionary war
Af bore vivid impression of the great ora.
Ss person ard manner to his grave. With
sa' powers of argument,. eloqu and
W. h- considered him as combining-above
NJ other men he had ever heard speak-the
''sfms OF an inimit table voice, graceful ges.
"'uiaaon, and q variety Of expression in his
''aaieaance which gave tone aud point to
'uything he uttered.
''a'ag obtained q license to practice law
wasa oy the judges Of the Court Of Appeals
IcLAY left Richmond for Lexington, KY,
~''enber, 1897, where he devoted himself.
,s'ai months. TO the study Of his profession
''''r entering Oh the practice. The bar OF
NAAgion was then, as it has been ever since,
4'asulshed for its ability. GEORGE NIoH-
-Asaha JOHN BRACKiNRIDGv were among
Aembers. and there were half q dozen
WIS VI scarcely inferior reputation. Among
zee giants the stripping from Virginia bold
"OA MS stand, and, to use his own ex-
,ssa. .ss''h' uttered many years afterwards, he
~ A'a a' once into lucrative practice. In
,,n NC was doubtless greatly aided by his
oi the practices, acquired by bis
s,"pp'enticeship in the Office Of Mr.. TINS
o.. WI a's HE voice, graceful gesticulation,
o. and sympathy with, the feel
VIZ the masses, and above all, his perfect
,s,,ss'e sess'on AID iiery eloquence, must have
"a commanded success, even had this
hnes wanting. He soon became the most
h.. inminai ..,. lawyer In the land. 1t has
av!aass%S as% Indeed, that no criminal whom hs
teuasN throughout his life, was ever con-
aser lswxn.nis nnis we tclieye can b said Of NO
a,l s,sn ~ ot whom there is any account
Asoas AseI ., ,t PATRICK HxxIsr himsii.
ssssd msm,I.e ulue the people Of Kentucky
~ Coas.maosrs " a Convention 10 form b
Oasti,nrau.1 plan Of the proposed
sas isra iss,arua was submitted TO the people.
s rrsdns, VI Inc scheme was q plan for
!as proy;sa.e Sa. emancipation Of the slaves
sA isrss ..oa .. created a tremendous uproas.
ssad Il t.s,Jy majority Of Ihe people were against
spaiarity' ~ =. -. Mr. CLAY, regardless OF his
avs nsmtano ano exertsd all his sloQ uencs to
ID For tSia s.a rstarned who thought ss b
IA aboii,,ooss ossd g Ne .hould not b. sconGsmnsd
y. .he nucnist nso,.ist II shouid bs yecOilscted
ssl,swp wpsSpis af PIE Of thar day took : very diHsr.
IL plan !" I'm .ns subject from the psoplfof this.
er.s i