Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-03-08
Anecdotes OF Henry Clay.

Doyhoou OF Henry Clay, ana gives the
following account Of him as he attended
school and appeared as clerlVin Rich
mond:
We catch our first glimpse Of the boy |
when he sat in the log school house, with |
out windows or floor, one OF q humming |
score Of shoeless boys, where q good |
natured, irritable, drinking English |
schoolmaster taught him to read, write
and cypher as far as practice This was
the only school he ever attended, and
that was all he learned at il. His wild
owed mother with her seven young child
rem, her little farm and two or three
slaves, could do no more for him Next,
we see him tall, awkward, slender strip
ling of thirteen, still barefoot and clad
in homespun butternut of his mothers
making tilling her fields, and going to
mill with his bag OF corn strapped upon
the family pony. At fourteen, in the
year 1871, place was found for him in
Richmond drug store, where he served as
errand boy and youngest clerk for one
year.
Then occurred the event which decided
his career. His mother having married
again, her husband had influence enough
| { procure for the lad the place as copy
clerk in the Office of the Court of Chan
Gerry. The young gentleman then EN-
ployed in the Office of that court long re-
membered the entrance among them of
their new comrade. He was fifteen at
the time, but very tall for his age, very
slender, very awkward, and far from
handsome. Hisgood mother had arrayed
him in good suit of pepper-and-salt
"6gginy," an old Virginia fabric Of silk
and cotton. His shirt and shirt collar
were stifiy starched, and his coat tail
stood out boldly behind him. The dandy
law clerks of metropolitan Richmond ex-
changed glances as his gawky figure en-
| tered, and he took his place at a desk to
begin his work. There was something
| in his manner which prevented their in
diligence in the jests which usually greet
the arrival of a country youth among the
city blades; and they afterwards congrat-
ulated one another that they had cited
little before beginning 70 tease him,
for they soon found that he had brought
with him from the country an exceed
ingly sharp tongue.
81 his first service little is known, ex-
cent the immense fact that he was most
diligent reader t
AS he grew older, the raw and awkward
striplimg became young man whose
every movement had winning or n
commanding grace Handsome he never
was but his ruddy face, abundant light
hair. the grandeur Of his forehead, and
the speaking intelligence Of his counte-
nance, more than atoned for the irregu-
larity of his features. His face, too, was
a compromise. With all its viyacity oil
expression, there was always something
that spoke Of the Baptist preacher son
Just as Andrew Jackson's face had the
set expression of Presbyterian elder.
But of all the bodily gifts bestowed by
Nature upon this favored child, the most
unique and admirable was his voice:
Who ever heard one more melodlousl
There was depth of tone in 1t, 0 volume,
q compass, rich and tender harmony,
which invested all he said with majesty.
We heard it last when he was an old man,
past seventy; and all he said was few
words of Acknowledgement to q group OF
ladies in the largest hall in Philadeiphla.
He spoke only in the ordinary tone OF
conversation; but his voice filled the
room as the organ fills the great cathe-
dral, and the ladies stood speli-bound as
the swelling cadences rolled about the
vast apartment We have heard much
of Whitfield piercing voice, and Patritk
Henry's silvery tones, but we cannot be-
lieve that either of those natural orators
possessed an organ superior to Clay
majestic bass. No one who ever heard
him speak will find it difficult to believe
what tradition reports, that he was tn:
peerless star of the Richmond Debating
Society in 1895.
The following "reminiscences OF Mr.
Clay are from the pen of the Hon. 1hos
Ewing, who wrote them as contribu-
ton to Sanitary Fair:
Mr.. Clay, with all his terrible power OF
denunciation, was in ordinary debate
pleasant and playful When dealing
with an ordinary adversary he often re-
minded me of the lines in Millions des-
cription of Eden, before the fall
"Sporiiye the lion ramped. aud in bis paw
Dandled the kid"
On one occasion, the year / do not re-
member, but it was the first time the
Wings carried an election in the city of
New York, found him early in his seat
with newspaper in his hand. As soon
as the journal was read, he rose, quite
out of order--announced to the Presi-
dent CMr. Van Buren,, the whig victory,
spoke OF their noble efforts in the cause
OF their country, and of their brilliant
success. Your own fellow-citizens,
Mr. President-the proud capital OF your
noble State--has made its voice heard in
our halls, in defense of the Constitution
of our country. Ali Mr.. President, DOS
not this pdym your patriotic hearth
The impudence and absurdity OF this
appeal was too much for the dignity OF
a presiding officer Mr., Van Buren
face drew itself into / know not how
many indescribable lines, in which the
comical predominated, and he slid down
into his seat until nothing Of him was
visible but the smooth top Of his head
He soon called some one to the chair,
came down, took a pinch of snuff with
Mr.. Clay, and after a wholesome laugh
between them, the morning business went
on
His classical illusions English class
ics) were few, but sufficiently happy.
HIS attempts to cite poetry generally
failed On one occasion he attempted
the hackneyed quotation from Hamlet
$Let the CALLED jade wince. our withsr are
uDwrung."
he mistook the last syllable, and with
great distinctness and fine emphasis
made il unstrung." Watkins Leigh
sat down on his right; l on hisleft; both
- n.1 .arras
pronounced the word unwrung. The