The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-03-08
Anecdotes of Henry Clay

The NorH fmerican Reeie.a, for Janu-
airy. has Il very -avory article on the
boyhood of Henry Clay, and gives the
following account of him as be attended
school and appeared u clerk in Rich
moud:
We catch our first glimpse oF the boy
when he sat in the little log school house,
without windows or floor, one Of Il hum
ming score Of shoeless boys, where Il
GOOD natured, irritable, drinking English
schoolmaster taught him TO read, write
ard cipher "a far as Practice. This was
the only school he ever attended, and
that was all he ever learned Mt it. His
widow ed mother with her seven young
children, 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, clad in
homespun butternut Of his mothers
making, tilIing her fields. and going to
mill with his bag of corn strapped upon
the family pony. At fourteen, iii the
year 1871 place was found for him in
D Richmond drug store, where he served
rs errand boy and youngest clerk for
one wear
Then occurred the event which deci-
ded his career His mother having mar
ried again, her husband had influence
enough to procure for the lad the place
of copying clerk i'll the office of the Court
of Chancery. The young gentlemen
then employed in the Office Of that court
long remembered the entrance among
them of their new COmrade. lie was
fifteen ut that time, bat very tall for his
age, very slender very awkward, and
!. M
had arraved him in a full suit of pepper
and salt ''tigginy,' An old Virginia fab
nc of silk and cotton. His shirt aud
,hirt-c collar were stihy starched, and his
coat-tail stood ont boldly behind him
The dandy law clerks Of metropolitan
Richmond exchanged 2lances as his
gawky figure entered. and he took his
place at a desk 70 begin his WORK
There was something in his manner
which prevented their indulgence in the
tests that usually greet the arrival of q
country youth among city blades and
they afterwards congratulated one anoth-
CT that they had waited n little before
beginning to tease him, Tor they soon
found that he had brought with him
from the country an exceedingly sharp
tongue.
OF his first service little i known ex-
cent the immense TACT t3Jt ne was
most dilligent reader.
As lie GREW older. the raw and awil
ward STRIPPING became a young man
whose every movement had a winning or
commanding grace. Handsome lie
never was but his ruddy face and ahun
dant light hair, the grandeur Of his
forehead and the speaking intelligence
of his couuteuauce, more than atoue0
for the irregularity Of his features His
face, TOO, was a compromise. With all
its Vivacity OF expression. there was al
ways something that spoke of the Bap-
list preachers son--iu>t ~ Andrew
i0ckson's face had the set expression Of
q Presbyterian elder
But of all the bodily gifts bestowed
hv nature upon this favored child, the
most unique and admirable was his
voice Whoever heard one more mcIo
dious There was depth of tone in it,
a volume, a compass, a rich and tender
harmony. which invested all he said with
majesty. We heard il last when he was
All old man, past seventy. and all he said
was few words of acknowled gment 10
group of ladies in the largest hall in
Philadelphia. He spoke only in the
ordinary tone of conversation; but his
voice filled the room SIS the organ fills Il
great cathedral. ana tue lattIeS stood
spell bound As the swelling cadences
rolled about the vast apartment. We
have heard much of W hitfeld's piercing
voice and Patrick Henry's Silvery tones.
but We can not believe that either of
those natural orators possessed an organ
superior TO Clay's majestic base No
one who ever heard him speak will fad
il difficult to believe what tradition re
ports, that he was the peerless star of
the Richmond Debating Society in 1885,
The following "reminiscences of Mr..
Clay are from the pen ct Hon. Thos.
Ewing Who wrote them a. i contribu-
tion 10 Sanitary Fair
Mr. Clay, with all his terrible power
ST Remuneration, was in ordinary debate
pleasant AMI playful When dealing
with an ordinary adversary he often re
minded me of the lines in Millions de
Scription OF Eden before the fall:
sporsira she hon r.nped, and in his paw
Dsndied to KID"
On one occasion the wear | do not re-
member. bat IL was the frst time the
Wings carried an election in the city OF
New York. / found him early in his seat