The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-03-13

"u 'enaer harmony, which invested all
ne SAID with majesty. We heard it last
when ne was an old man, past seventy !:
and all he said was a few words of sc.
kInowledgement to a'group of ladies in
the largest hall in Philadelphia. He
spoke only in the ordinary tone of con.
Versatlon but his voice filled the room
as the organ fills great cathedral and
the the ladies stood spell.bound as the swel.
ing 'cadences rolled about the vast
apartment: We have heard much Of
Whitefeld's piercing voice and Patrick
henry's sllyery. tones, but we cannot
believe that either Of those natural ora.
tors possessed an organ superior to
Clay's majestic bass. No one who ever
heard him speak will find it difficult to
believe what tradition reports, that he
was the peerless star of the Richmond
Debating Society in 1895.
The following reminences of Mr..
Clay are from the pen of the Hon. Thos.
Ewing, who wrote them as a contribu.
tlen to a Sanitary Fair:
Mr.. Clay, will all his terrible power
OF denunciation, was in ordinary debate
pleasant and playful. When dealing
with an ordinary adversary he often re. e.
minded me Of of the lines in Milton's de.
scrptlon of the Eden before the fall
nsportiyo the lion ramped and in paw
Dandled the kid"
On one occasion, the year I do not re-.
member, but it was the fret 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-anpounced TO the
PRESIDENT (Mr. Van Buren) the Wing
victory, spoke of their noble efforts in
he cause OF their country, and of their
brilliant success. ..Your own fellow.
citizens, Mr.. President-the proud capi.
tai of your noble State--has made ia
voice heard in our halls, in defence OF
Hr. President does not this soarns your
patriotic hedrt?"
The impudence and absurdfty of this
appeal was too much for the dignity of
a presiding officer. Mr.. Van Buren's
face drew itself into I know not how
many indescribable lines, in which the
comical predominated, and he slid down
IN 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 pinch of snuff with
Mr.. Clay, and after wholesale 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 quotations from Ham.
let
"Let the CALLED jade vince, our withers
ore unwrung."
He mistook the last syllable, and with
great distinctness and Fine emphasis
made it "unstrung." Watkins Leigh
sat on his right; l on his left; both at
the same instant, in suppressed voice,
pronounced the word "unwrung." The
uouole PtohPtilB CoUiuSeu MIN ne
drew himself mp and with a strong EN-.
phasis made the word "unhung." He
stood with a very pleasant and unein.
barressed countenance, until the laugh,
which. had become general, subsidized,
and then, with gentle shake Of his
head and long drawing out of the first
word, said: "Ah murder will out" i
slaiost imagined he had slipped on pur-
pose to show his adroitness in recovering.
But his wit was sometimes displayed
in less kindly spirit. ALI well remem.
ber Mr., Buchanan's disingenuous letter
on the subject of "bargain and corrup
ton" Mr.. Clay never forgot never
.lorgave it. and never failed to take oc.
casion. and if none arose. to make occa.
sion 60 punish it. About 1884 or 35' a
matter Of aome interest was under dis.
icussion. A leading Wing or two had
spoken, and two or three of the
rank and file of the Democratic par.
lty. but no Democrat then prominant.-.-
.sl.z. i. .,,oh a.1nol.r,. Z