The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-26

move in TO an asylum, where, with few short
intervals, he resided for twenty years. Occa-
sionally, when he appeared more rational and
! quiet than usual, he would be brought home;
for il was exceedingly painful to Mrs. Clay TO
banish the afflicted child from her bouse We
have letter from one of the sons to his father,
which shows how much she family endured be-
fore they would consent to removal: s2a
"Theod"re endangered the lives of all in the
house with him lie was worse than he ever
had been TO look ut him was enough to melt
the henrt. His health wasting away, his face
| pale aud emaciated The day exhausted 10
forming suspicious of plots aud conspiracies,
| the night in useless aud terrible alarms. Let
me say with full knowledge Of what owe to
you aud to my mother, that VIC should allow the
best physicians to operate with the most subtle
aud distressing disorder When he was 10 the
hospital before, his health was re.establshed,
and his mind certainly improved. Let US then
curb our feelings, and not destroy our brother
and our child by mistimed affection"
The young man continues at great length TO
argue the point with his parents, and to excuse
the sending away of the maniac during their
| absence. 49, .-,s- :. -s-...,.. ..~, ..5sS..-
Mr. Clay's second 500, upon attaining man.
| hood, entered into the manufacture Of hempen
goods. The fourth SOD, Henry Clay, Jr, grad
uated second in his class at West Peint, and
| fell at the battle Of Buena Vista. 49, The two
younger sons embracedthe profession Of the
Law ....... s.. - 80 (, as
Occasionally, during the long pnblic life of
| Henry Clay, his wife accompanied him 20
Washington; aud, during the four years OF his
| holdingthe Office of Secretary of State, undet
John Quincy Adams she passed much OF her
| time at the capital. She was living there when
| her husband fought his celebrated duel with
I..t,S ,,tnL al A.
elapsed between the challenge aud the eneoun-
| ter, and the secret was known to many persons,
she remained ignorant of it to the last. One
| Of the persons who knew what was impending
| was Col. Benton, of Missouri The. eccentric
| Randolph came into his room one day, and ab-
ruptIy said t,gsrss : 1sr, r.s ..: l;iv
Are you blood relation to Mrs. Clay?" -.
81 an" said Col. Benton. >a.Es 80 istrta
| Randolph then said that that put an end to
arequest which he wished to make of him,
which was that he should be his second ia q
duel with Henry Clny, # Col. Bentou, in his
Memoirs, gives US glimpse of the family scene
the evening before the duel, after all efforts 10
prevent the meeting had proved frutiess. Il
is q brie: but most pathetic passage:s (" sa7~'''h
at was Friday evening"" he says, "or rather
night, wheo l went to see Mr. Clay for the last
time before the duel The family were 10 the
late. The youngest child went to sleep on the
sofa Mrs. Clay was, always since the death
of her daughter, the picture Of desoiafion, but
calD, conversible, and without the slightest a3-
parent consciousness Of the impending event"
At half past four the next. day the duel oc.
cured; SO that Mrs Clay never heard of the
hostile meeting until she heard that il had been
bloodess. &C., (. .r.+l.f = e.-
The daughters, to whose death COL Benton
| aliudes, died in circumstances peculiarly dis
| tressing TO their parents. Both had reached
the interesting age or fourteen, and were most
teuderly beloved by all the circle of their rela.
rions and friends. Lucretia died ut home, in
1923, when both of her patents were at ASH
land to watch her dying bed and follow her to
the grave. Elz, left Ashlaud with her parents
| in the spring of 1925, when her father was re-
moving to Washington to take the post Of Sec-
1 reiary of State. They bad gone rs far as Cio-
cinnati when she was taken sick, but, after rest
ing day or two was able to resune her journey.
Soon, however, Dew symptoms appeared, and
Mr. Clay was obliged to leave bis family and
proceed TO Washington alone. Nine days after
the Intelligence reached him. that she was no
more The next day the southern mail brought
news still more distressing; that his daughter
Susan, aged twenty, the wife Of gentleman re-
| siding ut New Orleans, bad suddenly died. = =.
1t is impossible to convey in language an ad.
| equate conception of the grief caused to both
| the parents by these sudden and repeated be-
reavements Mrs Clay, as Col Benton re-
| marks, was for years the picture Of desolation.
| Her husband, on one occasion, when addressing
| ajury, Glanced to use the phrase, "vicissitudes
OF human life" in allusion to the domestic
| affections OF bis client. As he said these words,
a torrent Of painful recollections rushed upea /.
his mind, and he was so overpowcred with emo.
| ton as 10 be obliged to sit down. No one pre-
sent could account for the scene, until Mr. Clay,
| IN spologiziDg for the interruption, disclosed
\ its cause, when the whole court was dissolved
| in tears.
| Nrs Clay lived with her husband in happy
married life for the space Of fftytbree- years.
She bad not the CONSOLATION Of witnessing bcr
| husbands dying moments. She was at Ash.
land when her husband died at Washington,
June the 29fh, 1852; and: the chief solscc Of
| bis last days was receiving minute, aceouots of
his family at bone. Accompanied by COM
mittee ofthe Senate, the body Of the departed
| statesman was borne to his home near Lexipg-
too, ADD placed 10 the principal apartment of
the house, where the funeral solemnties we're
performed; wheoce it was conveyed to the cen-
| etery followed by great coacourse OF people.
Mrs Clay survived her husband for several
years. and her remains now repose by the side
of his 10 the family vault The family estate
is still n the possession Of one Of her sons. szs
In a prominent church sts Indianapolis, the
execution Of o fine piece Of mnsie, was appfaud-
( cd uith eiapuip, of hands and stapanincs of