The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-11-13
Henry Clay and the Virginia Leg
islature.
BY A CONTEMPORARY.

- 4 .
Any one at all familiar with the writings
and speeches of Mr.. Clay could fail to have
remarked how very seldom he is indebted
to the language of others to express his
thoughts, or TO illustrate his feelings. 1t
was not that he did not frequently desire
to avail himself of appropriate language Of
others, to give force and point to his Own,
but he laboured under great difficulty, in
committing to memory the ideas or words
of the other persons correctly. Unless he
could quote accurately the words Of Others,
lie would not use them at all.
He used to relate number of amusing
anecdotes about himself, in which his
memory had played him scurvy tricks; one
in particular, in which he was enabled to
turn to good account and make, as the &C
tors say, a capital hit. -
This occurred during the delivery of a
speech before the Virginia Legislature, un-
der the following circumstances: The
States of Virginia and Kentucky, standing
in the relation Of mother and daughter,
became involved in some serious difficult
ties, growing out ofthe revolutionary land
claims and other matters. The most ex-
traordinary endeayors were made to bring
them to an amicable termination, which
We're ultimately successful. Pending the
agitation of the several causes of COM
plant, Benjamin Watkins Leigh was sent
from Virginia to Kentucky, and Mr.. Clay
from Kentucky to Virginia, in the charac-
ter of quasi ambassadors. By the courtesy
of both Legislatures, these gentlemen were
allowed to address those bodies ON the sub
ject Of the misunderstanding. The good
counsel and wisdom Of these distinguished
gentlemen happily prevailed; the difficult
ties were all satisfactorily settled, and good
feeling between mother and daughter was
again restored. ri
| The circumstances under which Mr.. Clay
was called on to address the legislature of
his native State as an ambassador from one
of the sovereign States, claiming for the
home of his adoption something at the
hands Of the Old Dominion, where he had
drawn his breath, was peculiarly calculated
to awaken the noblest feelings Of q true.
hearted Virginian. He had left the home
of his fathers, and the land of his birth,
poor, friendless, with little education and
scannty MEAS. He now returned in the
character uf a minister plenipotentiary
already known and honored throughout
the whole country.
/ He could hardly avoid some eloquent al
fusion to the land of his birth aud the cir
cumstances under which he had returned
He perceived how appropriately he could
introduce those feeling lines Of Walter
Scott: ,eeb ee8 5d
Breathes there the man with soul SO dead
i Who never to himself has said, ,gts
This is nv own, nv native land |,
| Whose heart hath ne'er within hin
Dnrnea, ~,
i Fron, wandsrin~ IN ~ = f f,re an strand
i Distrustipp that treacherous memory , b,
i determ;ned to make assurance donb,.
sura ), to take averv nracant;op to, comm;,
r $3.50.
s..n ~ 49,, 49,. 80 .sa..s !, ~ :
p0''' = s - 49,, 80 :. :c...ns ~
g. I..s as >, 80 .u.s ~,
'''e'A " ' y -''0 ~ ~ ,e
' M .e,. -.
!, ~ Wy =. NO o''' = -.1 80
LIN snah - aus;o,n = ,oro,, fa,1s - ~,
1ot of IN orotor - exc;te h;s bonn,o,.s, mos, on,
stimulate his oen;na Tho old Domin;o,
voc ;,.t,u ,,,ona &c o,o. flhor! sons o,;o,
49,, ~ ,,aa 5000 an .I.,oox1,
rro.ndn g., lie .aon+o,, oonntru ana :.
4 th;s +;,no s+ood forwor1 90 b.r cb.mn;o,
aooinst tho claims Of Virginia t. soma !
her r;oh ,ands and Md aon,;n;on A.
nrooc hino th;s snh;eot IN wav that fay
MON could oonol ro;s;rc tho fao,;roo on,
~ nec i t;ons of the assemhlv >. nnts, +
MOO ohod +ho ,r .r mint no cold IN IN
notrio,t;c lina. of Tho hard of Scotia
i pro.+ho, +bore tho man With son,i 9
dead
Just at this place he came to dead halt
and if his life had depended on it he coul
not recall another line of the poet. Fee
ing the awkwarnness of his pause, and il
the forlorn hope of recollecting the unfol
tunate quotation--at all events in the d.
sire Of distracting his mind somewhat fror
the surrounding scenes-he raised hi
hand and COVERING his ewes he was los
} in thought, while the audience listene
will, nrofonpd and rainfnl s;1apco r.,