Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-14


H1ILsBoRo', N. c., May %, 1867,
GENTLEMEN Il regret that it is not ~
my power to accept the invitation of tho
City OF louisville, SO politely rendered
through your note OF the 9th inst, to ho
present at the inauguration of the statna of
Henry Clay, by the Kentucky artist H. "
IN the Court House OF the City, on the 3Ot56
of the present month ''A
That Louisville finds, in native &c tho
State, an artist capable of perpetuatino OH =,
enduring marble the lineaments ana III -
fame of the great American whom Ko,,
lucky claims rs her first citizen. is itse1f .
matter of fehcitation, rendering oIl The
more appropriate her tribute on the wen;ns
and character of the illustrious statesmen
That she purposes by her hospitality ~
bring together persons from all parts of onr
common country, whose intercourse has
been interrupted, and whose friendships
may have been alienated, by the events Of
sangulnary civil war, affording an occa.
sion to bury the animosities of the late con-
test, to resume their old relations, and to
exchange pledges of amity and mutual good
will, as it were, by the grave of common
friend, is also an attraction which I trust
may assemble at this ceremony numerous
votaries, with profit to the living as well as
honor to the dead.
The long and illustrious public service of
Mr.. Clay, extending with rale intervals
through half a century, In which he thrice
saved the country from the CONFUSION of
civil war, his conservative and healing in
huence on every occasion of internal dis
cord, and his manly and patriotic spirit in
all matters of foreign relations and diplom-
acy, assign him the most conspicuous place
Ay,oo Cto Al
ceeding the men of the revolution. His 81
oquence, his genius, his address and natnr-
al command over men, would have given
him distinction in any deliberative assem-
bly, of the world but it was his profound
comprehension of American institutions
and practical wisdom in American affairs
which were, after all, his most distinguish
ed characteristics. and the chief source of
his usefulness and power Withal, his az
fections were distempered with no local
jealousies or hatreds nor bounded by anv
sectional limits. In him the love of Union
and sense of the importance of its preser,
walton did not depend upon whether the
smiles of fortune were his to day and an
others tomorrow. but were fixed and abb
ding sentiments, which nothing in his long
and eventful life could ever shake.
hope may say, without wounding the
senslbllltles OF any among my countrymen,
that in the anxious months preceding tho
late hostilities in 1860 and '6l, tie old dis
ciples of Mr.. Clay in this State die; not fail
to bring wildly to the remembrance Of the
people his great example and teachings on
this topic, until the downward course of
events, which [ have not space to record.
in their opinion rendered the embarkation
of the State in the war necessity. May
be pardoned also for the remark that, du-
ring this period, l was often impressed
with the sagacity of this patriot statesman
in discovering where the lave of the Union
was greatest More than twenty-five years
ago, in an earnest and impressive CONVEX
sation upon question pending in the Sen
ate, and connected with the ever agitated
theme of slavery, he observed to me- with
emphasis, ''Sir, there are four States of this
Union on which it is to rely for it's prescr-
walton in all time to come. These are North
Carolina and Virginia, tennessee and Ken
lucky" He went on to assign the reasons
for this asseveration in their geographical
position, the character of their inhabitants,
etc. often thought of it afterwards, and
repeated it to the people, in the discussions
to which allusiOn has been already made.
And it was, as | conceived, in a good de-
gree verified when the final trial came
When, after the Presidential election Of
1860, the State of the extreme South,
claiming. that of right they possessed sdch
power, shot from their spheres as members
of the Union, and essRyed the formation Of
a separte Government, with plain intima-
ton of resort to force if their proceedings
were not acquiesced in, and were met from
the opposite quarter of the Union
with a scowl of defiance as stern
as that which they had themselves
assumed, it was then that these intermedia-
ry States, in accordance with the prophet
ic expectation of Clay, in peace confer
ences and popular votes and demonstra-
tons, came forward to plead for concilia
ton and Union. Crittenden put on the
mantle of Clay and stood between the
gathering hosts, In an endeavOr to stay the
impending calamity, and was heartily sec
onded by til States in question. / do not
mean that representation in every instance
indicated this sentiment admit that 1t
did not f.; but it was nobly apparent in the
manifestations of the judgments and affec-
tions of their people. And when the three
States first mentioned, donned their armor
and became parties in the war, it was with
no exultant hope of ministering to ambl-
ton or party rage, or of gratifying revenge,
but from conviction that their safety in
they were about to assume Kentucky,
with the exec ption of minority of her pee.
pie who identified their fortunes with the
South, retained her connection with the
Government. In the struggle which en-
sued, all acquitted themselves with gal
lantry and heroism worthy of those ances-
tors, who, in the common fields both OF the
North and South, achieved the great We
tory of American Independence. And when
the bloody contest closed, with success to
the arms of the United States, and capt.
ulation was made, which has been kept
with the most scrupulous fidelity, the cltl-
zens of these at least had not far to go, to
resume their old connection with the poo;
pie of the other States, and sincere ana
contented obedience to the constitutions
authorities of the Union.
In speaking thus of the citizens OF the
States which have been named, woula
not be understood to intimate any doubtt
of the perfect good faith and sincerity OF
the people of any other. On the contrary
[ am satisfied that all who were involved
in the late attempt at revolution made theH
submission in a spirit of the highest eau,
dor, and contemplate nothing but " one
Union, one Constitution, one destiny
And nothing is wanting but the magDaI
unity, the genius, the all embracing paul