The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-06-03

OeuM " "e /st0e5t 'cvN ~ Ae"'y Osuy-'
Thirty. eight Years IF Hepaess Lnsanity,
man Through Lore.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer, May II.
Outside Of Faycttc County, where the
prophet is held in high, but not in blame.
less repute. being ''in his own country"
the name of Clay has ever been sacred one
in Kentucky, and to name him has been to
quote lovingly. wherever freedom found
avotary that vo;ary met in him champion.
When Greece, the classic Greece, the foun.
tain OF refinement, the birthplace of elo-
Greece awoke from the long slumber of
ages and beat back the faded crescent to its
native east; when Macedon recalled to
mind the feasts of her COnquerin 8 hoy, and
the Spartan struck in for the land that bred
him; then the voice of Clay rolled over the
waters Of the blue Atlantic as greeting
from the new world to the old. But hush.
ed 10 that voice whose every tone was mu-
Sic" and 50 on till the dcclaimer wsaried.
Such being the esteem in which the Sage
of Ashland was held in the hearts of bis
countrymen, the people of his common
wealth have been slow TO speak to stran-
though in the homes of the State the sad
story has been household word.
Yesterday morning our special kilograms
announced the end of weary life, in sta
ting that Theodore, eldest son Of Henry
Clay, had died in the Lexington Lunatic
Asylum, after . long confinement. The
record Of his blasted life is briefly thus:
AT 30 years of age. Theodore Clay was
promising lawyer. He was the image and
the hope Of the statesman whose fame was
on every tongue 1t Is true that there were
whispers of wild living, and of Indifferent
morals, that somewhat tngcd the fair re.
putc and even darkcned the future pros.
poets of this scion Of noble house. Still
II was hoped that these were but the result
Of youth, and would be cast aside when
circumstances called upon the natured man
to assert himself and make his talent felt in
the community.
1t was at this turning point In his life
that Theodore Clay began to pursue, with
On unwcaried perseverance that caused his
friends great uneasincss, young lady of
Lexington, who he had long loved hope.
lessly. The object Of his attachment, who
Is 1t present one of the brightes: ornaments
Of Kentucky society, repulsed, firmly but
kindly, every attention offered by the in.
fstuated young man, after his meaning had
become manifest 1t was Of no use; he
would not be refused, and followed his fair
fate in the streets by day and wandered in
the ncighborhood Of her home by night, in
evident that he was not all there" to use
the soft phrase by which kindly peasantry
expresses insanity. Subsequent violent de.
monstrations tended to confirm the inpres.
sion, 1t being even related that he went to
the house OF Mr.. -, and demanded his
daughter at the pistols point, until at last
the wretched truth could no longer be ignor-
cd, and confinement in the asylum became
stern necessity. This was accordingly
done lin 1882, we believc) his father pro.
viding for his support at that time, and
leaving $4,000 In his will, the income
from which was secured to Theodore for
life. That life, after 80 years of imprison-
mcnt in what in the earlier days of his con.
tiDement, no was wont to call - good
boarding house, but having some of the
biggest fools he ever saw for boardev," has
just closed. For nearly 80 years he was one
Of the most noted Of the inmates, not only
his proud descent, but his graceful man.
ners and flow Of conversation rendering
him IN object of interest to oil visitors. He
hborcd under the hallucination that he was
George Washington, aud was fond Of as
suming tho traditional attitudes of the Faith.
Or of his Country. At the occasional balls
given 10 the inmates (avcraging some 500
In number), he was always exquisitcly dres.
sed in the style of his day, and was the
beau par excellence. During all these
long years. despite his general gentlcncss
and cheerfulness of manner, he was restless
and discontented, and required close watch.
ing, 1t never, in fact, having been consid-
cred prudent to allow him to 20 out into
the grounds without attendants. About
the year 1890 his condition began to grow
worse, and he soon afterward became de.
continuing in hopeless idiocy until
. few days since, when death, greater healer
than time, placed him again upon All equal
ity with the peers of his carly manhood,
who had gone before him to the God that
created him and did with him according to
His inscrutable will. And 30 ends rs sad
story Is the truth of history ever command
cd to be written. ',.y
Two sons of Henry Clay yet survive him,
T. II. Clay, ex.Minister to Honduras, now
residing on his place. "Marsh6cld," near
Lexington, and John H. Clay, the raiser Of
Kentucky" and one Of the greatest turf
men living.