The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-23
The Som of EHenry Clay.

Last week, the papers announce the
end Of weary life, in stating that
Theodore, eldest son of Henry Clay, had
died in the Lexington Lunatic Asylum
after long confinement. The record of
his blasted life is this ; At thirty years
Of age Theodore Clay was a promising
lawyer He wasthe image and hope
Of the statesman whose fame WAS on
every tongue. 1t is true that there
were whispers of wild living, aud OF in
different morals, that somewhat tinged
his fair repute, aud even darkened his
|. future prospects. Still it was hoped
these were but the result OF youth, and
would be cast aside when circumstances
called upon the matured man to assert
himself and make his talent felt III the
community.
1t was at this tarning point in his
Life that Theodore Clay began to pursue,
with an unwearied perseverance that
caused his. friends great uneasiness. a
Young lady whom he had long loved hope
lessly. The object of his attachment,
| who is at the present moment one Of the
brightest ornaments;of Kentucky soci-
ety., repulsed, firmly but kindly, every
atteution offered by the infatuated
young man, after his meaning lad be,
come manifest It. was useless; he
would not be refused, and followed her III
! Esr streets by day, and. wandered In the
! nei ghborhood Of her home by night, in an
annoying manner, unit! at Last it became
, evident that he was not all there, >
to use the soft phrase By which q kind
! " peasantry express insanity: Sub
sequeut violent demonstrations tended
to confirm the impression, it being even
related that he went to the house OF Mr.
--and demande his daughter at the
pistols point, until at last the wretched
truth could no longer be ignored, and
confinement in the asylum became. d
necessity. This was accordingly done
lin 1882, we belieye,> his father pro
. viding for his support at that time, -ane
LEAVING $4,000 in his will, the income
from which was secured to Theodore
for life. ..
That lite, after tlirty-eight years
of Imprisonment, in what 10 the early
DAYS of his confinement he was wont tt
call "a good boarding-house, but having
some of the biggest fools he ever saw al
boarders." has just closed. For nearly
thirty years he was" ore Of the. mos
noted inmates, not only his proud dea
: cent, but his graceful manners and foV
of conversation, rendering him an OBJ
iect of interest to all visitors. He la
bored under the hallucination that h
l was George Washington. and was fon
of assuming the traditional attitude of hi
country. AT occasional balls given t
i the inmates averaging some 500 i
3 number) lie was always exqulsltel
dressed in the style ofhis day, and wa
the beau par e:rcezlence.
b During all these long years, despite hi
;, general gentleness and cheertu!ness
: manner he was restless and DISCONTINUED
I'd and required close watching, it neve
in fact, having been considered pruder
d to allow him to go out into the ground
II without attendants. About the yea
I, 1860 his condition began ogroR wors'
d and he soon after became dsmente'
+ continuing in hopeless iaiocy until
r few days since, when death, greater hea
9 er than time,. placed him again upo
h an equality with the peers Of his earl
d manhood who had gone before him to tt
s. God that created him and did with hi
a according to His inscrutable will. An
: so ends as sad story as the truth
n history ever commanded to be written:
e Two sons of Henry Clay yet snryi'
r him, T. Fl. Clay, Ex- Minister to Hond
IS rus, now residing on his place, " Man
W field" near Lexington, and John
10 Clay, the raiser of Kentucky, and one
the greatest turfmsn li9ing'-l Ere
7)1De9,