The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-09-24
"REMINISCENCES
OF Henry Clay. Andrew Jackson, and
Other distinguished Men.
yol. Tom Green in the Maysville Eagle.

At0lO 10 d p1IdS cpH SOAhS 0HN
rounds of the press, stating that James
B. Clay, the grandson Of Henry Clay,
has presented the museum of Ashland,
/ KY, the coat which the statesman
wore as one of the Commissioners to
make the treaty Of Ghent in 1914.
This garment is said to be excel!ently
wrought and elatorately trimmed with
silk AMI braid.
When Gen. Jackson, in order to
get rid of the intrigues of Buchanan,
sent the Pennsylvania politician into
genteel exile By giving him the mission
to St. Petersburg. that functionary
imputed of Clay. one night at whist
party in Washington, what style of
dress he should wear at the court of
Gar. The Kentucky Senator inform
ed the Minister that as they were
about the same size-Buchanan had
not then grown SO stout as he appeared
later in life-the coat he wore as one
of the United States Commission
ers at Ghent was at his service
But it has been worn, Mr. Clay"
was the response to the offer. "Oh,
that is nothing-you can turn it, Bueh
anan, you're used to it, Ever after
the writing of the famous letter of
Buchanan, charging "briberY and cor
ruption,'' and "bargain and intrigue
between Clay and John Quincy Adams
when the latter was elected to the
Presidency by the House of Represen-
tatiyes, Clay never lost an opportunity
of retaliating upou the author of this
charge, both in and out of the Senate
In the course of a speech in this body,
on one occasion, Buchanan stated that
when young man he joined a volun
teer militia company that marched
from Lancaster to the relief of Balti-
more, when the Monumental city was
threatened by the British, during the
war of 1912. Upon reaching Hagers-
town, however, the troops learning the
invaders had been repulsed at North /
Point, returned home without further |
participate in the war. At this point |
Clay arose and addressing the chair, |
expressed desire to ask the speaker |
question. ''Ceartainly,' was the
courteous response. q would like
to inquire of the Senator from Pen
nsylvania, remarked the great Cem-
mener, with that inim BILE twist of his |
catfish mouth, "whether the gentleman
marched to the relief of Baltimore be-
cause he had learned that the Brit |
ish had left. or whether the British |
left because they heard the gentleman
from Pennsylvania was coming?"
One great secret of the popularity
and political success of the great Ken
tuckian was his remarkable memory Of
names and faces; he never forgot |
either, although his only acquaintance
was Of presentations. After lapse of
years, he never failed to recognize a |
party introduced under such circum-
stances, readily calling the individual
by name.
A citizen of town in Ohio, where |
the writer resided, was passenger on
the steamer from New Orleans upon
which Clay took his passage to his hos,e
in Kentucky when returning frona his
participation in the Treaty of Ghent.
1t being the winter season, the steamer
was frozen up short distance above
the mouth of the Ohio, and remained /
Ice bound and isolated for some weeks.
During all this time tho Kentucky I
staesman-always famous for his ex-
uberance of spirits-was the life and
soul of the crowd not only in the
cabin, but of tho deck passengers
and steamboat hands. Among tile
passengers was an antiquated French
man, who opened a game of "keno"
in the cabin. There CHANGED to b. a
bright and sprightly boy on board the
beat, to whom Clay had taken a great
fancy, and be would frequently buy
a card for his young favorito. After
the game had progressed for some time,
and all were intent upon their indiviu-
al interests, Clay would call out
"keno," and claim the pool for his
youthful protege The aged Gaul,
completely dumbfounded and mysti-
fed by the logic Of the great orator,
would generally pay over without any
demurrage. Some years after, as
Clay was passing through Ohio, on
his way to attend sitting of the
United States Circuit Court at Colum-
bus. the citizens Of Lebanon gaze him
a public reception. At the time Of
his arrival our informant was stand
ing en- the pavement front of the hotel /
where he was to stop, not entertaining
for moment the idea that he would |
be recognized il the crowd. Stop |
ping from his carriage, Clay singled |
him out, and, shaking him heartily |
BY the hand laughiugly remarked:
&c, do you recoIIeot the old |
Frenehman and his keno game ~
While the three United States Com
nissioners. John Quincy Adams. Hen
ry Clay and Albert Gallatin. were