Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-08-16
"REMINISCENCES OF PROMINENT
CHARACTERS.
Henry Clay, James Buchanan, Gen.
Jackson. Thomas H. Benton,
Joel r. POindexter.

Joel r. Poindexter.
There is paragraph going the
rounds of the press, stating that JAS.
B. Clay, the grandson Of Henry Clay,
/ has presented to- the museum of
Ashland, Ky.,. the coat which the
statesman wore as one of the COmmis-
sioners to make the treaty of Ghent
in 1914. This garment is said to BE-
excellently wrought and elaborately
trimmed with silk and 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 inquired
of Clay, one night at whist party in
Washington, what style of dress he
should wear at the Court of the Gar.
The Kentucky Senator informed the
Minister that as they were about of a
size-Buchauan had not then grown so
stout as he appeared later in life-the
coat he wore as one of the Uuited
States Commissioners 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, Buchanan, you're used to it. !"
Ever after the writing of the famous
letter of Buchanan, charging bribery
and corruption" and bargain and in
trigue" between Clay and John Quin-
cy Adams, when the latter was elected
to the presidency by the House of
Representatives, Clay never lost an
opportunity of retaliating upon the au-
thor of this charge, both in and out of
the Senate. In the course of speech
In this body on one occasion, Buchanan
stated that whena young man he joined
avolunteer militia company that march
ed from Lancaster to the relief of Bal
timore, when the Monumental city was
threatened by the British, during the
war of 1872 Upon reaching Hagers-
town, however the troops learning that
the invaders had been repulsed at
North Point, returned home without
further participation in the war At
this point Clay arose and addressing
the Chair, expressed desire TO ask
the speaker a question. Certainly" "
was the courteous response. "Iwould
like to inquire of the Senator from
Pennsylvania remarked the Great
Commoner, with that inimitable twist
of his catfish mouth, whether the
gentlemen marched to the relief of
Baltimore because he had learned that
the British had left, or whether the
British left because they heard the
gentlemen from Pennsylvania was
coming?"
One great secret of the personal
popularity and political success of the
great Kentuckian was his remarkable
memory of names and faces he never
forgot either, although his only ae-
quaintance was casual introduction
in throng of presentations. After
lapse of years he never failed to reeog-
nize a party introduced under such
circumstances, readily calling the in
dividual by name.
A citizen of town in Ohio, where
the writer resides was a passenger on
the steamer from New Orleans upon
which Clay took his passage to his
home in Kentucky, when returning
from his participation in the treaty Of
Ghent. 1t being the winter season,
the steamer was frozen up short dis
tance above the mouth of the Ohio,
and remained ice bound and isolated
for some weeks. During all this time
the Kentucky statesman-always IA
nous for bis exurbance of spirits-was
the life and soul of the crowd-not
only in the cabin, but of the deck
passengers and steamboat hands
Among the passengers was an antiq-
uated Frenchman, who opened a
game of keno" in the cabin. There
CHANGED to be bright and sprightly
boy on board the boat, to whom Clay
had taken a great fancy, and he would
frequently buy card for his young ia
vorite. After the game had progress
ed for some time, and all were intent
upon their individual interest, Clay
would call out keno" and claim the
pool for his youthful protege The
aged Gaul, completely dumfounded
and mystifed by the logic of the great
orator, would generally pay over with
out demurrage Some years after, as
Clay was passing through Ohio, ON his
way to attend sitting of the United
States Circuit Court at Columbus, the
citizens at Lebanon gave him public
reception, At the time of his arrival
our informant was standing on the
pavement in front of the hotel where
he was to stop, not entertaining for
moment the idea that he would be re-
cognized in the crowd. Stepping from
his carriage Clay singled him out, and
shaking him heartily by the hand,
laughingly remarked 'C--do you
recollect the old Frenchman and his
keno game?
While the three United States Com
missioners, John Quincy Adams, Hen
ry Clay and Albert GalIatin, were in !
London, on their way to Ghent, the
party were invited to dine with Wis
count Costleraugh, the British Pre-
mier. After the dinner the illustri-
GUS host, criticising his guests in his |
curt and concise manner, repeatedly |
remarked; II like the Kentucian the |
best! l like the Kentucian the bestl"
Clay had standing joke which he |
never failed to perpetraie at Adams !
expense, when he caught his Massa-
ehusetts colleauge in acongenial crowd.
Adams was afflicted during his whole |
life with disease of the lachrymal
duct, which caused his optics to be
constantly watery. The two occupied
the same apartment, and rosy and
buxom Swiss damsel attended Thereon
C!ay's story was that upon his atteInp-
ting to snatch kiss from his hand
some chambermaid he was bluiied off
with-'0h, Mr.. Clay, you must not,
for Mr.. Adams few minutes ago beg
ged me with tears in his eyes for
similar favor, and refused him."
1t is a well-known fact that in early
life, as these parties were launching
forth on the sea of politics, there ex-
isted bitter feud between Gen. Jack
son and the BentOns. This at last
eliminated in a tavern fight with pls-
tolls aud sword canes IN Nashville,
Tennessee, in which Jackson, with his
friend Col. Coffee and the two Bentons
Thomas II. and Jessie-participated.
The result was that Col. Benton plan
ted bullet in the fleshy part of Gen.
Jackson's arm, which the old hero
carried until his second presidential
term. when it was extracted br Dr.
Jackson, a celebrated Philadelphia.
surgeon. During the closing years OF
his presidential term, Gen. Jackson
had occasional and violent attacks of
hemorrhage of the lungs, and DIR.
Lewis Field Linn, Of Missouri, the col
league of Col. Benton in the Senate,
was his physician. The bitter feud