Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-04-25
Henry Clay.

Webster's) knowledge ana iovo " Ao
ture. He was natural genius, with Won
derful political learning, singular acute
ness, and great sympathy, He was al
ways charming talker, graceful IN ms
manners. In spite of his remarkable
nlainness of feature, and something al
most grotesaue in his figure, he was al
WAYS admired and courted by women, ana
had reputation for gallantry in his early
life. perhaps not undeserved. 10 the last
he knew how to pay compliment to =
lady with old-fashioned courtesy, and with
some Southern warmth in it, To men ne
was irresistibly fascinating; he had great
power over any one who approached INN,
and person who saw the interview be-
tween Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Webster, on an
evening of January in this memorable
winter, when Mr.. Clay called to consult
with his great rival as to the best mode
of action to settle the difficulties growing
out of slavery, declared it to be, in ms
opinion, one of the finest exhibitions OF
| "manner' ever seen between two English
speaking men.
For the two men did not love each
other. They had never been friends since
their great rivalry began for the presl-
QenCy. lnelT lHtcTCOuIScs otAAStAJ SOsAA-o
Gus, was always most formal:
Mr.. Clay was now very old and feeble,
much older than Mr.. Webster. How
grand it was for the dying patriot to for
get the sorrows, disappointments and diff
ferences of a lifetime, to crawl to the door
of the man who might live to be Presi-
dent, and to beg of him to help him to
save the country from the horrors OF dis
union! How plainly those two great
seers saw all that we since have suffered,
and are yet to suffer!
Mr.. CLAY was curiously incapable OF
correct quotation. There was story
which he was fond of telling of himself,
in regard to this want of memory. lie
said he wanted to quote Shakspeare's
line
"A rose by any other name would smell as
sweet"
and being sure he should not get it right,
he asked friend to bring him the book.
So copy of Shakespeare was brought
down from the library and placed on his
desk, and he read it over two or three
times. But hurried on by the tide OF his
eloquence, he forgot all about the book,
and came out boldly with the remark that
"a rose will smell sweet call it what you will?'
Two or three summers before this, Mr..
Clay had been at Newport, of which place
he was very fond, enjoying the bathing
much, and looking an extraordinary long
ghost as he went in, in his white bathing
dress, but he got very tired of the perse-
cutions of the crowd; people would push
around him on the beach, at the hotel, and
ask him all sorts of questions. One free
and independent citizen asked him at the
public dinner-table, one day, why he never
brought Mrs Clay to Washington.
"Mrs. Clay is much happier on her farm
in Kentucky, and dislikes the social re-
sponsibilities of Washington" answered
Mr.. Clay with great dignity and polite
ness.
care you sure that's the reason, old
man9" returned his witty and respectful
| interlocutor.
To such insults and such vulgarity have
the distinguished public men Of this
country ever been subjected. 1t is not
strange that gentlemen have more and
more retired from an arena where the re-
ward for an unselfish devotion to ones
country has been the right to receive such
an insult as thisl a.
Finally, after Mr.. Clay would get tired
Of hand shaking, staring, curiosity and
questioning, he would lock the door OF
his bedroom, after retiring hither, leaving
Jeemes, his colored servant, to receive the
public, which Jeemes did very we'll, and
no doubt enjoyed very much.
Mr.. Clay wrote neat and beautiful
hand, COMPRISING much on the page. His
elegant frank was in great request, and he
liked to be asked for it. The story ran,
however, that he got little tired Of one
lady. who asked for it too often, and to
cure her of her presumption he wrote,
''Yours devotedly, H. Clay" thus spelling
her letter for the post-ofice. But her
woman's wit got the better of him, for
she had the letter framed, and declared
that she should show it to her grand
children as proof that Mr.. Clay had been
in love with her.-Appleton's Journal.