Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-06-21
"REMINISCENCES or HEY
RY OLA
HIS SUPERIORITY OVER WEBSTER.

! From the advanced sheets of Gen. L. l..
! CIingman's book.
Surprise is often expressed that.
while Mr.. Wehster's speeches as
read seemed to be superior to MIR
Clay's, yet Mr.. Clay's influence
and popularity were vastly greater
In order that young men, especial
ly, may understand this, it will
perhaps not be out Of place ts. me
to refer to certain of Mr.. Clay's
peculiarisies. I may in so doing
be subjected to the criticism OF
certain persons. Though Mr..
CIav was 1mpulsive at times and
OCCASIONALLY irascible, and in fact,
as Mr.. Mangum, his most intimate
and devoted friend, said, "On
some occasions he is the worst
hammered man in America - yet
he never bore malice. His patriot
ism or public spirit would not only
induce him when necessary TO
cont'l mere personal aniipathies,
and he was disposed to like every
one whom he regarded as sincere
and honest.
Again, being very ambitious of
success in what be desired to &C
complish, he with consummat te
tact, not only made friends, but
sought to retain them. Therefore
both from public and also from
personal motives, he used his great
powers to secure and retain as
large Il body "f followers as pos
sibie. He would not allow trivial
circu instances to induce him to
give up his ascendancy over those
whom he liked, or thought he
could make useful. provided he re-.
garded them AS true men.
In illustration of these charac-
teristics of his. | will refer to sew
eral incidents, trivial in themsel
yes, but which serves to illustrate
the character and qualities OF one
who was pronounced by Mr.
Adams ethe greatest parliamentary
man in the world" on the occa !.
Sion when he described the inter-
view of the Democratic Senators
with President Tyler. In fact, he
probably made more personal
friends than any man who ever
lived.
Gu my calling to see Mr.. Clay
on his arrival at the beginning o:
the session, Immediately after
shaking hands with me, he said
what business have you writing
letters to Foote?' That was said
not because he entertained any
personal objections to Senator
Foote, brt merely because be re
garded him as an extreme Demo
crat, leaning toward disunion. l.
was Singular and-some- what anus
ing to find that in the course OF a
few months, Mr.. Clay and Mr..
Foote became very intimate and
worked most harmonic lsly togeth
er to carry through the so-cailed
compromise measure of that ses,
sion.
In December, soon after the day
On which Mr.. Toombs made his
"discord Speech" President Tay
lor's frst formal diuner parry was
given. 1t happened that Mr.. Clay
and i were both among the guests
invited. and on cur meeting in the
parlor be said "Clingman, what
did you mean by clapping Toombs
speech today" The speech had
created great excitement and had
been applauded by many. and
had then observed that Mr.. Clay
was in the hall of the House.
replied, with affected levity, that
the speech was so splendid that
did not see how any one couIC
help applaudingit. After Dime,
while we were putting on overcoat.
in the dressing room, he looked a
me eranestly, and with an expires
sion in which regret seemed te
predominant over displeasure, h,
said: "ClIngman, 1 don't lik,
your clapping Toombs.'
1 Though subsequently during th
4 session-he knew 4 was ACTIVELY op
posing the measure he was pres
sing, instead of showing anger O
becomingsrepellaHt i'm hisymanEer
if I omitted for Smany days at.
time to visit him, on a casual NEE
ing he would say, "Whyhave 70
not beento see me? / expect Yo
have been in mischief; come an
report to me-" On Certain ever
ing when after he had been urger
lin speaking of his measures, o
my expressing strongly my objec
tions, he seemed to become vic
lently angry, and with his rigl
hand seized me by the back of tt
neck with a grasp of some violene
aRd said, we shall have to bar
L such men as you are.s On n
e turning towards him with son
effort and saying 'yon have bes
called a dictator, but you no
have a stubborn subject his ma,
ner instantly changed .lettirg. n
y neck goshe said: sWell, We Rol
quarrel about it, let us go in
tea and running his arm inside