Daily Republican., 1882-04-01

with Mr.. Clay's best speeches. They
were unprecedented and a. much q
surprise 10 himsslf ~ to bis audience.
Short hand reporting had not then
reached its present condition. Thus,
Clay must suffer with poste!i.y incapa
BILE OF hearing the varied intonations Of
bis ever. pleasing voice, or OF seeing his
gesticulations, his rising upon his toes,
his stamp of the foot, his march down
the aisle until his long fingers would
almost touch the Presidents desk, and
his back ward tread to his seat. all the
while speaking; his shake of the head
his dangling hair, and his audience in
the galleries rising and leaning over a.
If to catch every syllable. AS an im
promptu, cut-aDd.thrust DICTATOR, always
ready, never thrown from his guard
where Ia your equal of Henry Clay
One day he entered the dining room
smiling with letter in his hand, and
some one said: "Tell us what pleases
You so, Mr.. Clay, and let us all join
with YOU" Mr.. Clay responded: al
know you will laugh IL | do, and the
laugh will be at my expense. You
know all Kentuckiaus have q passion
for fast horses, and confess that am
among the foremost of them in this re
spect, and my children have inherited
the passion. This letter is from my
son, and he Informs me that his favor
tie colt, put upon the track for the tirs,
time, has won the race. Then he de
sc,ibed the colt and gave us u va-y en-.
t3rtaining dissertation upon the English
race borse and his descendants in
A merica, describing the most noted I'M
pOrtation and races.
Mr.. Clay had large and expensive
family, and he keenly felt his poverty,
while he lost no opportunity of express
ing his gratitude to friends, known and
unknown, for all kinds of favors The
day upon which Mr.. Webster pade his
celebrated speech, in March, 1850, he
WAS highly eulo9izing 1t at dinner,
when some one asked him If he did not
think Mr.. Webster's intluen ca had been
greatly impaired by his allowing Ger
taiu wealthy men in Massachusetts tc
settle an annuity upon him for aban
doning his practice in the courts so a.
to devote more time to public affairs
Mr. Clay responded: "In view of the
manner in which my note was paid at
a bank in Kentucky, do not think
ought to speak upon that subject. Witt
difficulty had raised the III )ney to pay
the interest when went to the bank
to ask renewal. The cashier told me
| had no note there. asked him wha
had become of it, and he said he wa.
instructed to answer no questions AnC
never have been able to find out who
paid it, but" turning to Judge Conrad
of New Orleans, he said "Judge,
always supposed you had something tc
do with that matter" To which he re-
spOuded: "Whether or any one else
had anything to do with the matter yon
will never know" Mr. Clay then sale
"In view Of my many opponents. ! am
as thankful for the secrecy as the money
but when am free from public lie !
am going to insist upon knowing who
were such benefactors. When some
one said, "Mr. Clay, your friends will
never let you DO free from public life. y
"In that view, gentlemen" said he
"bear witness TO my inexpressible graf
itude to my friend, not only for theil
favor, but for their manner of bestow
ing it, adding that there was but ont
unpleasant thing about it-that it was
tho only present that he hal ever re
ceived that he could not divine with hi.
friends. Here Judge Conrad observed
THAT need not trouble you, as you haC
literally divided the proceeds before
you gave the note" "You are right,
says Clay, "the note was given princi
paIly to take up the paper Of friends
which l had indorsed."