The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-04-25

attractive than the most dexterous nat
.ery Of other men. As instances OF this
kill. / may mention that be twice ear
ried through his land bill against a dead
majority in both houses; that he carried
through his Missouri compromise, when
first the effort seemed hopeless; and that
he won a passage for his bank bills IN
1882 and ISL, with a minority of sup
portprs in the,frst instance. and with an
uncertain, hesitating, unreliable MAORI
ty in the last.
He was patient too, and could bide his
time. In 1910, intestine connection first
appeared in his party, and he first met
formidable and organized resistance to
his will. He had for years fought out
every campaign as the leader of the OPP
position; his tactics had been brilliant,
dexterous and admirable. The party in
power was broken down, and he thought
he saw himself close upon the long de-
laved fruition of all his hopes. The |
bright crown of glory which had so long
glittered before his eyes, but to elude his
grasp, was now within his reach. But
another was selected to wear, when he |
won it. Another was chosen to reap the
harvest which he had worked, and
watched, and tended. Then, for the
first time, he saw his standard deserted
His own appreciation of the services he
had rendered his party was strong and
| intense; and under 50 crushing a blow, a
fiery. impetuous man might be expected
to commit some imprudence. Doubt
| less, his heart beat thick with a sense Of
injustice, and his blood boiled in re-
sentiment. Yet he betrayed nothing of
/ it, ut least, not in public. The great
party leader knew how to bide his time.
He bowed gracefully to the decision,
threw himself cordially into the move
ment, and was still the recognized chief
of the host which mustered under the
banner of another His was the power
behind the throne, greater than the
throne itself.
Four years afterwards, he feaped the
fruit of his prudence and his patience.
He was supported with zeal and una
nimity by those, who before had struck
him down, and certainly nothing but
the mine which was so suddenly sprung
beneath his feet, prevented his triumph.
After close and most desperate strug-
gle, he fell again, and apparently forey-
! err Yet, even after this apparently final
blow another effort was made, which
most strikingly illustrated his character.
and displayed upon broad ground his
prodigiOus power over men, and hi
buoyant confident, sanguine, unbreak-
able spirit. When he was struck down
in 1874, it seemed that his race was run.
1of,o4e ho1 hpoY, Il
continued, he had been so long in the
9 public eye, he was so far advanced in
" years; the rivals of his middle age
: Adams, Jackson and Crawford, had all
y passed away, and he seemed of former
= generation The public heart fell
y that his career was closed. The ole
y make way for the young, and new ract
= had arisen. Taylors victories had ar
y rested the public mind, and, the veteran
: statesman of Ashland was forgotten
80 yet, he attempted to stem the tide O
. victory in the fullness of it's power. Hi
- control over men was so prodigious, h
u bestirrcd himself 50 vigorously, he strucl
:, so hard and true to his mark, that will
y most of his close friends directly com
n mitted against him, and in spite Of tn
10 general sense of the public, he scarcel,
'" failed to win. None but spirit a
=, dauntless as his own, would have daret
20 the struggle. None but power so grca
~ could have made it,
~ As a statesman, undoubtedly Mr.. Cla
~ was entitled to the very highest ran
Io among all his contemporaries. 1t la
~ been generally conceded, that his learn
~ ing was not profound or various. G
-, science in its limited sense, he knew bu
.ni little, and OF the lighter and less in
,;r portant branches of study and accom-
bo plishment; still less. 1t is said, that i
L o cared nothing for literature, had neyc
nd searched deeply into history; and it
~ remarkable, that though at one time
r, minister abroad, and for four years
~ Secretary Of State, in constant relation
bio and intercourse with foreign ENJOYS,
as every nation, he spoke no language bl
,or his own. But he knew thoroughly tn
~ which it most imported him to knoy
hn. He was profoundly versed in the theor
net and practices of our own government
~ and in a knowledge of the powers
vi, each branch Of it. He knew intimate
Js and to the bottom, the connection, p
az AitAS"l GIN NOliiIlC4G IttlJ VI AllBTICd VII
ost all other nations.
i'm He knew perfectly the relation whit
Tvs each part Of the country bore to Il
ito other, and he understood profoundly ii
oso character, genius and wants of Il
his American people. There was nothir
.er. sectional in his policy, His broad ar
rod comprehensive genius held in its visiC
,va the interest of the whole nation, and h
mo big American heart throbbed for it a
the He was intensely American in all h
art thoughts and all his feelings. To che
bis ish the interest and the glory. and
led build up the power of his country ar
ter. his whole country, was the aim of all h
me policy and the passion of his life. \
bIe candid reader, who may study his carce
dor can deny, that on all great occasions,
lad was not only purely patriotic but en-
nee nentlly self-sacriicing. For brighter e
NV amples of this patriotic spirit, will
~ once occur to all who are familiar wi
veil his career; but at this moment, I w
no only allude to the instances in which