The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-09
CAssIUs Nj. CLAY.
Recollections Of the ChivaIrous Kentuckian's
Political Struggles.

Kecoiiections Of the ChivaIrous Kentuckian's
Political Struggles.
Washington Letter in Philadelphia Record.
We were talking about the Russian mission
about the chivalrous self-sacrifice OF General
Lawton, OF Georgia. in resigning in order not to
embarrass the President in spite of the fact that
he greatly desired it and was admirably fitted
for It, In that connection we spoke of the in
hospitable climate of St Petersburg, to whose
rigors so many diplomatic representatives of the
United States and other nations have sue
cumbed. Some one gave the true account of
Arson Burlingame's death. He was there as the
ambassador atlarge of China. He drove one
very cold day to the Foreign Office to see Prince
Gortschakoff. There was a comparatively
long distance between the carriage step and
the front door. Burlingame, in the full flush
Of health, left his wrappings in his carriage and
walked in his handsome court dress to the For
eign Office. Gortschakoff received him with ex-
pressions of profound establishment and appre-
hension He told him that he had done very
rash thing. He begged him not to repeat the
imprudence, and insisted upon sending to the
carriage for his furs Burlingame laughed at
the Premers anxiety But during that short
walk pneumonia had fastened upon him. and
within week he was dead. There a Ken
tuckian present. who said that Kentucky had
furnished our minister to Russia three times.
The first was gallant old Governor Shelby, of
Revoluti onary fame; the second Governor Tod
and the third General Cassius M. Clay. He
in the East, was still alive. He no
longer looks as he seems in Gustavus "
Foxs picture in the Corcoran Art Gallery
upon the presentation to Gar Alexander
Ii, just at the close of the war; of the congratu-
lations of Congress upon his escape from assassi-
nation In that rather stiff array of dignitaries
Prince Gortschakoff and General Clay are the
only graceful-lOoking men. The Gar turns in
his toes and and looks angular, and the other
members OF American embassy seem Ill at ease.
(1oxr &1r1 1AL1 %4z 49,
this picture his face is full and fair, and smooth,
his hair is brown and thick, his carriage that of
man of forty Nowadays I'm told he has white
hair and white beard, and does not stand as
straight as he used to. Still he is very active
personally conducting all the business of his
large farm. He lives near the county seat of
Madison county, in the blue grass country, about
a score of miles from the home and grave of
Henry Clay. There was no relationship between
their families, except that distant sort which
is rather suggested than indicated by the fact
that their names were alike. Cassius
M. Clay's family were superior socially to that
OF Henry Clay, so the Kentuckans say. Cassius
had a distinguished ancestry. Henry had not.
Cassus was born to wealth as well as to fame
to 1000 or 3,0C0acre farm and hundreds of
slaves, with all the influence that they gave.
Purely as matter of principle, with nothing to
gain by 1T and everything to lose he fought
slavery from the time he came to manhood.
First he freed his own slaves and then set out to
chivalrous man, Of noble spirit, handsome, elo
quent attractive. He devoted himself, his tai
ents and attanments and his wealth to the cause
OF emancipation. He took the stump in every
campaign, and fought as stnrdily as though he
were fighting for victory instead of defeat.
He fought with his life in his hand, as
he very, well knew There were many
true souls like himself in Kentucky then.
but they were, of course, in hopeless
minority. The hostility of the majority was
bitter beyond conception. 1t was difficult,
often dangerous thing to be an Abolitonist in
the East. But it was ten times more dangerous
and difficult in Kentucky When Clay appeared
on a platform in Louisville before 1000 heated
opponents, he laid two loaded revolvers on the
desk before him as he began to speak. 1--WE
want no disorder here, gentlemen" he said
quietly, and there was none. He was frequently
obliged to fight for his life in out-of- the way
places. He always carried keen-edged bowie
knife on his left thigh. With this he saved his
life twice in most desperate encounters. At
length he made himself feared and respected
from one end Of the State to the other, and to
ward the close of the ante bellum period he was
seldom molested. He was made major general
in the army, and afterward sent as minister
to Russia in recognition of his distinguished
services to the cause of freedom Now ne is
quietly cultivating the 400 or 500 acres be has
kept for himself, with his children all around
him on the rest of his farm, and patiently await
ing his end.