The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-10
SOME HENRY CLAY LETTERS.
Written by the Statesman to . Place.
Girl Under His Protection.
Chicago News.

Written by the Statesman to . Place.
Girl Under His Protection.
Chicago News.
Not very long ago the Sun printed an ex-
ceedingly interesting article upon the SUBJ
ject of louisiana octoroons and the old
time custom of utilizing the octoroon beau
ties as places for the aristocratic young
men of that part of the South. There is
living in Philadelphia at present an old
lady who was the place. of Henry Clay.
She was the daughter of wealthy Louisi-
ana planter, her mother Icing beautiful
quadroon. As the daughter grew up she
developed great personal beauty and I'M
usually bright intellectual qualities. Her
father had her thoroughly educated, and
when she was Is years of age he bought q
comfortable home for herself and her
mother in Kentucky, providing them with
money adequate to their support in hand
some style. In those times there was but
one future for an octoroon girl: that was
to become the place., or mistress, of some
rich white man. She was reared with this
inevitable end in view it was the custom,
and therefore it was deemed righteous.
During one of his political campaigns
Henry Clay caught sight of this beautiful
octoroon. He sought her out and found
that she was girl of culture and refine
ment. In due time he arranged matters
with the mother and the girl became his
placee. Brilliant and famous as Clay " as
the octoroon beauty presumably did not
find il hard to accede to the bargain. She
went East with Clay and was installed in
home which he provided in Philadelphia.
Here he was wont to visit her, running
over every week or two from Washington.
This relationship existed for number of
wears. When away from her Clay wrote
daily to his beautiful mistress, and these
letters are still in existence.
After Clays death the young woman
welded with respectable young German
and went to California TO i've The nus
hand diving a number of years ago, his
widow returned To Philadelphia, where she
now ahides, lovely old lady, retaining TO
a marked degree her personal beauty and
the charming vivacity of her carrier years
She loves to talk of her intimacy with
Clay. and her "reminiscences of the men
and the events OF sixty years ago ars
most interesting. OF her relations with
the great Wing leader she speaks proudly.
She followed the custom of the time-her
acouiescence thereto was inevitable; 1t was
her fate, and she does not regret IT,
To gentlemen in the acquaintance oil
the writer this remarkable old lady mas
read many of the letters written her oy
Sisv and to one of them she has prom
ised III we are correctly informedl to De-
oueath these precious literary relics, WITH
,armission to publish them, discreetly
aad;,ad These letters number, as we I'M
derstand, about 200, and they are said TO
be maryels of epistolary art. throwing az
the same time powerful side-iight upon
the secret history of contemporary states
men and politics. -s.,,.
II has seemed to US most remarKapie
,,,a, with ali the enterprise of our collect
ors. editors and publishers, no effort mas
hitherto been made TO secure and unio,a
10 the world what we are certain woiiiu
nroye a most sensational, most interesuh?
and most valuable contribution 10 Ameri-
can historical literature.