The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-26
DID henry CLAY SWEAR?
DR.. Wetterson Says He Did, and Gives
Reasons for the Assertion.

DR.. WettersOn Says He Did, and Gives
Reasons for the Assertion.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Did Henry Clay swear! We teks the af.
flrmative. We will not go into any labored
and tedious investigation of the authorities,
nor will we seek interviews with the Oldest
inhabitants upon the subject, but we will,
so to speak, reason from cause to effect, and
see where it will land us.
Mr.. Clay lived at q period when it was
expected OF fine western gentleman that
he should swear. A hundred years ago
they had their three bottle men in England,
and the worthy who could not drink him.
self under the table was a very poor sort of
u fellow, and not considered fit for a place
at court. So our grandfathers. while not
such devotees of the bottle, had acquired
the habit of INTERPRETING some very vigor-
Gus formulas into their parts of speech, and
were not chary in the use Of them when
their feelings were deeply stirred.
A genuine Kentucky colonel still swears
when the occasion is proper and the time is
fit. 1t is true that this reasoning will not
apply to Mr.. Clay, for he was not colonel,
| not even major or a captain, though he
might have teen, had he wanted TO, but
doubtless he often experienced the feelings
which agitate colonel OF the old school,
and cause him now and then to summon
fiery eXpletives to his lips.
Why should not Mr.. Clay have sworn?
1t is on record that at the battle of Mon
| mouth the father of his country, the i'm
| mortal George Washington, swore like the
| traditional trooper, in fact, stood up in his
stirrups and "cussed" for all he was worth
He had provocation, and nobody blames
him. Much as we esteem Mr.. Clay, we do
not put him above George Washington.
| Mr. Lincoln did not swear, so far as the
"reminiscences of him go, but he frequently
told stories that were decidedly off color,
| and thus let off steam, though the swearing
method is no worse.
II Mr.. Clay never swore he possessed re-
| markable ability to resist temptation.
According to all evidence, he was, through
| out life, one of the boys. II he repressed
his feelings when his antagonist showed four
| aces to his four kings he had more power
over himself than one often sees in these
degenerate days. IL the man accustomed
to the peach and honey of Kentucky could
restrain an exclamation or two not found in
| the writings of Jeremy Taylor when the
| base brew of Washington trickled down
MS throat, he was hero of the kind that
| we do not often SEQ, except in the church.
And then Mr. Clay had his trials as q
| statesman. When some animated bundle
| the West to procure him an appointment as
minister to Great Britain or France, doyou
think that he sang hymn or repeated the
Lamentations of Jeremiah? When a man
asked a loan Of 800 on the strength
OF having voted for him, did Mr..
Clay, like the Puritans of Crom-
well, bow his head in prayerl When
the charges of bribery and corruption were
flung about 80 freely and Haunted in his
face, did Mr.. Clay Immediately make
subscription for the benefit of the church2
We are of the opinion that in such cases
be did not observe with Christian mildness,
Lord, have mercy on us"
Mr. Clay's great antagonist Andrew
Jackson, swore, and "By the Eternal" was
not his strongest oath. That ne did so failed
TO detract from the esteem in which he was
held, and is still held, and it will not hurt
the reputation OF Mr.. Clay to discover that
his language was not always in accordance
with the rules of good society. Most states
men and rulers have had large share of
worldliness and worldly manners. 1t is not
worth while to set them up as saints, If you
do Eos want to have your idols smashed to
pieces before your face. Some great
women who have distinguished them
selves as rulers have not been strangers to
the oath. Queen Elizabeth, whom the
English have SET upon very high pedes-
tai, was the most copious and ARTISTIC
swearer ia the kingdom. There was not a
sailor in the navy that fought 30 gallantly
against the great armada who was more
proficient in this respect than his sovereign.
That other renowned female. Catherine the
Great OF Russia though not bearded like
the pard, her sex preventing, had her mouth
full of strange Russian and German oaths,
and frequently terrified her court with their
vigor and variety.
II Henry Clay did not swear. he was the
most immaculate character Of his time. If
man In that violent partisan age could
pass through half century of active poll
tics without emitting a single blue streak.
he would be nothing less than a saint, too
good for earth, were he transpOsed to this
period OF milder manners.