The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-07-31
THE LAST OF THE ROMANS.
A Character Sketch Of Striking Figure.
Gen. CaSSiuS M. Clay, Of Kentucky.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Cassius Marcellus Clay, the storm
lest and most salient personality in
a State where the development of
individuality is carried to the OK
treme, had lived FOR years in a state
Of private war; His sentimental
complications, his part in the old
drama Of January and May, his
castellated seclusion and the terror
he inspired are familiar enough to
generation. The we'll meaning wish
of his relatives to have him regarded
incompetent or insane was excusa-
BILE; but if he was mad at any time,
he was mad most of his life. He
was law to himself; eccentric or
extraordinary always; but with Il
noble courage, an absolute trust in
his own strong hand; with heroic
qualities, touched with whim and
fantasy, and a will that never weak
ened.' In his arbitrariness, his VIC.
lence, his self assertion, the fierce
ness of his wrath, he was medieval.
Sprung Of patrician Virginian
stock that followed Daniel Boone to
the dark and bloody ground, he be.
longed to the Southern land holding,
slave holding class. He had in ex.
cess its virtues and some Of it's faults.
At Yale he took it into his head to
be CONVEX ed to anti slavery opinions
by speech which he heard William
Lloyd Garrison make.
According to his later recollec,
tions, he then resolved to "give
slavery a death struggle" Possibly
his delight in battle was caressed by
the prospect of preaching abolition
ism among the planters. Whatever
convictions he held he was ready to
die for, and to make his opponents
die for, if they attacked him. The
Eastern abolitionists had compare
lively easy time of it while living
and have been gloriiied ad nauseam
and out Of all proportion for dangers
they did not undergo and results
which they had precious little hand
in bringing about. A mob or two;
and Garrison becomes hero and a
god. "Cash" Clay goes down among
his Southern brethren, fights with
carnal weapons, takes his life in his
hand and perfectly ready to take the
lives Of others; and there is no halo
for his grand old unrepentant head.
No odor of sanctity breathes from.
lie was a goat and not sheep. To
the sleek, drab Eastern exhorters
this terrible, urregenerate, fire.
breathing, slashing and shooting
aristocrat was unintelligible. Imag-
inc Richard of the Lion Heart at a
meeting of the New England branch
of the Anti . Imperialist League!
Think of CAESAR Borgia at sowing
circle!
Let us confess humbly that Clay
is to ns a much more attractive and
impressive figure; a man and devil
of man, and he looked his part
always. His prime was the prime
OF the bowie knife and the revolver.
He WAS no friend of arbitration. He
believed in the custom of the coun.
try, and everybody who meddled
with him was likely to have his hands
full. Some lovely combats are de
scrlbed in his autobiography. Take
his mild combat with one Sprigg
when he was member of the Ken
tncky Legislature. 1t WAS expected
that SPrlgg would challenge him OF
account Of certain warm words Nov
Sprigg, when the Bourbon was in
had told Clay the Sprigg method
1t was Sprigg's habit, when fgh
| could not be avoided, to come up t.
his man Gin a mild and conciliator,
manner" Then, without declara
ton OF war, he would swat that MAJ
nightly and keep on swatting hin
uutil he was licked. Oblivious O
these fatal condolences, Sprlgg, al
mildness and Cancellation, steps II,
to Clay, who knocks him down with
out " word, and keeps knocking hin
down every time he gets up, unit
Sprigg is dragged away.
This was mere boys play: nor nee,