Arizona republican., 1903-08-01
THE LAST OF THE ROMANS
The Story Of the Lion-Heart Of
kentucky.


and most salient personality in a state
where the development G. individuality
is carried to the extreme, 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 enousht to this
generation. The weIl-meaning wish Of
his relatives TO have him regarded in
competent or insane was excusabie;
but if he was mad at any time. he was
mad most of his life. He was a law
to himself; eccentric or extraordinary
always, but with 4 noble courage, an
absolute trust in his own strong hand;
with heroic qualities. touched with
whim and fantasy, and a will that new
er weakened. In his arbitrariness, his
violence. his self-assertion. the fierce
ness of his wrath, he was medieval.
Sprung CT partrican 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 excess
its virtues and some of its faults. At
Yale he took ii into his head to be
converted to anti-slavery opinions by
d speech which he heard William
Lloyd Garrison make.
According to his later recollections,
he then resolved to give slavery a
death struggle.' Possibly his delight
in battle was caressed by the prospect
of preaching abolitionism among the
planters. Whatever convictions he
held he was ready to die for. and t.
make his opponents die for, if they
attacked him. The Eastern abolition
lists had 4 comparatively easy time o.
it while living and have been giorified
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 a hero and
a god. Cash" Clay goes down among
his Southern brethren, fights with car
nal weapons, takes his life in his hand,
and is perfectly ready to teke the lives
of others; and there is 10 nalo Tor his
grand old unrepentant head. No odor
of sarcftty breathes from him. He
was goat and not a sheep. To the
sleek, drab Eastern exhorters this ter
rible, unregenerate, fire breathing.
slashing and shooting aristocrat was
unintelligible. Imagine Richard of the
Lion Heart at a meeting of the New
England branch of the Anti-Imperialist
League. Think Of Caesar Borgia at a
sewing circle.
Let us confess humbly that Clay is
to us a much more attractive and i'm
pressive figure: a man and a devil CT
a man, and he l0aked his part always.
His prime was the prime of the bowie
knife and the revolver. He was no
friend of arbit:~- tion- He believed in
o.
body who meGl,ed with him was like
ly to have his hands full. Some lovely
combats are described in his autobio-
graphy. Take his mild combat with
one Sprigg, when he was a member of
the Kentucky legislature 1t was ex-
pectsd that Sprigg would challenge
him on account of certain warm words
Now Sprigg, when the Bourbon was
in, had told Clay the Sprigg method
It was Sprigg's habit, when fight
could not be avoided, to come up to his
man in a mild and conciliatory man
rer." Then. without declarati ton of
war, he would swat that man nightly
and keep on swattfng him until he was
licked. Obivious of these fatal con-
fidences ,Sprigg. all mildness and con-
citation. steps up to Clay. who knocks
him down without word. and keeps
knocking him down every time he gets
up, until Sprigg is dragged away.
This was mere boys play; not need
We mention Gen. Clay's duels accord
| ing to the forms. His fight at Russell s
Cave in 1910 with Samuel Nj. Brown, a
gigantic bully, is a specimen of real
! strenuousness. Brown. on the slavery
side of the argunsnt, called Clay a
damned liar and hit him with his UNI
brella. Clay knew his man and at once
! pulled out his bowie knife. Here is his
account of the controversy that fol-
! lowed:
| Before ! could strike l was seized
from behind and borne by force about
fifteen feet from Brown, who, being
row armed with a Colts revolver
cried: Clear the way and let me kill
the damned rascal The way was
speedily cleared, and 1 stood isolated
from the crowd Now, as Brown had
his pistol bearing on me. L had either
to run or advance. So, turning my left
side toward him, with my left arm
covering it, so as to protect it to thai
! extent 1 advanced rapidly on him
| knife in hand. Seeing 1 was coming
he knew very we'll that nothing but 6
sudden and fatal shot could save him
So he held his fire. and taking DELHI
crate aim just as l was within arm:
reach he fired at my heart. / came dowT
| upon his head with Il tremendous blow
which would have split open an ordi
nary skull, ut Browns was as thicl
as that of an African. The blow laic
his skull open about three inches t.
the brain, indenting it. but not break
ing the textures; but it 50 stunned hin
that he was no more able to fire, ant
fecbly attempted tC seize me. His Eel
low conspirators now grasped me anC
held both arms above my elbows
which only allowed me to strike will
the forearm as Brown advanced upon
me. l was also struck with hickor.
sticks and chairs. But, finding l wa
likely to get loose, they threw Brow!
over the stone fence, which, only twt
feet high on our side, was seven o
eight on the lower side. So Brown hat
a terrible fall, which ended the con
test. Raising my bloody knife, 1 said
, 1 repeat that the statement made b.
the speaker before Browns assault ha
been proven falsehood, and | stan'
ready to defend the truth But
/, neither The speaker of the day nor an.