The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-23
GEN. CLAY'S CAREER.
Life of the Old Lion of whitehall
Marked by Many Stories.

Lexington (Sy) Letter in New York Trib-
une.
1.-The Kentucky fighter, General Cassius
NJ. Clay, who has just been declared insane,
is not long for this world" said Major r.
S. Bullock, cashier of the Fayette National
Bank, of this city, and lifelong friend of
the noted Kentuckian who is now barri-
caded at his home, White Hall. with all
of his faults" continued Major Bullock,
who has just returned from White Hall,
General Clay is one of the most lovable
Of men, but there can be no doubt that
his mind is deranged, and he cannot be
responsible for his acts toward his friends.
He is now in his ninety-third year, and
each of these years from his earliest boy
hood has been filled with incidents of an
exciting and startling nature. 1 daresay
that no man now living or who ever lived
in Kentucky has gone through what Gen.
eral Clay has and still retained the physical
vigor he has. If his child wife, Dora Clay
Brock, whose husband died short time
ago. will return to the old General as he
has begged her to do. he may live long
time yet, but without her presence and care
the chances are decidedly against him,
he has positively refused to have the physi-
clans enter his home, declaring that he will
shoot the first man who attempts to enter.
He has no one in the house save his body
guard, Joe Perkins, and ii is impossible
to give him the attention he demands.
ut appears TO nave passed unnoticed in
the many newspaper articles which have
been printed about him that his stormy
career did not begin until he delivered his
Washington centennial Grafton at Yale,
more than seventy years ago, and in which
he vigorously defended the cause of the
negro. using language which none but the
bravest of men would dare have used. He
was set in his convictions and did not hest
tate nor fear to express them but these
views were the cause of making him a most
universally hated man, and Shareholders in
Kentucky and other slave-holding States
determined to make his life miserable or
put him out of the way. General Clay re-
ceived hundreds of letters threatening his
life and denouncing him as a negro lover
Like the brave man that he is and always
has been, he paid little attention to these
threats. General Clay never courted trou-
BILE, but he would not go ten steps out of
his way to avoid 1T, and not one incident of
his life will show that he ever showed the
white feather. There is not in his makeup
the least tinge of the dunghill fowl, but the
truest. gamest blood that ever coursed
through a mans veins.
Notwithstanding the fact that General
Clay waged war for the negro. the efforts In
his behalf we're never properly appreciated
by the negro, and to this day the ignorant
among them regard him as a savage. |
doubt if any man in the entire South did
more for the negro than did General Clay,
freeing his slaves and fighting against
slavery when few had the manhood to do
So He will carry with him TO the grave
scars made by knives and pistols received
while contending for the rights of the ne
gro, and Ii has always been a matter of
regret To the general that the negro showed
so little gratitude FOR what he had done
in his behalf. When the war closed General
Clay quietly returned TO his home here
and had his companion an adopted son,
L,onney Clay. child of five years, whom
he had brought from Russia. From the
outset the large retinue of servants began
TO make 1t unpleasant for their master,
stealing his silverware and groceries and
carrying OF the products of the plantation.
The adopted son was poisoned and efforts
plot failed, and IL was then hat the entire
force. with few exceptions, received their