Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1903-07-26
CASSIUS M. CLAY.

Cassius Marcellus Clay has gone to
his reward. His name dosen't mean
much to this generation, perhaps the
last generation is unfamiliar with his
life and his work. For nearly a cen
fury this man lived; perhaps for
quarter of century he has lived in a
solitude unbroken except at intervals
by the outbreaking of his own eccen-
tricities. Toward the last it was said
that the Sage of the White Hail. was
of unsound mind Certainly his act
ions indicated it.
Laboring under the diffusion that
all the world was against him, even as
in his young manhood, he was against
all of his own little world, he barricad
ed himself in his own mansion and re-
fused to admit anyone. 1t was only
through court proceedings that those
and take care of him in the last days
of his life
Throughout the ninety-three years
of his life Mr. Clay was man of strong
and uncompromising convictions. Born
in Madison County, Kentucky, in 1910
he graduated from Yale in 1882 and
soon afterwards became an ardent alb
olitionist. No small amount of cour-
age was required of Clay to take this
stand. He was one of the wealthiest
young men in Kentucky. His holdings
in land, in negroes, in livestock, were
enormous.
His ancestors had believed in slav-
cry, his friends were shareholders. His
own prosperity seemed to depend on
the institution of slavery and its con-
oli-tionist of those days were the most
despised, in the south of human crea-
lures. No jibes were too cutting, no
taunts to keen. no curses to deep to
be used against sbolitionists. Nobody
knew this better than Clay, but, with
all his soul, he believed the slaves
should be free and no amount OF
threats nor abuse could swerve him
from the course he had marked out.
First he freed his own slaves. Then
he began making speeches in favor of
abolition. He was bitterly assailed by
press and pulpit, he was Obliged to
carry arms in his own defense, he uar-
rowly escaped being lynched on sew
eral occasions, but he kept at his work
In 1S45 he had the supreme courage
to establish an anai-slaverp paper, the
True American" in Lexington. An
indignant populace wrecked the office
of the paper and the owner barely es
capped death. But Clay persisted until
the war with Mexico broke out, when
he went to the front with COlont
Humphrey Marshall's Kentucky regi
ment
At the close of that conflict he ret
urned to Kentucky and ran for Gov
ernor on the anti-slavery platform. d
course he was badly beaten. During
the following few years he urged the
organization and helped to organize
the Republican party. When Lincoll
was elected President he sent Cha!
to Russia as ambassador, post that h
held with credit until 1869. He neve
held another public Office, but, unit
1880, he was a figure of national i'm
portance.
Mr.. Clay's independence of though
is apparent from the statement tina
he supported Greedy for President il
1872, Tiledn in 1876, Hancock in 1886
Blaine in 1884, Cleveland in 1888 and il
1892 and Mckinley in 1896. Sal
LAX Herald.
H!l.IhuIIIIiIIIll
If the muiciple campaign in Ne
York is not interesting and picture
que it will not be the fault of M
VIM. Devery. He has started his ca
didacy for Mayor and has announce
that he will spend 100000 in the car
paign. He is going to deliver q
speeches starting next month at tt
roof gardens and appearing betwet
the acts of the vaudeville shows
Coney Island. Subsequently he w
conduct cart-tail campaign in Il
thickly populated parts of the cit
Tammany disparages Dever,
strength but it may find a. factor to
reckoned with before the campaign
over.