Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-07-30
THE LAST OF THE ROMANS
Some "reminiscences of Stormy Career
of Cassius II. Clay.

lest and most salient personality in
state where the development of indl-
viduality is carried to the extreme,
had lived for years in state of pri-
yatt war. HIS sentimental cOmplica-
tions. his part in the Old drama OF
January and May, mis- castellated Sc
clusion and the terror he inspired are
familiar enough to this generation.
The wel-meaning wish of his rela-
tives to have him regarded incompe-
he was mad at any time, he was mad
most of his life. He was law to
himself; eccentric or extraordinary al
ways; but with a noble courage, an
absolute trust in his own strong hand;
with heroic qualities, touched with
wnim and fantasy, and a will that nev-
er weakened. In his arbitrariness, his
violence. his self-assertio the fierce
ness of his wrath he was mediaEval.
Sprung Of patrician Virginia stock
that followed Daniel Boone to the dark
and bloody ground, he belonged to
the southern land-holding, slave-own-
ing class He had in excess its vir-
tues and some of its faults. At Yale
verted to anti-slavery opinions by a
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 pros
poets of preaching aboltionism 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 abolition
lists had a comparatively easy time Of
fed ad nauseam and out of proportion
for dangers they did not undergo and
results which they had precious lit
tie hand in bringing about. A mob or
two, and Garrison becomes a hero
and god Cash Clay goes down
among his southern brethren. fights
with carnal weapons, takes his life in
his hand and is perfectly ready u
take the lives of others; and there
is nc halo for his grand old unre-
penant head No odor of sanctity
breathes from him. He was goat
and not a sheep. To the sleek. drab
eastern exhorters this terrible, unHe-
generate, breathing. slashing ana
shooting aristocrat was intelligible.
Imagine Richard of the Lion Heart at
a meeting of the New England branch
of the Anti-imperialistic league. Think
of Caesar Borgia at a sewing circle.
Let us confess humbly that Clay is
to us much more attractive and i'm
pressive figure: a man and devil
of a man. and he looked his part al
ways His prime was the prime OF
the bowie knife and the revolver. He
was no friend of arbitration. He be-
lieyed in the custom of the country and
anybody who meddled with him was
likely to have his hands full. Some
lovely cOmbats are described in his
autobiography Take his mild combat
with one Sprigg, when he was a mem
Der of the Kentucky legislature. 1t
was expected that Sprigg would chal-
lenge him on account of certain warm
words. Now Sprigg when the BOur-
bon was in, hald told Clay the Sprigg
method 1t was Sprigg's habit, when
a fight could not be avoided. to come
up 10 his man "in a mild and concil-
iatory manner Then, without dec
laratiCn Of war, he would swat that
man nightly and keep on swatting
him until he was licked. Oblivious of
these fatal condolences, Sprigg, all
mildness and Cancellation. steps up
10 Sldy. WHO hIlOckS HlIH uoWH WIth-
out ward and keeps knocking him
down every time he gets up till Sprigg
is dragged away.
That was mere boys play; nor need
we mention Gen Clay's duels accord
ing to the forms. His fight at Rus
sells cave in 1910 with Samuel N.