Evening star., 1915-03-07
PAINTING BY SIDNEY H. ROSENBERG
ARTICLE BY EDGAR ALLEN FORBES

{X@YgA ENRY CLAY said he would rather be right
VdhGN than be President, every schoolboy knows
0H61Nx0 but he did hesitate fight duel under
1bN0KNyR provocaon Of all the commanding figures
&1SNE&S in the early history of this country,
g1NME3 else between Washington and Lincoln, with
N06G the possible exception of Jackson,
to being the idol Of the American people,
Yet Clay missed the Executive Mansion just he missed
Randolph, barely
Clay forty-nine when he went out to fight John
Randolph the banks Of the Potomac. Since both
returned in safety to their exalted places in public fe the
duel itself does not greatly matter. The most interesting
facts concern the personalities of the two
Clay Vrginian, the son of Baptist minister and
began life ordinary clerk in Richmond Eventually
he became law student and at the age of twenty removed
Kentucky, which thenceforth to be his "native"
State. AT twenty-six he member of the Kentucky
Legislature and before he thirty he member of
the United States Senate From that date 1906 up to
his death in 1852 he was one of the foremost men in the
public life of America.
Claws career Washington differed in respects
from that of many others who had risen to such lofty
heights After having twice been sent to the Senate for
instance he became member Of the House of Representa-
tives, of which he for long time Speaker. He
garded the opportunities for usefulness in the House
being great that he consistently declined appointments
that other Congressman have almost broken their necks to
President after President offered him foreign
bassadorships and Cabinet appointments, nearly all of
which he turned down. This persistent declnaton
disappointing to many political foes and some friends,
who would gladly have seen Clay eliminated from the floor
OF the House. where many fierce oratorica battles
being fought
TWO years before his duel with Randolph Henry Clay
almost became President of the United States 1t
in 1924, when successor to James Monroe being
chosen When the electoral counted it was
found that Clay fourth the list None of the four
having majority, the election went to the House of Rep
reSentatves.
Had Clay been a real politician, knowing well how to
play the game, he would have As it was, John
Quincy Adams went to the presidential chair though
Andrew Jackson had beaten him badly in the electoral
college First and last, Clay aspred to the presidency
times than William Jennings Bryan; but this the
closest that he came
man of naexble convictions, gifted with an oratory
that frequently took the hide off his opponents it was
inevitable that Clay should make powerful enemies. Two
of the most notable of these Andrew Jackson and
John Randolph. By strange circumstances Jackson,
himself famous dueist, never met Clay the field of
honor though such would have been srpris-
ing after the election of 1924 when Clays support of
Adams cost Jackson the presidency 1t the much less
peppey Randolph who exaspcraed Clay the point of
firearms.
THE name John Randolph is only slightly less ustri.
than that of Henry Clay, but with far less reason
Randolph differed from Clay widely peacock differs
from a game rooster. He also Virgnian, an "F
F. w." but of type happily vanishing 1t was
small part Of Randophs pride that he could claim d-
rect descent seventh in line from the historic Pocahontas
who also could rightfuly claim distinction among the
first families of Virginia.
Randolph had been born four years earlier than Clav
and with silver spoon his mouth He was the PAM
pered son who had the misfortune in the of his
long life to know anything of toll discipline. His youth
and early manhood, during which he made few spas
modc attempts to acquire superficial education,
spent IN such manner that nothing short of miracle
could have made real man out of him.
AT the age of twentv-six he became candidate for
CONGRESS- tira1l