Evening star., 1944-01-23
Capital Sidelights
By Will P. Kennedu.

There was Speaker of the House
John White of Kentucky-who commit
ted suicide because of ridicule heaped
upon him when it was disclosed that
an eloquent address delivered by him
March 8, 1s43, at the close of the ses-
sion in which he was Speaker Twenty-
seventh Congress- was plaguerized from
one delivered 36 years earlier by Aaron
Burr when he vacated the chair of pre-
siding officer in the Senate, March 3,
1907. Speaker White was appointed
judge of the 10Th judicial district OF
Kentucky and served from February s,
1845, until his death (self-infiicted) Sep
tember %, 1845.
Following the fall of Fort Sumter,
when Washington lacked adequate mill
tary protection and there was danger
of surprise Confederate invasion of
the Capital, Cassius M. Clay of Ken
lucky, volunteer in the Mexican War,
vino had supported Lincoln for the
presidency, with Senator Joseph Lane
Of Oregon, who had been brevetted
major general for gallantry in the MeM-
can War, organized two military COM
panies which they offered as home
guards for the National Capital These
companies guarded the White House
and the Washington Navy Yard until
they were relieved by regular troops.
During those days, Cassius Clay repeat
edly tried to persuade Simon Cameron,
Secretary of War, to accept him as
volunteer in the ranks, but Cameron
refused.
Clay was then in Washington en- route
to his post as Minister to Russia, to
which he was assigned Q861-1869) by
three Presidents. After he had served
MS first year in Russia, Lincoln gave
him a commission as major general
and recalled him. But Clay then re-
fused to fight, stating that he disliked
Lincoln's policy of handling the slaves
in the seeding States.
He was a pioneer abolitionist, opposed
the annexation of Texas, and published
az hchAllS loll Lie uc AlIleICdH, All
anti-slavery paper He started his fight
I on slavery on February %, 1882, the
centennial of Washingtons birth, in a
speech at Yale University. His own
slaves he freed about the time he
launched his paper. In anticipation of
mob violence, he fortified his Office and
planted mine of powder in the base
ment. During his crusade he killed
man, Cyrus Turner, lin an encounter
which Clay did nothing to prevent but
much to bring about Later in life
he killed a Negro. He was an unsuc-
cessful candidate for Governor of Ken
lucky in 1851 and a contender for the
vice presidential nomination in 1860.
Always stormy petrol, he caUNed diplo-
matte troubles in England, France and
Russia; quarreled with Secretary Seward
and his successor, Hamilton Fish; criti-
cized President Grants policy of recon-
struction, and took hand in defeating
the "carpetbag" government in Missis-
sippi.
The major task in preparation of evil
dence for the trial OF the aSSaSSinS of
President Lincoln was borne by Henry
L. Burnett Q838-1916), who participated
in number of noted cases in bench
and bar annals. From the time he ran
away from home at the age Of Is, TAX
| ing with him copies Of "ThaddAus of
Warsaw" and "The Lady of Lyons"
and walked 100 miles TO the nearest
academy to get an education, until his
declining years when he kept a large
stable of harness horses and drove them
himself on the track of the Goshen,
N Y, Driving Club when nearly IS,
his was life of active achievement.
He actively supported the Union in
the Civil War and when heckled at q
public meeting by man shouting, "Why
don't you enlist?" he promptly answered
II WILL" and he did. AS a captain and
later major he led in valiant service
in Missouri and Kentucky. He was
! Judge advocate general Of the Depart