the writings-2-第23章

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appropriately　belongs　to　pronounce　his　eulogy　and　pay　specific

honors　to　the　memory　of　the　illustrious　dead。　　But　all　Americans

may　show　the　grief　which　his　death　inspires；　for　his　character

and　fame　are　national　property。　　As　on　a　question　of　liberty　he

knew　no　North；　no　South；　no　East；　no　West；　but　only　the　Union

which　held　them　all　in　its　sacred　circle；　so　now　his　countrymen

will　know　no　grief　that　is　not　as　wide…spread　as　the　bounds　of

the　confederacy。　　The　career　of　Henry　Clay　was　a　public　career。

》From　his　youth　he　has　been　devoted　to　the　public　service；　at　a

period；　too；　in　the　world's　history　justly　regarded　as　a

remarkable　era　in　human　affairs。　　He　witnessed　in　the　beginning

the　throes　of　the　French　Revolution。　　He　saw　the　rise　and　fall　of

Napoleon。　　He　was　called　upon　to　legislate　for　America　and　direct

her　policy　when　all　Europe　was　the　battlefield　of　contending

dynasties；　and　when　the　struggle　for　supremacy　imperilled　the

rights　of　all　neutral　nations。　　His　voice　spoke　war　and　peace　in

the　contest　with　Great　Britain。



〃When　Greece　rose　against　the　Turks　and　struck　for　liberty；　his

name　was　mingled　with　the　battle…cry　of　freedom。　　When　South

America　threw　off　the　thraldom　of　Spain；　his　speeches　were　read

at　the　head　of　her　armies　by　Bolivar。　　His　name　has　been；　and

will　continue　to　be；　hallowed　in　two　hemispheres；　for　it　is



　　　　　　　　　　'One　of　the　few；　the　immortal　names

　　　　　　　　　　　That　were　not　born　to　die！'



〃To　the　ardent　patriot　and　profound　statesman　he　added　a　quality

possessed　by　few　of　the　gifted　on　earth。　　His　eloquence　has　not

been　surpassed。　　In　the　effective　power　to　move　the　heart　of　man；

Clay　was　without　an　equal；　and　the　heaven…born　endowment；　in　the

spirit　of　its　origin；　has　been　most　conspicuously　exhibited

against　intestine　feud。　　On　at　least　three　important　occasions　he

has　quelled　our　civil　commotions　by　a　power　and　influence　which

belonged　to　no　other　statesman　of　his　age　and　times。　　And　in　our

last　internal　discord；　when　this　Union　trembled　to　its　centre；　in

old　age　he　left　the　shades　of　private　life；　and　gave　the　death…

blow　to　fraternal　strife；　with　the　vigor　of　his　earlier　years；　in

a　series　of　senatorial　efforts　which　in　themselves　would　bring

immortality　by　challenging　comparison　with　the　efforts　of　any

statesman　in　any　age。　　He　exorcised　the　demon　which　possessed　the

body　politic；　and　gave　peace　to　a　distracted　land。　　Alas！　the

achievement　cost　him　his　life。　　He　sank　day　by　day　to　the　tomb

his　pale　but　noble　brow　bound　with　a　triple　wreath；　put　there　by

a　grateful　country。　　May　his　ashes　rest　in　peace；　while　his

spirit　goes　to　take　its　station　among　the　great　and　good　men　who

preceded　him。〃



While　it　is　customary　and　proper　upon　occasions　like　the　present

to　give　a　brief　sketch　of　the　life　of　the　deceased；　in　the　case

of　Mr。　Clay　it　is　less　necessary　than　most　others；　for　his

biography　has　been　written　and　rewritten　and　read　and　reread　for

the　last　twenty…five　years；　so　that；　with　the　exception　of　a　few

of　the　latest　incidents　of　his　life；　all　is　as　well　known　as　it

can　be。　　The　short　sketch　which　I　give　is；　therefore；　merely　to

maintain　the　connection　of　this　discourse。



Henry　Clay　was　born　on　the　twelfth　day　of　April；　1777；　in　Hanover

County；　Virginia。　　Of　his　father；　who　died　in　the　fourth　or　fifth

year　of　Henry's　age；　little　seems　to　be　known；　except　that　he　was

a　respectable　man　and　a　preacher　of　the　Baptist　persuasion。　　Mr。

Clay's　education　to　the　end　of　life　was　comparatively　limited。　　I

say　〃to　the　end　of　life；〃　because　I　have　understood　that　from

time　to　time　he　added　something　to　his　education　during　the

greater　part　of　his　whole　life。　　Mr。　Clay's　lack　of　a　more

perfect　early　education；　however　it　may　be　regretted　generally；

teaches　at　least　one　profitable　lesson：　it　teaches　that　in　this

country　one　can　scarcely　be　so　poor　but　that；　if　he　will；　he　can

acquire　sufficient　education　to　get　through　the　world

respectably。　　In　his　twenty…third　year　Mr。　Clay　was　licensed　to

practise　law；　and　emigrated　to　Lexington；　Kentucky。　　Here　he

commenced　and　continued　the　practice　till　the　year　1803；　when　he

was　first　elected　to　the　Kentucky　Legislature。　　By　successive

elections　he　was　continued　in　the　Legislature　till　the　latter

part　of　1806；　when　he　was　elected　to　fill　a　vacancy　of　a　single

session　in　the　United　States　Senate。　　In　18O7　he　was　again

elected　to　the　Kentucky　House　of　Representatives；　and　by　that

body　chosen　Speaker。　　In　1808　he　was　re…elected　to　the　same　body。

In　1809　he　was　again　chosen　to　fill　a　vacancy　of　two　years　in　the

United　States　Senate。　　In　1811　he　was　elected　to　the　United

States　House　of　Representatives；　and　on　the　first　day　of　taking

his　seat　in　that　body　he　was　chosen　its　Speaker。　　In　1813　he　was

again　elected　Speaker。　　Early　in　1814；　being　the　period　of　our

last　British　war；　Mr。　Clay　was　sent　as　commissioner；　with　others；

to　negotiate　a　treaty　of　peace；　which　treaty　was　concluded　in　the

latter　part　of　the　same　year。　　On　his　return　from　Europe　he　was

again　elected　to　the　lower　branch　of　Congress；　and　on　taking　his

seat　in　December；　1815；　was　called　to　his　old　post…the　Speaker's

chair；　a　position　in　which　he　was　retained　by　successive

elections；　with　one　brief　intermission；　till　the　inauguration　of

John　Quincy　Adams；　in　March；　1825。　　He　was　then　appointed

Secretary　of　State；　and　occupied　that　important　station　till　the

inauguration　of　General　Jackson；　in　March；　1829。　　After　this　he

returned　to　Kentucky；　resumed　the　practice　of　law；　and　continued

it　till　the　autumn　of　1831；　when　he　was　by　the　Legislature　of

Kentucky　again　placed　in　the　United　States　Senate。　　By　a

reelection　he　was　continued　in　the　Senate　till　he　resigned　his

seat　and　retired；　in　March；　1848。　　In　December；　1849；　he　again

took　his　seat　in　the　Senate；　which　he　again　resigned　only　a　few

months　before　his　death。



By　the　foregoing　it　is　perceived　that　the　period　from　the

beginning　of　Mr。　Clay's　official　life　in　1803　to　the　end　of　1852

is　but　one　year　short　of　half　a　century；　and　that　the　sum　of　all

the　intervals　in　it　will　not　amount　to　ten　years。　　But　mere

duration　of　time　in　office　constitutes　the　smallest　part　of　Mr。

Clay's　history。　　Throughout　that　long　period　he　has　constantly

been　the　most　loved　and　most　implicitly　followed　by　friends；　and

the　most　dreaded　by　opponents；　of　all　living　American

politicians。　　In　all　the　great　questions　which　have　agitated　the

country；　and　particularly　in　those　fearful　crises；　the　Missouri

question；　the　nullification　question；　and　the　late　slavery

question；　as　connected　with　the　newly　acquired　territory；

involving　and　endangering　the　stability　of　the　Union；　his　has

been　the　leading　and　most　conspicuous　part。　　In　1824　he　was　first

a　candidate　for　the　Presidency；　and　was　defeated；　and；　although

he　was　successively　defeated　for　the　same　office　in　1832　and　in

1844；　there　has　never　been　a　moment　since　1824　till　after　1848

when　a　very　large　portion　of　the　American　people　did　not　cling　to

him　with　an　enthusiastic　hope　and　purpose　of　still　elevating　him

to　the　Presidency。　　With　other　men；　to　be　defeated　was　to　be

forgotten；　but　with　him　defeat　was　but　a　trifling　incident；

neither　changing　him　nor　the　world's　estimate　of　him。　　Even　those

of　both　political　parties　who　have　been　preferred　to　him　for　the

highest　office　have　run　far　briefer　courses　than　he；　and　left　him

still　shining　high　in　the　heavens　of　the　political　world。

Jackson；　Van　Buren；　Harnson；　Polk；　and　Taylor　all　rose　after；　and

set　long　before　him。　　The　spellthe　long…enduring　spellwith

which　the　souls　of　men　were　bound　to　him　is　a　miracle。　　Who　can

compass　it？　　　It　is　probably　true　he　owed　his　pre…eminence　to　no

one　quality；　but　to　a　fortunate　combination　of　several。　　He　was

surpassingly　eloquent；　but　many　eloquent　men　fail　utterly；　and

they　are　not；　as　a　class；　generally　successful。　　His　judgment　was

excellent；　but　many　men　of　good　judgment　live　and　die　unnoticed。

His　will　was　indomitable；　but　this　quality　often　secures　to　its

owner　nothing　better　than　a　character　for　useless　obstinacy。

These；　then；　were　Mr。　Clay's　leading　qualities。　　No　one　of　them

is　very　uncommon；　but　all　together　are　rarely　combined　in　a

single　individual；　and　this　is　probably　the　reason　why　such　men

as　Henry　Clay　are　so　rare　in　the　world。



Mr。　Clay's　eloquence　did　not　consist；　as　many　fine　specimens　of

eloquence　do；　of　types　and　figures；　of　antithesis　and　elegant

arrangement　of　words　and　sentences；　but　rather　of　that　deeply

earnest　and　impassioned　tone　and　manner　which　can　proceed　only

from　great　sincerity；　and　a　thorough　conviction　in　the　speaker　of

the　justice　and　importance　of　his　cause。　　This　it　is　that　truly

touches　the　chords　of　sympathy；　and　those　who　heard　Mr。　Clay

never　failed　to　be　moved　by　it；　or　ever　afterward　forgot　the

impression。　　All　his　efforts　were　made　for　practical　effect。　　He

never　spoke　merely　to　be　heard。　　He　never　delivered　a　Fourth　of

July　oration；　or　a　eulogy　on　an　occasion　like　this。　　As　a

politician　or　statesman；　no　one　was　so　habitually　careful　to

avoid　all　sectional　ground。　　Whatever　he　did　he　did　for　the　whole

country。　　In　the　construction　of　his　measures；　he　ever　carefully

surveyed　every　part　of　the　field；　and　duly　weighed　every

conflicting　interest。　　Feeling　as　he　did；　and　as　the　truth　surely

is；　that　the　world's　best　hope　depended　on　the　continued　union　of

these　States；　he　was　ever　jealous　of　and　watchful　for　whatever

might　have　the　slightest　tendency　to　separate　them。



Mr。　Clay's　predominant　sentiment；　from　first　to　last；　was　a　deep

devotion　to　the　cause　of　human　libertya　strong　sympathy　with

the　oppressed　everywhere；　and　an　ardent　wish　for　their　elevation。

With　him　this　was　a　primary　and　all…controlling　passion。

Subsidiary　to　this　was　the　conduct　of　his　whole　life。　　He　loved

his　country　partly　because　it　was　his　own　country；　and　mostly

because　it　was　a　free　country；　and　he　burned　with　a　zeal　for　its

advancement；　prosperity；　and　glory；　because　he　saw　in　such　the

advancement；　prosperity；　and　glory　of　human　liberty；　human　right；

and　human　nature。　　He　desired　the　prosperity　of　his　countrymen；

partly　because　they　were　his　countrymen；　but　chiefly　to　show　to

the　world　that　free　men　could　be　prosperous。



That　his　views　and　measures　were　always　the　wisest　needs　not　to

be　affirmed；　nor　should　it　be　on　this　occasion；　where　so　many

thinking　differently　join　in　doing　honor　to　his　memory。　　A　free

people　in　times　of　peace　and　quiet　when　pressed　by　no　common

danger…naturally　divide　into　parties。　　At　such　times　the　man　who

is　of　neither　party　is　not；　cannot　be；　of　any　consequence。　　Mr。

Clay　therefore　was　of　a　party。　　Taking　a　prominent　part；　as　he

did；　in　all　the　great　political　questions　of　his　country　for　the

last　half　century；　the　wisdom　of　his　course　on　many　is　doubted

and　denied　by　a　large　portion　of　his　c