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H
 C
.
A few miles from old Hanover court-house in Virginia, where the
splendors of Patrick Henry's genius first beamed forth, is a humble dwelling
by the road-side, in the midst of a miserably poor region known as the
slashes. There, on the 12th of April, 1777, Henry Clay, the great American
statesman, was born, and from the district-schools of his neighborhood he
derived his education. He was the son of a Baptist clergyman of very
limited means, hence his early advantages were of necessity meager. He
was very bashful and diffident, scarcely dare recite before his class at
school, but he 
to 
, he accordingly began the
plan of committing speeches and then reciting them in the corn-fields; at
other times they were delivered in the barn, before the cows and horse.
DETERMINATION.
Engraved Expressly for "Hidden Treasures."
(click on image to see enlarged view.)
Henry became a copyist in the office of the clerk of the Court of
Chancery, at Richmond. Here he was enabled to begin the study of law, an
opportunity which he at once embraced. While other boys were improving
their time 'having fun,' he was studying, and so closely did he occupy his
odd time that he was enabled to pass the necessary examination and be

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admitted to the bar at the early age of twenty. Two years later he moved
"West," (he was enterprising), settling at Lexington, Kentucky, where he
entered upon the practice of law.
Here he became an active politician as well as a popular lawyer. He was
an intelligent young man, and early cultivated a genial disposition which
was a leading feature of his splendid success in life. In 1799 Kentucky
called a convention for the purpose of revising the constitution of the State.
During this campaign young Clay labored earnestly to elect delegates to
that convention favorable to the extinction of slavery. Thus early he
manifested an interest in a question many years in advance of his
countrymen. This is the man who, when afterward told that his action on a
certain measure would certainly injure his political prospect replied, "I
."
It was even so in this case, his action in behalf of the freedom of slaves
offended many but his opposition to the obnoxious alien and sedition laws
later restored him to popular favor. After serving in the State legislature
with some distinction he was elected to fill the unexpired term of General
Adair in the United States Senate. Here he made excellent use of his time,
advocating bills on internal improvements, accomplishing much toward that
end, although his time expired at the end of the year. He left an impression
on that body which foretold his future greatness. He was now returned to
his State legislature where he was elected speaker, a position which he held
for the next two terms.
Another vacancy occurred and Mr. Clay was again elected to fill the
unexpired time in the United States Senate. This time he remained a
member of that body two years, and it was during this term that he placed
himself on record as one of the first and most powerful of early
protectionists; he also favored the admission of Louisiana as a State. His
term expired, he returned to his constituents, who promptly elected him to a
seat in the House of Representatives, and immediately upon his appearance
in that body he was chosen 
of the House!
This is an honor without parallel in the whole history of our legislative
affairs. It was at this session that John C. Calhoun and William H. Crawford

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first made their appearance in the National Congress. The duties of this high
office he discharged with marked ability and great satisfaction through that
and the succeeding Congress until 1814, when he was appointed one of the
commissioners to negotiate at Ghent, a treaty of peace with Great Britain.
Abroad Mr. Clay proved to be a diplomate of no mean ability, and during
his absence he was re-elected to the National Congress, and upon his re-
appearance in that august assembly was immediately chosen speaker.
Mr. Clay was one of the unsuccessful candidates for the presidency in
1824, receiving thirty-seven electoral votes, but became Secretary of State
under John Quincy Adams, who was chosen president by Congress. In
1831, after a temporary retirement, he was elected to the National Senate,
this time for a full term of six years. His services during this period were
very important. His compromise measure was probably, under the
circumstances, one of the most important bills that ever passed the senate.
As is well-known, it secured the gradual reduction of the tariff for ten years,
thus satisfying the South, but allowing the manufacturers time to
accommodate themselves to the change. Mr. Clay was a strong protectionist
but this was a compromise on both sides which Clay was willing to make,
even though it might be to satisfy a political opponent—Calhoun—to whom
he was bitterly opposed.
Certain it is when he saw his country in danger Henry Clay was not the
one to allow partisan hate to stand in opposition to any bill which might
tend to peace, and while this measure had little merit in it of itself, still it
averted a civil war at that time. In 1834 President Jackson proposed to
Congress that they should give him authority to secure indemnity from
France through reprisals. Mr. Clay, as chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, reported that Congress would not be justified in so doing,
as the neglect on the part of France was clearly unintentional, thus war was
once more averted through the influence of the 'great pacifier.'
At the presidential election of 1839 Mr. Clay, General Harrison, and
General Scott were submitted to the Whig Convention as candidates. Mr.
Clay was clearly the choice of the convention, but by one of those strange
movements which so often occur at such times General Harrison was
nominated. Many of Clay's friends were disposed to bolt, but Mr. Clay

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promptly acknowledged the ticket, and it was elected. Then followed the
death of the President in office, the obnoxious vetoes of the newly installed
President—Tyler—the division of the Whig party, the nomination of Mr.
Clay at this late inopportune time and the election of Mr. Polk.
At the next convention Mr. Clay was a very prominent candidate for the
nomination, but Mr. Taylor's military career seemed to carry everything
with it and he was nominated and elected. Had Mr. Clay been nominated at
either this convention or in 1839 he would have been elected, but like
Webster, the presidential honors were not essential to perpetuate his name.
During the year 1849, as the people of Kentucky were about to remodel
their constitution, Mr. Clay urged them to embody the principles of gradual
emancipation, but they refused to do so.
He was again returned to the senate, and during this term brought out the
compromise act of 1850. This measure, while recognizing no legal
authority for the existence of slavery in the newly acquired territory of New
Mexico, yet declared that in the establishment of territorial governments in
such territory no restriction should be made relative to slavery. It also
provided for the admission of California without restrictions on the subject
of slavery, and opposed the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.
The bill carried with slight changes. Mr. Clay being very feeble was in his
seat but few days of the session.
In 1852 he gradually sank until on June 29th, 1852, he died. In him
intellect, reason, eloquence, and courage united to form a character fit to
command. It was the remark of a distinguished senator that Mr. Clay's
eloquence was absolutely intangible to delineation; that the most labored
description could not embrace it, and that to be understood it must be seen
and felt. He was an orator by nature, and by his indomitable assiduity he at
once rose to prominence. His eagle eye burned with patriotic ardor or
flashed indignation and defiance upon his foes or was suffused with
commiseration or of pity; and it was because felt that made 
feel.
A gentleman, after hearing one of his magnificent efforts in the Senate,
thus described him: "Every muscle of the orator's face was at work. His
whole body seemed agitated, as if each part was instinct with a separate

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life; and his small white hand with its blue veins apparently distended
almost to bursting, moved gracefully, but with all the energy of rapid and
vehement gesture. The appearance of the speaker seemed that of a pure
intellect wrought up to its mightiest energies and brightly shining through
the thin and transparent will of flesh that invested it."
The particulars of the duel between Mr. Clay and Mr. Randolph maybe
interesting to our readers. The eccentric descendant of Pocahontas appeared
on the ground in a huge morning gown. This garment had such a vast
circumference that the precise whereabouts of the lean senator was a matter
of very vague conjecture. The parties exchanged shots and the ball of Mr.
Clay hit the centre of the visible object, but the body of Mr. Randolph was
untouched. Immediately after the exchange of shots Mr. Clay instantly
approached Mr. Randolph, and with a gush of the deepest emotion said, "I
trust in God, my dear sir, you are untouched; after what has occurred I
would not have harmed you for a thousand worlds." The incident referred to
above as 'occurring' was the fact of Mr. Randolph's firing in the air, thus
publicly proclaiming his intention not to harm Mr. Clay at all events.
In person, Clay was tall and commanding, being six feet and one inch in
stature, and was noted for the erect appearance he presented, while
standing, walking, or talking. The most striking features of his countenance
were a high forehead, a prominent nose, an uncommonly large mouth, and
blue eyes which, though not particularly expressive when in repose, had an
electrical appearance when kindled. His voice was one of extraordinary
compass, melody and power. From the 'deep and dreadful sub-bass of the
organ' to the most ærial warblings of its highest key, hardly a pipe or stop
was wanting. Like all the magical voices, it had the faculty of imparting to
the most familiar and commonplace expressions an inexpressible
fascination. Probably no orator ever lived who, when speaking on a great
occasion, was more completely absorbed with his theme. "I do not know
how it is with others," he once said, "but, on such occasions, I seem to be
unconscious of the external world. Wholly engrossed by the subject before
me, I lose all sense of personal identity, of time, or of surrounding objects."

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