xt7bvq2s514m https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7bvq2s514m/data/mets.xml Kentucky. General Assembly. 1854 books b92-86-27376350 English A.G. Hodges, : Frankfort, Ky. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Clay, Henry, 1777-1852. Obituary addresses on the occasion of the death of the Hon. Henry Clay : delivered in the Senate and in the House of Representatives of Kentucky, eighth of February, 1854. text Obituary addresses on the occasion of the death of the Hon. Henry Clay : delivered in the Senate and in the House of Representatives of Kentucky, eighth of February, 1854. 1854 2002 true xt7bvq2s514m section xt7bvq2s514m

OBITUARY ADDRESSES

ON THE

OCCASION OF THE DEATH

or Tim

HON

HENRY CLAY

DELIVERED IN THE

SENATE AND IN THE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
KENTUCKY,

EIGHTH OF FEBRUARY, 1854.

FRANKFORT:
A. G. HODGES, STATE PRINTER.
1864.

This page in the original text is blank.

IN THE HOUSE OR REPRESENTATIVES OF KENTUCKY.

FEBRUARY 11, 1854.

MR. WOODsoic read and laid on the table the following resolution,
viz:
Resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, That a committee of two on the part of the Senate,
and three on the part of the House of Representatives, be ap-
pointed to request of Messrs. D. Howard Smith, Wolfe, Golla-
day, Alachen, and Cunningham, of the Senate, and Messrs.
Hunt, Bates, Eve, T. L. Jones, Boyd, King, Dunlap, and More-
head, of the House, a copy of their remarks upon the preamble
and resolutions in relation to the death of HENRY CLAY, and
that 5,000 copies of the same be printed, in pamplet form,
by the public printer, for the use of the members of the
present General Assembly.
The rule of the house requiring joint resolutions to lie
one day on the table having been dispensed with, the said
resolution was twice read dnd adopted.

IN THE SENATE OF KENTUCKY.

FEBRUARY 11, 1S54.

A message was received from the House of Representa-
tives, by Mir. NVoodson, announcing that they head adopted a
resolution in relation to the speeches made on the preamble
and resolutions in relation to the dearth of Hon. HaNaY
CL MY.
Which was taken up, twice read, and adopted.

This page in the original text is blank.

DEATH OF HENRY CLAY.

IN THE SENATE OF KENTUCKY,

FEBRUARY 8, 1854.

Mr. D. HOWARD SMITE, of Scott, addressed the Senate in substance
as follows:
MR. SPEAKER: I rise to perform a most melancholy task.
It becomes my painful duty to announce to this body an
event which occurred since its last session, and which has
sent a pang of the deepest sorrow not only to the heart of
all Kentucky, but to the whole American people, and the
friends of liberty throughout the entire civilized world.
HENRY CLAY, the great American orator, patriot and
statesman; he, who, by the power of his genius and the ex-
traordinary character of his deeds, shed such an imperisha-
ble lustre upon our name and fame, sleeps in his grave! The
brightest luminary that ever dawned upon the republic has
gone down in a cloud of sorrow and tears. And whilst I
stand here realizing as I do the loss my country and man-
kind has sustained in the death of this great and good man,
my heart is moved with no ordinary emotion.
When I look back over the history of my country
and contemplate the life and services of Henry ClayJ. am
lost in wonder and admiration. Born in poverty and obscu-
rity, inheriting none of the mighty influences of wealth and
family, he achieved for himself and his country, by the
power of his own unaided genius and energy, a name and
fame that will challenge comparison with the brightest intel-
lest of ancient or modern times.

It would be impossible, Mr. Speaker, for me, on an occa-
sion of this kind, even if it were proper, to go back and
review the life, and chaiacter of the distinguished deceased.
But, sir, whilst this is the case, I feel that I should be recre-
ant to my duty and my feelings if I did not call the atten-
tion of the Senate to a few of the leading events of his
life.
Coming to Kentucky whilst yet a boy, he settled in the
then village of Lexington, and commenced the practice of
law in competition with some of thb first men of the state.
Thoroughly trained in the- principles Qf his profession, and
conscious of his own powers, he very soon made himself felt,
and rapidly rose into position and influence. Overleaping
as8 it were at a bound, the ordinary barriers that impose
themselves between young ambition and fame, he established
for himself a reputation as an able and powerful advocate
that was enjoyed by but few men in the state. The latent
spark of genius was soon kindled into a flame. All eyes
were attracted to the youthful orator. The people, from
among whom he had sprung, dazzled by his transcendant in-
tellect, and warmed by his ardent and enthusiastic nature, as
if by instinct, reached out their arms and claimed him as
their own.
Yielding to the impulses of his bosom, and obeying what
he believed to be the popular will, he was very soon returned
over an able and popular opponent, a member of the other
branch of thi8 am8emliblg,' from the county of Falyettc. In
this new, and to him untried theatre, he fully sustained the
high reputation he had already won at the bar. It was here,
in these halls, that he laid the foundation of his stateiman-
ship; it was here that he exhibited the first evidence of
those rare and extraordinary gifts of forensic power that
gave him in after life so much influence at home and tfme
abroad.

Standing almost without a rival in his adopted state as an
orator and statesman, and the acknowledged leader of the
republican party of that day in the distant west, he was very
soon returned by the people of Kentucky a member of tae
national Congress, serving first as a member of the Senate,
and then as a member of the House of Representatives. In
this new and more extended field for an exhibition of talents
and genius, Mr. CLAY very soon established for himself a
reputation as an able and powerful debater, and as a wise and
sagacious public servant, that was enjoyed by but few of the
host o. great men who adorned the national councils at that
period.
It is to him that the American people are mainly indebt-
ed for the war of 181 2-that second struggle for our inde-
pendence-and its final and honorable adjustment. When
our flag had again and again been insulted fand outraged, and
our rights trodden under foot, and a portion of the Ameii-
can people were isposed tamely to submit to it, the great Ken-
tuckian was among the first to rise in his place, upon the
floor of Congress, and cry out against it, and sound the cla-
rion blast of war. With that proud indignation so instinct-
ivc in the heart of every true American, when his rights are
invaded, he called on his counitrymen to take up arms and
avenge the wrongs that had been helped upon them. His
voice, with that of other patriots, was heard, and war declar-
ed. During the whole period of that protracted struggle
Mr. CLAY stood side by side with Calhoun, Lowndes, and oth-
ers, leading the war party in Congress until peace-an hon-
orable and glorious peace-was achieved. At the close of
the war, such had been his exertions in behalf of the coun-
try, and such the transcendant ability with which he had ac-
quitted himself, that his fame was fixed.
Thoroughly and devotedly attached to our peculiar insti-
tutions; a warm and ardent friend of liberty and liberal
principles, his heart was always ready to pour out, in streams

of burning eloquence, its sympathy for the oppressed of
every nation. Among the ablest speeches that he delivered
on the floor of Congress was one in behalf of South Ameri-
can independence. The shouts of the gallant soldiers under
the heroic Bolivar, as the distant voice of CLAY fell upon
their ears, are still echoed in that far off country. They
still hold in grateful remembrance his disinterested love for
their rights, as the noble shaft which they have erected to
his memory fully attests.
Nor was he unmindful of the down-trodden rights of
Greece-unfortunate Greece-that land of poetry and song,
so dear to the memory of every patriot and scholar. In
1818, when that mother of literature and art was rent with
war and commotion, CLAY, inspired as it were with the asso-
ciations that were thrown around her, poured out in her be-
half a torrent of fire and eloquence that electrified the whole
civilized world. Mr. Speaker, if Mr. CLAY had left no other
monument to his memory than his efforts in behalf of the
liberties of these unfortunate countries, his name and fame
would have been immortal. But, sir, the proudest achieve-
ments of his life were made in behalf of his own country.
There is scarcely a page in our country's history, for the
last half century, that is not impressed with the wonderful
influence of his genius and patriotism.
Sir, my heart swells with pride and gratitude that words
cannot express, as memory calls to view the toil, the almost
superhuman exertions he underwent for his country. Who
but him could have preserved our national unity in 1820,
when every element of civil concord was shaken to the cen-
tre, consequent upon the proposition to admit Missouri into
the Union Who but him could have driven back the tide
of war, rapine, and destruction in 1833, when that hydra-
headed monster, nullification, exhibited itself in the south,
and shook to the very centre the Temple of Liberty itself
Who but him could have settled the angry elements of see-

tional discord and strife in 1850, which were raging like a
consuming fire, and threatening all around Mr. Speaker,
the services rendered by HENRY CLAY to his country .on those
three memorable occasions, will live green in the memory of
untold generations to come. I could ask no greater, nor
more enduring monument to his memory, than the author-
ship of those three great measures of pacification:
"I ask tot for the chisel's boast-
A Pantheon's cloud of glory
Bathing in Heaven's noon-tide the host
Of those who swell her story!
Though these proud works of magic hand
Fame's rolling trump shall fill,
The best of all these peerless bands
Is pulseless marble still."
As a statesman and patriot, he was almost without a rival.
As a great party leader, HENRY CLAY stood without a peer.
Born to command, it was not for him to follow in the wake
Qf others. Bold, sagacious, and eminently wise and prudent,
he possessed elements for a successful executive officer, equal,
if not superior to any man of his day.
But whilst Mr. CLAY was a partisan, and perhaps the
greatest party leader of his day, as has been stated, yet, sir,
he never allowed party fealty to stand between him and his
country. iere questions of expediency, which usually di-
vide parties, wele to him as nothing when they interfered
with his obligations to his country. He held the perpetua-
tion of the principles of our institutions, the Union, and our
peculiar form of government, above all other considerations.
There was no sacrifice, no conciliation, no concessions that
he would not make when it was necessary to save his country
from anarchy and ruin. Patriotism was the ruling passion
of his life-every motive, feeling, action, was made to bend
to it. The greatest and most brilliant achievements of his
long and eventful life were the result of this principle in his
nature.
2

He was, sir, essentially and emphatically American in his
every feeling. He lived for the glory of his country, and at
last died for i18 safety. No leader ever won more distinction
-none ever met greater opposition. Conscious of the puri-
ty of his own motives, and the rectitude of his conduct, he
never in the darkest hour of his adversity desponded. It is a
proud reflection to know that his life was spared to him to
see that he had lived down calumny, and had at last receiv-
ed the gratitude and plaudit of every patriot in the land.
Among the last acts of his long and eventful life, was to
leave his testimonial in behalf of the injunction of Washing-
ton, that we should steer clear of all entangling alliances with
foreign powers. The admonition of the dying statesman
upon this subject impressed itself upon every American
heart. It was the last thr6b of the patriot's bosom, and as
such should be held sacred.
But, Mr. Speaker, it is not my purpose to pronounce a
eulogium upon the character of the distinguished deceased,
nor to recount in set phrase his public services-that be-
longs to other and abler hands. The impartial historian,
when he comes to write the history of the republic, will do
full justice to his life and character. He, and he alone, can
correctly portray the influence of HENRY CLAY on his race
and the destinies of the world. Kentucky will never cease
to feel grateful to him for his services,nor will she ever cease
to cherish his memory as her most brilliant and gifted son.
Mr. Speaker, I offer the following resolutions, which I hope
will meet the approbation of the Senate:
WBEREAS, it has pleased the Almighty to remove, by death, from
our midst, our most eminent citizen, HENRY CLAY, we feel that Ken-
tucky owes it to herself to place upon her own records some enduring
evidence of the estimation in which she holds the purity of his public
life, the soundness of his principles and patriotism, and of the profound
sorrow with which the commonwealth has been impressed by this sad
bereavement Be it therefore

1. Resolved by the General Assembly of the Comtonwealth or
Kentucky, That the melancholy intelligence of the death of our illus-
trious citizen, HENRY CLAY, was received by the people of Kentucky
with the deepest and mQst painful sensibility. His long, brilliant, and
patriotic services in the councils of the State ano nation; his devoted
and successful labors in behalf of the Union, and the cause of liberty;
his matchless oratory and unrivalled statesmanship, have created an
affection for his name and memory in the hearts of his countrymen
that will be cherished to the latest generation.
2. That as a token of our respect for the memory of the deceased,
the sergeants-at-arms of the two houses of this assembly are instruct-
ed to have their respective halls clad in mourning for the residue of
the session.
3. That as a further token of our respect for the memory of the
deceased, we will wear the usual badge of mourning on the left arm
for the space of thirty days.

MR. MACHEN, of Lyon, arose and said:
Ma. SPEAKER: Eulogy upon HENRY CLAY seems to be
now unnecessary. For nearly two years a nation has mourn-
ed his loss, his memory is embalmed in the affections of the
people of these United States, and wherever civilization has
unfurled the sails of commerce his fame has spread. HSNRY
CLAY though dead, yet lives. In every hamlet in our land
his virtues are rehearsed, and to every youth, it matters not
how lowly may be his present lot, he speaks in cheering tones,
and bids him take courage and press on. From his history,
the young, the middle aged, the old, may all gather lessons
of wisdom, instructive alike in their respective conditions.
His fame is the common property of the nation, and al-
though Kentucky cherished him in his more youthful career,
and witnessed the first developments of that gigantic intel-
lect, which in its noon-tide refulgence astonished the world,
and caused statesmen of every clime to join in acknowledg-
meats of its unequalled splendor, and now embosomed his
loved remains, yet, sir, she asks nat that his renown shall
be her legacy alone, but freely concedes to the nation over

which his oratory was so potent, a full participation in that
rich treasure. Mr. Speaker, it was my fate to differ with
MR. CLAY in many of his political views, but, sir, I heartily
joined in the wail of woe which was heard throughout the
land when it was announced that death had affixed his seal
upon his aged brow. In that eventful hour the nation sus-
tained a loss in many respects irreparable. It was said by
one of the ancient orators that "the evil that men do lives
after them; the good is often interred with their bones."
But so it shall not be with HENRY CLAY. That Mu. .CLAY
was without faults none will contend, but, sir, those faults
are buried with his dust-his virtues will live as long. as
freedom has an advocate or republics a name. The resolu-
tions offered by the gentleman from Scott meet my hearty
approbation, and I trust will be unanimously adopted. I shall
say no more.

MR. GOLLADAY, of Logan, addressed the Senate. in substance as fol-
lows:
MR. SPEAKER: I do not rise upon the present occasion
for the purpose of making a speech, or with the hope of add-
ing one sentiment-to swell the tide of eloquent tribute to the
memory of HENRY CLAY, which it has been my fortune to
listen to upon this mournful occasion. But whilst I have
listened, spell bound by the lofty eloquence and patriotic
sentiments which have fallen from the lips of my colleagues
who have addressed the Senate, I cannot endure the wild,
and, I trust pardonable throbbings of a Kentucky heart, did
I content me in my seat and not give vent to the feelings
which swell my bosom on this sad occasion.
We have met, Mr. Speaker, to render up our hearts' hom-
age to a great and good man, wh ose less we, in common with
a whole nation, mourn, and to 1 ear some humble tribute of
a nation's sorrow at so dreadful a dispensatiou of providence
INRY CLAY is dead! ! Who t hat hears his n ame does not

feel his heart glow with pride and deep emotion Who does
not feel proud that humanity claims such a man for her vo-
tary, and that America can appropriate his fame But, Mr.
Speaker, our sorrow and our tears are of no avail now, far-
ther than as an expression of our deep grief at the loss of
such a man. HENRY CLAY is no more, but his name and
fame is dear to every American heart, and his memory is
peculiarly enshrined in the hearts of Kentuckians; and
though we no longer feel his presence in our national coun-
cils, no longer hear his clarion notes in our halls, no longer
feel our hearts stirred into a more intense enthusiasm, by
listening to his Godlike eloquence and patriotic fervor, which
always, disregarding personal popularity, soared above and be-
yond all party shackels, knowing "no north, no south, no east,
no west," nothing but his country, still may we hope that his
spirit lingers around our common country and her free insti-
tutions, with intense sympathy to herald u! the way to honor.
greatness, and true glory.
France may boast of her Napoleon with feelings peculiar
to France. Poland will muse upon the days of her Kosci-
usko with feelings peculiar to herself England with min-
gled gloom and glory will associate Nelson and Trafalgar.
Ireland as she sweeps the wild harp of her country's misfor-
tunes, will sing of the eloquence of her Curran and the mar-
tyrdom of her Emmet; but America, proud, glorious, free,
united America, will sing the virtues of her CLAY with such
feelings as can alone inspire the bosom of freemen; and unlike
other nations she takes not the harp with which she cele-
brates his praises frdm the willow which bends above the
tomb of his burial glory.
But our CLAY is no more. That voice is now stilled in the
silence of death, that voice whose thrilling notes once in-
spired the wild shouts of freemen, in all the ecstacy of love
and admiration, is heard no more forever, but in its stead the
low funereal note of woe, or the still more affecting sight of

a nation's tears; and that manly form that once rivited a
nation's gaze now sleeps beneath the green sod of his loved
home near by, with laurels all too fresh and green to die,
and his spirit too is gone
"Like the dew upon the mountains,
Like the foam on the river,
Like the bubble on the fountains,
It is gone and forever."

Mr. WOLFE, of Louisville, arose and said:
MR. SPEARER: The mournful event so eloquently alluded
to by the honorable senator from Scott, awakens our recollec-
tions of the loss the nation has sustained in the death of
HENRY CLAY.
Desperate would be the attempt on our part to meet cor-
respondingly so great an affliction; for while we bow with
humble submission to the will of an overruling Providence,
we cannot cease to lament the heart-rending privation for
which Kentucky and the whole nation weep. The twenty-
ninth day of June, 1852, witnessed the expiring struggle of
the illustrious statesman. On that day disease put an end
to his long career. I will not say an end. His fame survives.
Boundless as the shoreless air, his great name survives in
our hearts. It will pervade the minds of our posterity, and
of distant nations in ages yet to come; and when the mar-
ble monument, which a grateful country shall erect to his
memory, shall have crumbled into dust-when nations shall
have been swept from earth by the wing of time-when this
mighty empire shall have perished-still will the glory of
our CLAY continue to shine, and his name, encircled by the
imperishable wreath entwined by a grateful country, will
stand in all coming time a "light, a land-mark, on the cliffs
of fame."
How, Mr. Speaker, shall I portray the character of this
cherished son of Kentucky Shall I go back to the period

of his youth when an orphan boy "ignorant of a father's
smile," he entered, unaided by the influence of wealth or
friends, upon the theatre of life, to encounter its vicissitudes
and to struggle with its difficulties Sir, his was a high
resolve. It was a dedication of himself to his country's
welfare. It was a resolve to be foremost in the band of pa-
triots, who were struggling for imperishable renown. Impell-
ed by these feelings he pressed forward in the path of glory,
as though he had already heard in advance the noble invoca-
tion of the poet of the succeeding generation-
"In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of life.
Be not like dumb driven cattle,
Be a hero in the strife."
Shall I conduct you to the halls of Congress, where his
matchless eloquence inspired his countrymen with a deep
sense of the wrongs that the insolent and tyrannic Briton
inflicted upon our people, and where his noble spirit exert-
ed itself above all others in sustaining their honor Will
you follow him in his career, and view him calming the an-
gry waves of party that then threatened to engulph the
most cherished of all our earthly objects, the union of these
states Fanatic zeal had well nigh severed the bonds of
our Union,but his arm was mighty to save, and by his exer-
tions the Union triumphed. Nullification too reared its.hid-
eous head. Its parricidal arm was uplifted to destroy the
union of the states. But the voice of CLAY was heard plead-
ing for peace, for the constitution, for the Union, and the up-
lifted arm of the traitor fell nerveless by his side. The
Union triumphed, and CLAY was made immortal.
It is true he was not honored with the presidency of the
Union. It is true that party spirit, with demoniac hatred,
pursued him and unceasingly sought to blast him. It is
true that the tempter policy whispered in his ear "beware,"
when duty bade him proceed. He did proceed. He lost the

presidency. He saved the Union. "He had rather be right
than president."
I"Justum et tenacem propositi virum,
Non civium ardor prava jubentium,
Non vultus instantis tyranni,
Mente quatit solida."
The history of HEmRY CLAY will form a model for the
humble and obscure youth of our country through all time.
They will learn from his example, that industry, integrity
and patriotism will always meet a rich reward. A contem-
plation of his struggles and his fame will refresh their recol-
lection with the sublime sentiment of the poet:
"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us
Foot prints on the sands of time."
Mr. Speaker, how wide the contrast between the character
of the illustrious statesman whose death we deplore, and
that of the great heroes and conquerors of ancient and mod-
ern times. The warrior who has desolated empires for his
own aggrandizement, or the usurper of the liberties of his
country, may have his hours of triumph, in which he may
feast on the adulation of the sycophants that surround him.
But a returning sense of the wrongs he has inflicted on his
country, the fields red with human gore his ambition has
produced, the dagger of the assassin that plays in airy terror
before his vision, all conspire to make him wretched indeed.
The life of a splendid wretch like this, stands out in bold
contrast on the page of history with his who breathed no
wish but for his country's good, and who daily read his his-
tory in a Ration's eyes.
Such was the man our country has lost. Such was the
man for whom the nation mourns. Methinks I hear falling
from his lips the deep sinking words: "Tshe Union first, the
Uanion last, the Union one and indivisible."

Mr. CUNNINGHAM, of Bourbon, rose and said:
Ma. SPEAKER-I am no orator, but I cannot keep my seat
in silence while the noble name of HENRY CLAY is the subject
of discussion. I knew him well and intimately-for long years
I knew him, not merely as the greatest statesman of the
age, but as a private gentleman, a dear personal friend. The
recollection of his magnificent talents-his glorious charac-
ter and career-thrill me with unutterable emotions. I am
not prepared to pronounce a formal eulogy upon him; nor
is it necessary. His name itself stands a tower of strength
and beauty in all lands and for all times. His memory can
never die. I have listened with the highest gratification to
the eulogies that have been pronounced upon him here to
day; and especially to the eloquent tribute paid to his char-
acter and services by my democratic friend, the talented
senator from Lyon, (Mr. Machen.) My heart responds
to the generous spirit in which he spoke; and I trust all par-
ties here will cordially unite and unanimously adopt these
resolutions.

This page in the original text is blank.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

FEBReARY 8, 1854.

A message was received from the Senate announcing the
adoption of the following preamble and resolutions, viz:
WVHEREAS, it has pleased the Almighty to remove, by death, from
our midst, our most eminent citizen, HENRY CLAY, we feel that Ken-
tucky owes it to herself to place upon her own records some enduring
evidence of the estimation in which she holds the purity of his public
life, the soundness of his principles and patriotism, and of the profound
sorrow with which the commonwealth has been impressed by this sad
bereavement. Be it therefore
1. Resolved by the General Assembly of the Common wealth of Een-
tucky, That the melancholy intelligence of the death of our illustrious
citizen, HENRT CLAY, was received by the people of Kentucky with
the deepest and most painful sensibility. His long, brilliant, and par-
triotic services in the councils of the state and nation; his devoted and
successful labors in behalf of the Union, and the cause of liberty; his
matchless oratory and unrivalled statesmanship, have created an affec-
tion for his name and memory in the hearts of his countrymen that
will be cherished to the latest generation.
2'. That as a token of our respect for the memory of the deceased,
the sergeants-at-arms of the two houses of this assembly are instruct-
ad to have their respective halls clad in mourning for the residue of
the session'
S. That as a further token of our respect for the memory of the
deceased, we will wear the usual badge of mourning on the left arm
for the space of thirty days.

Ms. HuxT, of Fayette, arose and said:
MR. SPEAKER: It is certainly unnecessary for me to urge
the adoption of these resolutions; yet, as a representative
from Fayette oounty, I cannot remain silent on an occasioQ

like this. Fayette county-the home chosen by Mr. CLAT
at an age when his great powers were yet undeveloped, and
to which, for the rest of his life, he returned for repose in
the intervals of his arduous public labors; which heard the
first burst of his young eloquence, and whence issued some
of the latest productions of his matured wisdom; the home,
too, of many personal friends who were devoted to him
through his whole brilliant but checkered career; the spot
to which his lifeless body was borne on the arms of a weep-
ing country-now, when the authorities bf the state he
served so long and faithfully first have opportunity to ex-
press their sense of their own and the general loss, the voice
of Fayette county should be heard joining in the general
lamentation.
I am sensible, sir, that this is no occasion for an elaborate
dissertation or eulogium upon the character and career of
Ur. CLAY. His character was of that bold, free, and open
cast, his qualities were so striking, his career was so before
the eyes of all men, that the world has long ago formed and
pronounced its judgment upon them. He was certainly the
most able and efficient of party leaders, a statesman of the
boldest views and most comprehensive intellect, an orator of
matchless eloquence, a civil officer of the highest adminis-
trative capacity. He was characterized, too, by manly frank-
ness, noble patriotism, and clear and unsullied honor. He
was a man of rigid iron will, abd of overmastering energy of
character; but at the same time he had a wonderful power to
persuade, to charm, and to control those hom he specially
strove to sway. He was brought into contact with the
greatest men of the nation, but through the vigor of his
character, and the force of his genius, he towered above them
avl. He was ambitious; but with a noble ambition-ambi-
tious of attaining the highest public honors by the greatest
public services. And, sir, in time of trouble, what courage
and fearless patriotism marked his course When less noble

spirits were cowering to the tempest, how boldly he faced
the fiercest storm. When the violent controversies, with
which we have been most convulsed, were threatening to tear
asunder the ties that had so long and happily held this na-
tion united in peace and unexampled prosperity, and to cast
the fragments on the stream of disoord and civil strife, on
each occasion, the great statesman and patriot disregarding
party attachments, sectional connections, and personal com-
mitments, marked out, with a bold and free hand, the path
of compromise, led the way, and the whole nation gladly fol-
lowed. And so it happened that he, whose whole life had
been one of constant struggle; who had met, throughout his
career, the fiercest opposition; around whom had grown up
the bitterest enmities; and whose very personal character
had been subject to the vilest assaults of opprobrium and
calumny; at the last found himself with almost all parties
uniting upon his healing measures, the enmities of past years
fallen away and disappearing, his high qualities every where
recognized, and the whole nation ready to rise up with one
accord, and hail him as the savior of his country.
After a long life spent in the public service, the illustrious
senator died at his post. Though far advanced in years and
enfeebled by a fatal disease, he repaired to the seat of gov-
ernment to look to the safety of his last compromise, and of
the Union whose great champion he was; but his vital powers
were exhausted, and he reached Washington, but to linger a
few months, to give his country a few parting admonitions,
and to die. Happy, thrice happy in all the circumstances
of his death! On the theatre of his greatest triumphs and
most brilliant services, in the very shade of the senate house,
surrounded by assiduous, sympathizing, and devoted friends,
with the eyes, of all his countrymen turned with affiectionate
solicitude towards his dying bed, cheered by the recollections
of a magnificent past, sustained by the confident hope of a
cloudless future beyond the grave, the great statesman sank

calmly and peacefully to his rest. And then, amid the most
marked demonstrations of affe