the writings-2-第31章

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may　threaten；　or　pour　the　oil　of　peace　upon　the　troubled　billows

as　they　rage　and　menace　around！　　Who　can　realize　that　the

workings　of　that　mighty　mind　have　ceased；　that　the　throbbings　of

that　gallant　heart　are　stilled；　that　the　mighty　sweep　of　that

graceful　arm　will　be　felt　no　more；　and　the　magic　of　that　eloquent

tongue；　which　spake　as　spake　no　other　tongue　besides；　is　hushed

hushed　for　ever！　　Who　can　realize　that　freedom's　champion；　the

champion　of　a　civilized　world　and　of　all　tongues　and　kindreds　of

people；　has　indeed　fallen！　　Alas；　in　those　dark　hours　of　peril

and　dread　which　our　land　has　experienced；　and　which　she　may　be

called　to　experience　again；　to　whom　now　may　her　people　look　up

for　that　counsel　and　advice　which　only　wisdom　and　experience　and

patriotism　can　give；　and　which　only　the　undoubting　confidence　of

a　nation　will　receive？　　Perchance　in　the　whole　circle　of　the

great　and　gifted　of　our　land　there　remains　but　one　on　whose

shoulders　the　mighty　mantle　of　the　departed　statesman　may　fall；

one　who　while　we　now　write　is　doubtless　pouring　his　tears　over

the　bier　of　his　brother　and　friend　brother；　friend；　ever；　yet　in

political　sentiment　as　far　apart　as　party　could　make　them。　　Ah；

it　is　at　times　like　these　that　the　petty　distinctions　of　mere

party　disappear。　　We　see　only　the　great；　the　grand；　the　noble

features　of　the　departed　statesman；　and　we　do　not　even　beg

permission　to　bow　at　his　feet　and　mingle　our　tears　with　those　who

have　ever　been　his　political　adherentswe　do　＇not＇　beg　this

permission；　we　claim　it　as　a　right；　though　we　feel　it　as　a

privilege。　　Henry　Clay　belonged　to　his　countryto　the　world；

mere　party　cannot　claim　men　like　him。　　His　career　has　been

national；　his　fame　has　filled　the　earth；　his　memory　will　endure

to　the　last　syllable　of　recorded　time。



〃Henry　Clay　is　dead！　　He　breathed　his　last　on　yesterday；　at

twenty　minutes　after　eleven；　in　his　chamber　at　Washington。　　To

those　who　followed　his　lead　in　public　affairs；　it　more

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