the writings-2-第32章

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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　countrymen；　and　of　such　it

is　not　now　proper　to　speak　particularly。　　But　there　are　many

others；　about　his　course　upon　which　there　is　little　or　no

disagreement　amongst　intelligent　and　patriotic　Americans。　　Of

these　last　are　the　War　of　1812；　the　Missouri　question；

nullification；　and　the　now　recent　compromise　measures。　　In　1812

Mr。　Clay；　though　not　unknown；　was　still　a　young　man。　　Whether　we

should　go　to　war　with　Great　Britain　being　the　question　of　the

day；　a　minority　opposed　the　declaration　of　war　by　Congress；　while

the　majority；　though　apparently　inclined　to　war；　had　for　years

wavered；　and　hesitated　to　act　decisively。　　Meanwhile　British

aggressions　multiplied；　and　grew　more　daring　and　aggravated。　　By

Mr。　Clay　more　than　any　other　man　the　struggle　was　brought　to　a

decision　in　Congress。　　The　question；　being　now　fully　before

Congress；　came　up　in　a　variety　of　ways　in　rapid　succession；　on

most　of　which　occasions　Mr。　Clay　spoke。　　Adding　to　all　the　logic

of　which　the　subject　was　susceptible　that　noble　inspiration　which

came　to　him　as　it　came　to　no　other；　he　aroused　and　nerved　and

inspired　his　friends；　and　confounded　and　bore　down　all

opposition。　　Several　of　his　speeches　on　these　occasions　were

reported　and　are　still　extant；　but　the　best　of　them　all　never

was。　　During　its　delivery　the　reporters　forgot　their　vocation；

dropped　their　pens；　and　sat　enchanted　from　near　the　beginning　to

quite　the　close。　　The　speech　now　lives　only　in　the　memory　of　a

few　old　men；　and　the　enthusiasm　with　which　they　cherish　their

recollection　of　it　is　absolutely　astonishing。　　The　precise

language　of　this　speech　we　shall　never　know；　but　we　do　know　we

cannot　help　knowingthat　with　deep　pathos　it　pleaded　the　cause

of　the　injured　sailor；　that　it　invoked　the　genius　of　the

Revolution；　that　it　apostrophized　the　names　of　Otis；　of　Henry；

and　of　Washington；　that　it　appealed　to　the　interests；　the　pride；

the　honor；　and　the　glory　of　the　nation；　that　it　shamed　and

taunted　the　timidity　of　friends；　that　it　scorned　and　scouted　and

withered　the　temerity　of　domestic　foes；　that　it　bearded　and

defied　the　British　lion；　and；　rising　and　swelling　and　maddening

in　its　course；　it　sounded　the　onset；　till　the　charge；　the　shock；

the　steady　struggle；　and　the　glorious　victory　all　passed　in　vivid

review　before　the　entranced　hearers。



Important　and　exciting　as　was　the　war　question　of　1812；　it　never

so　alarmed　the　sagacious　statesmen　of　the　country　for　the　safety

of　the　Republic　as　afterward　did　the　Missouri　question。　　This

sprang　from　that　unfortunate　source　of　discordnegro　slavery。

When　our　Federal　Constitution　was　adopted；　we　owned　no　territory

beyond　the　limits　or　ownership　of　the　States；　except　the

territory　northwest　of　the　River　Ohio　and　east　of　the

Mississippi。　　What　has　since　been　formed　into　the　States　of

Maine；　Kentucky　and　Tennessee；　was；　I　believe；　within　the　limits

of　or　owned　by　Massachusetts；　Virginia；　and　North　Carolina。　　As