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