If This Clay Could Talk

Lee, it doesn't seem to tug on our emotions and sense of national curiosity to the extent the periods bracketing it always do. There seemingly is a lot less action and fewer obvious heros; but again, going beneath the surface one will find that this is not the case at all. There is less blood and less gun powdered in the Silver Age, but the political action is tumultuous and fortuitous; and the era is a treasure trove of colorful and fascinating American characters. Few periods can rival it for it's abundance of individuals of such riveting interest; in their personalities, in their characters, in their actions, and in their competing points of view and outlooks.

We haven't even mentioned the writers and poets, the journalist and publishers, the bankers and industrialist, the gamblers and speculators and scoundrels and drunkards, the Indian fighters and Indian leaders, the slaves and slave masters, the social reformers and idealists, the farmers and laborers, the explorers and generals and pioneers that spread America from a narrow strip of land on the eastern corridor of the continent across the vast expanse of territory to the far reaches of the Pacific shore. And the generation of people and leaders that came after it; Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, Grant and Sherman, Lee and Stonewall Jackson, Fredrick Douglas and Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain, were all a product of it, as we all, in so many ways, still are, whether we know it or not.

For it was the task of this generation and it's political leaders to build on the legacy left by the Founding Fathers, and not, as Professor Merrill D. Peterson pointed out, to make a union and a constitution, but to preserve them; and not to secure liberty and self-government, but to reinforce and embellish them. And that the path led eventually to civil war should not necessarily be seen as an indictment of failure against them, but viewed as a natural outgrowth of the conflicting interests that they had to deal with, leading to a final and firm establishment of what the Union and the United States of America was and is: And at the center of this drama stands the towering figure of Henry Clay.

He just may be the quintessential American politician, encompassing all that implies, both good and bad. His words could be inspiring and persuasive, pleading and cajoling and motivating others into courageous action, into doing the right thing. But he was also often full of blather and pomposity, disingenuousness and divisiveness, confusing the issues and his intent behind the smoke screen of his fiery rhetoric. He could be terribly selfish and self-interested, yet he would sacrifice his most strongly held points of view when the integrity of the Union he so loved and so tried to shepherd were imperiled.

The Union he put above all else. He made a considerable amount of money as a lawyer and businessman and could have achieved even greater personal wealth for himself and his family had he not so ardently sought great political power. His farm, Ashland, was one of the finest estates of his era.

Clay derived great pleasure from farming and raising livestock, but he sacrificed much of that enjoyment to his sense of duty and public service. His record on slavery was mixed. He always condemned it, labeled it a great evil, a curse on both the slave and the master, once even tried to have it outlawed in his home state of Kentucky, and wished that the institution had never been established to blight the reputation of the country. How could we espouse ideals of liberty and self-determination to the rest of the world while we held other human beings in bondage?

His words and ideas were a major influence on Lincoln who would later often quote Clay on the subject. Yet Henry Clay himself owned up to 60 slaves at one point, and didn't believe that the black man could ever live in harmony with the white man.

Clay wanted a gradual emancipation to take place, and as the President of the American Colonization Society, purposed to train them well, outfit them properly, and then send them back to Africa where he felt they would be happier. He was as much a racist as most 19th Century Americans were. But having said that, in the context of his times his views on slavery were considered progressive, especially for a slave holder.

He was noted for his good and kind treatment of his Negroes and before he died he had emancipated most of them. He always feared the issue might rip the Union apart and spoke out against abolitionist and slavery expansionist alike, strongly condemning both.

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And he paid a high political price for his opinions, especially toward the end of his career. Clay was consistent in his views, but many thought he was deliberately straddling the issue. Abolitionist condemned him as a hypocrite while slave holding Southerners distrusted his "progressive" views and anti-slavery rhetoric.

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This combination probably cost him the presidential election in He was always noted for his political acumen and skill, especially in marshaling his forces in Congress. But in the Presidential arena he was always outmaneuvered and was often his own worse enemy. It is amazing how many blunders he made in his quest for the Presidency, so much so that one almost has to question his reputed ability for political management.

And he never seemed to adjust fully to the political changes that took place in America after In fact, he was the biggest victim of them. He was one of the most famous and popular public figures of the era, but he perhaps rightly so distrusted the democratic movement; and the people, sensing this, mistrusted him in return and rejected him 3 times for the nation's highest office. No American was ever better loved and received fewer votes than Henry Clay.

The most charming of fellows, a huge hit with the ladies, he was the best of company, a manly man admired and liked by his colleagues, friendly and congenial, always ready to put aside political differences for a party, a card game, a good strong drink. But when crossed, when angered, as he often was, Henry Clay was ready to take to the field of honor for a duel, or to use his eloquence and slashing, sarcastic wit to demean, defame, or destroy his opponents.

At times he mixed eloquence with arrogance to such a degree that the combination could be reckless and destructive. This was the element of his personality that lead to the dictatorship charge, and in the long run it hurt his political effectiveness. He could inspire great loyalty, even love, but for all his enormous charm and magnetism he also hurt feelings, engendered ire, and made lasting political enemies.

Clay, you are much too impetuous," President Harrison once bellowed at him. Only Daniel Webster could match him for his oratory.

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In an age when public speaking was not only a high art but a form of public and political entertainment, Clay was the chief practitioner. He had a voice like a pipe organ and an actor's sense of theatrics that stirred all who ever heard him. Clay was going to speak the galleries would be packed to overflowing and would often have to be cleared because of the uproarious responses his speeches would receive.

And he had an intangible presence about him that drew people, even some of his opponents, under his spell. When a new member of the House was once asked if he wished to meet The Speaker he replied, "I do not wish to meet Mr. He is my opponent and I do not wish to subject myself to his fascination. Calhoun once supposedly remarked, "I don't like Clay.

He is a bad man, an imposter, a creator of wicked schemes. I wouldn't speak to him, but, by God, I love him. He characterized him as "the basest, meanest, scoundrel that ever disgraced the image of his god Of course Clay was no more generous himself, calling the President, among other things, "ignorant, passionate, hypocritical, corrupt, and easily swayed by the basest men around him," a characterization which another set of historians often applied to Jackson. These two great leaders despised each other with a fury rarely approached in American history.

Even Hamilton and Jefferson had better relations and more respect for each other. The irony is that Jackson and Clay, in many ways, were so much alike, not only in background and career, but, in some regards, in terms of temperament as well. Jackson grew up much poorer and under cruder circumstances than Clay did, though Henry didn't exactly come from a privileged, sophisticated background. Both suffered the early loss of a parent in Jackson's case, both parents and both had experienced childhood terror inflicted by the hand of the British during the Revolutionary war.

They are starting to design their house for their interests. Today, green living is in vogue, which is why American Clay has gained in popularity. The clay-based plaster from New Mexico is a natural, earth material that has no chemical additives. Even the pigments are natural.

If walls could talk about their coverings | Grand Forks Herald

Now, she has become a leading expert in its application, and offers workshops attended by contractors. There are no more games. And I love that it has no smell or toxic dust, and it's extremely user and environmentally friendly. American Clay can be applied to look like any plaster finish, from textured adobe to Venetian plaster. Such versatility of looks is a mark of most wallcovering options. Could we use artificial intelligence to help manage learning spaces and improve teaching and learning? The following information is needed for us to identify you and display your comment.

Your email address will not be published. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. By James Clay August 21, intelligent campus altc , conference. Leave a Reply Cancel reply The following information is needed for us to identify you and display your comment.