CLAY
CLAY
from making reprisals upon French property
because of the non-payment by that government
of indemnity due the United States; and em-
ployed every means to restrict the removals from
office for political reasons and to repeal the Presi-
dential tenure of office act. In the 24th congress
he favored the reception of anti-slavery petitions
against the exclusion of anti-slavery literature
from the mails, but opposed the abolition of
slavery in the District of Columbia. He was
chairman of the committee on foreign affairs, and
when Texas applied for admission as a state he
delayed action. The 2r)tli congress met in extra
session, Sept. 4, 1837, to provide some relief to
the country from the existing financial crisis,
and upon the introdviction of President Van Bu-
ren's sub-treasury jjlan Mr. Clay opposed it as
calculated to unite the power of the purse with
the power of the sword," and urged the restora-
tion of the United States bank. He succeeded in
putting off the adoption of the measure for three
sessions. In 1840 he was disappointed at not re-
ceiving the nomination to the presidency and
upon the election of General Harrison he declined
the portfolio of state. Upon the accession of John
Tyler to the presidency Clay opposed his admin-
istration, and in tJie 27th congress secured the
repeal of the sub-treasury act and caused to be
passed two bills providing for the incorporation
of a new United States bank, which were vetoed
by the President. He offered three amendments
to the constitution, one limiting the veto power
of the President, another providing for the ap-
pointment of the secretary of the treasury and
the U.S. treasurer by congress, and a third for-
bidding the appointment of members of congress,
when in office, to executive positions. On March
31, 1842, he resigned his seat in the senate, eleven
months before the end of his term, and was suc-
ceeded by John J. Crittenden. He at once made
a tour of the states and was received by his ad-
mirers with great enthusiasm. His appearance
before the people and his eloquent speeches won
for him the Whig nomination in 1844. He had
written a letter declaring his opposition to the
admission of Texas, and the Democratic party, in
nominating James K. Polk, made tlie Texas ques-
tion an issue. This brought from Mr. Clay
another letter stating that he had no personal
objection to its admission, but New York refused
her support and Clay was again defeated, receiv-
ing 105 electoral votes to 170 for Polk. His
favorite son had been killed in the war with
Mexico, falling at Buena Vista, and this, added
to financial troubles, greatly embittered his life.
Mr. Clay had previously warned the country
against the danger of giving place to the ambition
of conquest, and now declared that the war had
been waged only to fix the boundaries of Texas,
and not to acquire foreign territory for the pur-
pose of the propagation of slavery. In 1848 he
was an unsuccessful candidate for the Whig
nomination and his disappointment prevented his
taking any part in the campaign. In December,
1848, he was unanimously re-elected to the U.S.
senate and took his seat, Dec. 3, 1849. He
recommended to the state convention, which
met to amend the constitution of Kentucky,
a provision for the gradual emancipation of
the slaves. On Jan. 29, 1850, Senator Clay
proposed his " comprehensive scheme of com-
promise," which resulted in the compromise
of 1850. This gave him renown as a states-
man and for a time restored quiet to the
country, but it failed to satisfy the demands of
the radicals, north or south. To make the
measure more effective, forty-four senators and
representatives, led by Senator Clay, issued a
manifesto in January, 1851, declaring that they
would not support any man for political office
who would not pledge himself against disturbing
the matters settled by the compromise. In Feb-
ruary, 1851, the capture of Burns, the fugitive
slave, in Boston, called from Mr. Clay a proposi-
tion to confer upon the President extraordinary
powers in order that the fugitive slave law could
be enforced. After the adjournment of the 31st
congress, Mr. Clay's health began to fail. He
journeyed to Cuba and on his return to Ashland
impoi-tuned his friends not to present his name
as a presidential candidate at the coming con-
vention. He went to Washington to take his
seat in the senate, Dec. 1, 1851, but his illness
prevented and only once during the session of the
32d congress was he in his seat, and then only
for a short time. He received Kossuth in his
room and made a short speech to the patriot.
Before his death he learned that both great politi-
cal parties had accepted at their national conven-
tions in 1852, his compromise measure of 1850 as
the final settlement of the slavery question.
George D. Prentice wrote a " Life of Henry
Clay " (1831). His speeches were collected and
pviblished by R. Chambers in 1842. James B.
Swain published " Life and Speeches of Henry
Clay" (1843); Epes Sai-genfs "Life of Henry
Clay," published in 1843, was edited and com-
pleted by Horace Greeley in 1852; D. Mallery
wrote " Life and Speeches of Henry Clay," 1844:
new edition 1857; the Rev. Calvin Colton pre-
pared " Life and Times of Henry Claj', " published
in six volumes and including his speeches and
correspondence (1846-57). This work was revised
in 1864. His name was given a i^lace in the Hall
of Fame for Great Americans, in October, 1900,
in Class M, with John Adams, Fi-anklin, Jeffer-
son, Lincoln, Washington and Webster. He
died in Washington, D.C., June 29, 1853.
