Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/242

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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is the "Ned Drace'* of Judge Longstreet's "Georgia Scenes," and as a wit and humorist was conspicuous among his contemporaries. He displayed a lavish hospitality, and was the acknowledged autocrat of the table, in- somuch that on a certain occasion, when the learned Dr. Jonathan Maxcy, president of South Carolina College, was present as a guest, no sooner had Dr. Bacon left the room than Dr. Maxcy enthusiastically ex- claimed, "A perfect Garrick, Sir! A living, breathing, acting Garrick!"

Clay, Henry, was born in Hanover county, Virginia, April 12, 1777. His father, John Clay, was a Baptist minister, a man of ex- cellent character, **remarkable for his fine voice and delivery;" his mother was a daughter of George Hudson, a woman of sterling character. Henry attended a school where the teacher was able to teach little but reading, writing and arithmetic. Henry worked on the farm, and his riding to and from mill to have grain ground, won for him the sobriquet of "the mill-boy of the Slashes." His widowed mother became the wife of Captain Henry Watkins, of Rich- mond, who procured for him a clerkship in a store in that city, and afterwards a posi- tion as copyist in the chancery clerk's office. Here he attracted the attention of Chancel- lor George Wythe, who made him his sec- retary and for four years directed his read- ing and by his conversation shaped his thoughts. At the end of four years young Clay became a law student in the office ot .Attorney-General Robert Brooke, and after a year was admitted to practice. In his twenty-first year he joined his parents in Kentucky, whither they had removed, set- tling in Lexington, where he practiced law.

and made himself conspicuous by his ora- tory in a debating society. For a time he was commonwealth's attorney, resigning in favor of a friend. In 1799 he married Lu- cretia Hart, by whom he had eleven chil- dren, and purchased **Ashland," an estate of some six hundred acres. He now actively entered into politics as a Democratic Re- publican. He was a slave owner through- out life but was favorable to slave emanci- pation, which for a time affected his popu- larity. In 1803 he was elected to the Ken- tucky legislature, and distinguished himself by his oratory and a duel with Colonel Jo- seph H. Davies. In 1806 he was appointed tc the United States senate to fill out an unfinished term, though constitutionally under age. On leaving the senate he was elected to the legislature, and was chosen speaker. He procured the defeat of a bill forbidding that any decision of a British court or British work of law should be read a.« authority before any Kentucky court. His early interest in domestic manufactures was manifested by his introduction of a resolution that the members of the legisla- ture should wear clothes made in this coun- try, and this led to an altercation with Hum- phrey Marshall which resulted in a duel. In 18 10 he was appointed to the national senate tc fill a vacancy. On the expiration of his term he was elected in 181 1 to the house of representatives and was made speaker. Here he opposed the recharter of the bank and favored domestic manufacturing for govern- ment purposes. He strongly advocated war measures against Great Britain. In 1813 he was reelected speaker, but resigned to be- come a member of the commission which negotiated peace at Ghent in 1814. He re- turned home in 1815, was reelected to con-

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