Statesmen . spolished in his manners,hospitable and kindly, hebetrayed a certain con-sciousness of superiority and an almost offen-sive imperiousness. This deeply wounded thesensitive soul of Lincoln. He felt that Claydid not regard him or any other person as hisequal. This lesson added to Lincolns experienceof human nature and was referred to by him inafter life as a disappointment almost as wound-ing as the defeat of Henry Clay for the Presi-dency. The examples of Clay, Calhoun, and Websterare often cited as proving that Americas greateststatesmen do not reach the Presidency. In thepublic ca
Statesmen . spolished in his manners,hospitable and kindly, hebetrayed a certain con-sciousness of superiority and an almost offen-sive imperiousness. This deeply wounded thesensitive soul of Lincoln. He felt that Claydid not regard him or any other person as hisequal. This lesson added to Lincolns experienceof human nature and was referred to by him inafter life as a disappointment almost as wound-ing as the defeat of Henry Clay for the Presi-dency. The examples of Clay, Calhoun, and Websterare often cited as proving that Americas greateststatesmen do not reach the Presidency. In thepublic career of Clay were four sharp and pain-ful disappointments. As we have already seen,he was defeated in 1824, when Andrew Jacksonwas chosen by the House of , in 1840, he hoped to be nominated by the IIENRY CLAY 37 Whig National Convention, but was distancedby General William Henry Harrison. He wasactually nominated, but defeated, in 1844, whenPolk was elected. Finally, in 1848, he expected. Henry Clays Bed, used by him for fifty years. to receive the nomination of his party conventionat Baltimore, but was again disappointed, Gener-al Taylor, the hero of the Mexican war (a wrar towhich Clay gave no countenance) being thenominee. At this point Clays patience brokedown and he refused to support the nomination 38 STATESMEN before the people, choosing rather to sulk in histent. Henry Clay died in Washington, June 29, 1852,in the seventy-sixth year of his age, precedingWebster to the grave only five months. Withlamentation and mourning that filled all the land,the great leader was borne to his beloved Ken-tucky, where a magnificent monument reared bythe hands of his admirers marks his last resting-place. >J00)K****
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