Of course the Delilah of politics soon enticed him away from the more sober charms of the matron who presides over the tribunals of law. The greater part of Mr. Clay's life was spent in the public service, and so important were the official posts which he held, and so numerous and grave the public questions in the settlement of which he had a prominent share, that a full biography of him would be almost a history of his country for half a century. Only a brief summary of his career can be given here. While the old division of parties existed between federalists and republicans, Mr. Clay was heartily associated with the latter; when this distinction passed away, and a new one was instituted about 1829 between whigs and democrats, he became the leader of the former. In 1806 he became a senator of the United States for a single year, to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Adair. The two succeeding years he spent in the legislature of Kentucky. Then he returned to the federal senate for another year, to supply the vacancy caused by a resignation. In 1811 he was elected to the lower house of congress, and was chosen to be speaker, remaining in that post till 1814, when he was sent abroad as one of the commissioners to negotiate the treaty of peace with England at Ghent. During these years embarrassing questions were open between Great Britain and the United States, which gradually ripened into hostilities, and Mr. Clay was most prominent and active among those younger and more impetuous members of his party, who rather pushed than followed President Madison into a declaration of war. Indeed he was the leader of congress upon this subject, and upon the measures requisite for the prosecution of the war. On his return from Ghent he was again sent to congress, and became speaker of the house, in which post he remained with few intermissions till 1825. The chief subjects which he took a prominent part in discussing at this period were, the acknowledgment of the independence of the Spanish American republics, and the protection of American industry by a protective tariff. Mr. Clay also had a prominent share in the vehement discussions about slavery which were excited in 1820 by the question respecting the admission of Missouri into the Union; and he was, if not the author, the earnest advocate of the famous "compromise" on that subject, which established the line of 36° 30´ as the northern limit of slaveholding territory. In 1825 he was a candidate for the presidency against Mr. J. Q. Adams, General Jackson, and Mr. W. H. Crawford; and, no choice being effected in the electoral college, when the matter came up in the house of representatives, Mr. Clay and his friends voted for Mr. Adams, and thereby decided the election in his favour. During the whole of the Adams administration, from 1825 to 1829, Mr. Clay was secretary of state, and performed the important duties of that office with consummate ability. In 1831 he returned to the United States senate, where he was the leader of the opposition to the administration of General Jackson, and strove ineffectually for the renewal of the charter of the United States bank. Through his influence, also, the "compromise bill," as it was called, was passed through congress, which put an end to the nullification controversy, by a partial abandonment of the protective system. In 1832 he was again the candidate of his party for the presidency, though with little chance of success, owing to the overwhelming popularity of General Jackson, who was re-elected. He retained his seat in the senate till March, 1842, when he resigned, and retired into private life. Two years afterwards he was again a candidate for the presidency, in one of the most exciting political contests that ever took place in the United States, but was defeated by a very small numerical majority, obtained mainly through the influence of the administration, then in the hands of his political opponents, and the obstinacy of the so-called "liberty party." The immediate consequence of his defeat was the annexation of Texas, a measure to which he had avowed strenuous opposition. This was virtually the termination of his public career, though in 1849 he consented to resume his seat in the senate, in view of the perilous contest which was then impending between the slaveholding and non-slaveholding portions of the country, on the California and territorial questions. He was the author of the famous "compromise of 1850," as it was termed, by which, after a long and vehement struggle, this dispute was adjusted. It was the third occasion in his career in which, by giving the whole weight of his abilities and influence to an intermediate course between two extremes, he put an end to a vehement contest, which menaced the peace of the country and the duration of the Union. On the matter of slavery he always favoured moderate counsels, and a pacificatory policy. Though born in one slaveholding state and a resident in another, he made his debut in political life as an emancipationist, by advocating publicly in 1798 the gradual abolition of slavery. He was always an earnest and efficient friend of the Colonization Society, which has built up a free and flourishing colony of civilized blacks on the African coast, and in the debate of 1850 he avowed in the most decided terms his uncompromising opposition to the extension of slaveholding territory. The excitement and exhaustion of this last great controversy gave the final blow to his already enfeebled constitution. He died at Washington, June 29, 1852, aged seventy-five. The strife of parties was hushed for a moment at his decease, and all united in rendering him the praise which was his due, as an able and patriotic statesman whose public life was without a stain. Mr. Clay's wife was Lucretia Hart, of Kentucky, whom he married in 1799. By her he had a numerous family, consisting of six daughters and five sons. The daughters all died before him, but the sons survived him except one, who was killed in the Mexican war, and three of them are now holding highly respectable positions in the country.—F. B.
CLAYTON, Dr. John, an American botanist, was born at Fulham, England, about 1686, emigrated to America in 1705, and died in Gloucester county, Virginia, in 1773, aged eighty-seven. He resided near the city of Williamsburg, and was clerk or prothonotary of Gloucester county for over half a century. He was a private country gentleman of moderate fortune, greatly respected by all who knew him. Several of his papers are published in the Philosophical Transactions; but the work by which he is chiefly known is his "Flora Virginica," which was published at Leyden, by Gronovius, in 1739-43, and again in 1762.—F. B.
CLAYTON, John Middleton, an American statesman born in Sussex county, Delaware, in 1796, was chosen senator in congress in 1829, and held office till December, 1836, when he resigned. He was immediately appointed chief-justice of his native state, and continued on the bench for nearly three years. In 1845 he was again sent to the United States senate, and remained there till March, 1849, when he became secretary of state under President Taylor. In this capacity he negotiated what is usually called the "Clayton-Bulwer Treaty," adjusting the respective claims of England and the United States in Central America. Mr. Clayton resigned office on General Taylor's death in July, 1850, and immediately re-entered the senate, where he remained till his own decease, 9th November, 1856. He was a zealous member of the whig party, an able debater, and a statesman of high character for talent and uprightness.—F. B.
CLAYTON, Robert, D.D., a distinguished prelate, and member of the Royal and Antiquarian societies of London, was born in Dublin in 1695, and died in 1758. He was appointed to the bishopric of Killala in 1729, translated to Cork in 1735, and to Clogher in 1745. He is said to have owed his advancement to Dr. Clarke, who recommended him to the patronage of Queen Caroline. Dr. Clayton was the author of "An Introduction to the History of the Jews;" "Chronology of the Hebrew Bible Vindicated;" "A Dissertation on the Prophecies;" and "A Vindication and Defence of the Histories of the Old and New Testament, in answer to Lord Bolingbroke." The bishop's well-known leaning to Arianism did not hinder his preferment; but, in consequence of a motion which he made in the house of lords, that the Athanasian and Nicene creeds should be expunged from the liturgy, their lordships commanded him to be prosecuted for heresy. But he died on the day fixed for the commencement of his trial.—J. T.
CLAYTON, Thomas, was a member of the royal band of music in the reign of William and Mary. Although a man of very inferior talents in his profession, he was induced in the early part of his life to travel into Italy for the purpose of improvement. On his return to England he so far imposed on the good sense of the public, as to obtain the reputation of an eminent musician. Several persons of distinction were persuaded into a belief, that by means of Mr. Clayton's assistance, rusticity would be no longer the characteristic of English music, and that if due encouragement were given to him, our music would in a very short time emulate that of Italy. Accordingly, in 1705, he produced the opera of "Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus," in which, as Dr. Burney correctly observes, "not only the common rules of composition were violated in every song, but also the prosody and accents of our language." Yet such was the charm
