Henry Clay and the Whig Party [Hardcover]

George R. Poage (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Peter Smith Pub Inc (June 1965)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844613517
• ISBN-13: 978-0844613512
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,875,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A Review of Poage's Sentiments towards Henry Clay, November 10, 2008

By 

Thomas E. Gillikin "ODU Student" (VA Beach, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Henry Clay and the Whig Party (Hardcover)

Although George Rawlings Poage's work, Henry Clay and the Whig Party, was more about the political wrangling in the 1840s than an insight of the "Old Chief," the reader was able to catch a glimpse of the author's sentiments towards him. In the beginning, the author used overwhelming amounts of private memoirs, newspapers, correspondence and other forms of primary documents to give a detailed account of various events which left little room for his personal opinions. However, in the few times that Poage strayed from the details, his sentiments towards Clay seemed to be extremely critical. By contrast, however, those sentiments changed through out the last chapters. In a complete turn around, the author not only offered more opinions of Clay, but addressed him with more conviction and respect. With careful examination, the reader could recognize the author's appreciation of Clay as his research continued.
The author opened up the first chapter with a quick overview that touched upon the high points of Clay's life. With this opener, the author led the reader up to Clay's failure to secure the presidential nomination of the Whig party in 1939. Although the first chapter read like a timeline of chronological events, there were a few occasions when the reader could catch a view of Poage's thoughts towards Clay. When discussing Clay's hostility towards John Quincy Adams, the author wrote, "he strewed many unnecessary thorns in Adams's path." According to Poage, Clay was more interested in revenge against Adams for accepting the Secretary of State position under Monroe. This was a position that Clay sought, thus proving his jealous and vindictive nature. Another character flaw pointed out by the author was Clay's view on tariffs. When alliances were made to oppose Andrew Jackson, Poage claimed "Clay showed such a weakening in his tariff views as seriously to impair his hold on the New England Capitalists." When commenting on Clay, the author seemed only to emphasize negative attributes in the beginning of his work.

Chapters four and five offered a little more of the author's insight concerning Clay as he open up quite considerably. First, Poage commented on Clay's impatience when dealing with the 1841 Fiscal Bank Bill. According to the Poage, questions over the bill's constitutionality kept it in constant deferment. The author commented on Clay's anger stating, "Yet he seemed unable either to profit by experience or to control his temper." To add to Clay's temperament, the author offered another example. After the Fiscal Bank Bill was defeated, the president offered ideas for another bank bill that he could pass. Just as this bill was in the making, the question concerning constitutionality appeared again. Clay spoke at length to the question, but when his speech was overshadowed by a young Choate from Massachusetts, Poage claimed, "All these considerations must have seethed through the mind of Clay as he saw the effect of his own speech overcome, and all the uglier passion which lurked in the depths of his ardent nature mounted to the surface." Clearly the author viewed Clay as ill-tempered, jealous, and vindictive.

By contrast, the last chapters proved to place Clay in a brighter light. In the middle of sectional debates between the North and the South, Clay was trying to hold the country together, According to Poage, Clay spoke to representatives of both sections with "reciprocal kindness and forbearance." When Clay took a couple of days to recuperate in Newport, Poage described him as the "lion of the town." It was at this point, the reader began to suspect respect for Clay from the author. After his part in the "Great Compromise," Henry Clay went back to Kentucky to enjoy a much needed rest while congress was out of session. In mid November 1850, the Kentucky Legislature invited Clay to a public reception. It was here that the author offered some positive feelings toward Clay. According to the author, "this was the supreme moment of Clay's career, when his state could hail him with unanimous acclaim her most distinguished citizen." Considering Clay Kentucky's "distinguished citizen," was a far improvement from ill-tempered, jealous, and vindictive.

Although Poage attempted to present Henry Clay in an impartial fashion, his views spilled out from time to time, and changed as the story progressed. The author revealed few opinions of Clay in the beginning, but in those few times, the opinions were less than admirable characteristics. Yet, by the last chapters, there was a sense that the author felt a greater ease to divulge more. Perhaps Clay's attributes changed in the ten year span that the author studied. Perhaps, and more probable, the author felt more comfortable speaking as his thoughts on Clay became more positive.

-Thomas Edward Gillikin