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214 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

tee to wait on Mr. Clay from Charleston, viz.: James Owen,
John MacRae, Dr. Thomas H. Wright, Gen. Alexander Mac-
Rae, Gilbert Potter, F. C. Hill; Asa A. Brown, William A.
Wright, A. J. DeRosset, jr., George Davis, R. G. Rankin, Por-
ter Strode, Thomas Sanford.

The following gentlemen have been appointed to act as man-
agers of the ball: R. W. Brown, Edward B, Dudley, P. K.
Dickinson, James S. Green, G. J. McRee, M. London, James H.
Dickson, Thomas D. Meares, John Hall, and Nathaniel Hill.

April 10, 1844.
Mr. Cray 1x WILMINGTON.

The publication of the Chronicle has been delayed a day to
enable us to give some account of the reception and entertain-
ment of Mr. Clay in Wilmington, where he arrived yesterday
morning.

On Tuesday afternoon between three and four o’clock, the
Committee of Thirteen deputed by the Clay Club to wait upon
Mr. Clay at Charleston and escort him to this town, received
him on board the fine steamer Gladiator, Captain Smith. The
steamer had quite a pleasant night for the run, and reached
Smithville about sunrise. Mr. Clay was there welcomed to the
State by the Committee of Ten, consisting of the chairman of
the Whig Central Committee and one gentleman from each of
the nine congressional districts. After an hour’s delay at
Smithville the steamer was again in motion, and reached here
at the time named above. From a point three or four miles
below town until the boat touched the wharf, a piece of ordnance
on board was fired at regular intervals and the reports were
answered from numerous other pieces of artillery stationed at
various places along the river. The steamer came to on the
south side of Market Dock. Here an immense throng had
gathered to greet the distinguished man, and as soon as the boat
touched the wharf there were repeated bursts of the people’s
welcome. Mr. Clay was then introduced to the Committee of
Arrangements, and, a procession having formed in the pre-
scribed order, he was escorted to his private lodgings at the resi-
dence of Mrs. Joseph A. Hill, southeast corner of Front and
Dock Streets.

At 11 o’clock Mr. Clay, accompanied by the Clay Club, com-
mittees, and citizens, repaired to the new and commodious man-

Notable Incidents 915

sion of Capt. Samuel Potter, on Market Street. Here, upon the
balcony of the house facing Market Street, he was addressed in
a most appropriate manner by ex-Governor Dudley, the presi-
dent of the Clay Club. The address referred to the long and
arduous public services of Mr. Clay, the great debt of gratitude
the country justly owes him, the strong interest and regard the
people throughout the Union have manifested for him on
numerous occasions, the warm affection entertained for him by
so large a portion of the citizens of North Carolina, and ap-
pealed to the multitude of upturned faces as furnished evidence
that “Welcome to Henry Clay” were the words then gushing
spontaneously from the hearts of thousands. Mr. Clay made

only a short reply, not exceeding twenty minutes in length.

He said he had long looked forward to this visit to North
Carolina (which he had promised to make when a fitting op-
portunity should occur) with a pleasing hope, and now having
set foot upon her soil for the first time, his fondest anticipations
were in course of being realized, and the event would form an
epoch in his life. He had for many years wished to visit the
State, and the repeated invitations formed motives of still
weightier influence.

He utterly disclaimed all electioneering designs or selfish
purposes pertaining to his journey. He was traveling on busi-
ness and to enjoy the hospitality of his friends; the people had
tendered him unexpected civilities, which he could not without
rudeness decline. He had also been brought out on political
topies, and had not hesitated to declare his sentiments, as be-
came an American citizen.

He glanced at the two principal parties of the country, ex-
pressing his conviction that both of them are in the main gov-
erned by honest views. Men, he said, should act with that party
in whose principles they found the least to condemn, after hav-
ing given them a thorough examination. None could expect to
find in any party everything exactly as they would have it;
small defects must be overlooked, as are those which a man dis-
covers, perchance, in the woman of his admiration. He had at-
tached himself to the Whig party as the result of his investiga-
tions of the great principles of its existence. But every man, he
said, should hold party fealty as subordinate to that due his

country. Properly, parties were but instruments for promoting
our country’s good.

Mr. Clay excused himself for the briefness of his discourse