As a freshman Representative, he is elected Speaker of the House his first day in office. That had never happened before and hasn't happened since.

Serving as Speaker of the House, Secretary of State, organizer of (1826) The Pan-American Congress (PAN) [Panama] (forerunner of The Organization of American States) and skilled orator, Clay is best known as "The Great Compromiser" by getting the fractious and querulous parts of the Union to get along with each other and achieve headway.
In the convoluted Election of 1824, he was in the top three popular vote recipients but was fourth in electoral votes and not on the ballot when the House of Representatives selected the president. Clay goes from candidate to "kingmaker." Whoever he supports will most likely be the next president. Clay subsequently chooses John Quincy Adams, who is elected.
Clay carries a lot of political baggage but is passed over in good times and nominated for president by his party, the Whigs, when the odds are longest and his party has the least chance of winning, which prompts Clay's semi-inebriated comment, "My friends are not worth the powder and shot it would take to blow them up." [Kentucky has never had a current resident serve as president (Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were only born there)]..
Upon his becoming a Representative and subsequent election to the speakership, Clay transforms what has been a ceremonial post, Speaker of the House (think C-SPAN's coverage of the British House of Commons ["Order! Order!"]), and makes it an integral part of government.
A hallmark of Clay's compromises is that each region of the country will get something in return for concessions. The South's approval of California's statehood is countered with a rigid federal enforcement of The Fugitive Slave Act.

The Compromise of 1850

In support of his Compromise of 1850 measures, Henry Clay says, on the Senate floor, "I implore, as the best blessing which Heaven can bestow upon me here upon earth, that if the direful and sad event of the dissolution of the union shall happen, I may not survive to behold the sad and heart-rending spectacle."

The Compromise of 1850 isn't a final answer but it does forestall civil war ten years; in 1850, it's "iffy" whether or not the North could conquer the South. But an extra decade allowed the North and West time enough to assemble together the necessary men and resources to defeat the South.

Greenwood2

Southern Speak

Considering,
I'm thinkin' damn strong about it.

Mentally unbalanced,
She ain't even the littlest bit right.

Rest,
Why don't you set a spell?

Calm yourself,
Take it easy now, ain't nobody hurtin' you."

Leave me alone!,
Why don't you just go 'n' sit in the truck?

Unhappy parent,
Right now, I'd as soon beat ya as hug ya.

Small serving remaining at dinner,
Take that last little bit. That's not enough to throw out.
[How much qualifies?]

Off-kilter,
That's more crooked than a Louisiana politician.

Disreputable family tree,
That's the other bunch; they ain't got but the one branch, ya know.

Don't talk with your mouth full...keep your mouth full.

Mabel, Mabel, young and able,
Keep your elbows off the table.

If you can remain calm when it seems that the entire world is against you; if you can keep your head while all those about you are losing theirs; then you probably don't understand the situation.

You don't have any idea what you're doing.
I know but you want me to do it faster.

Southern Voices

From "Quilts and Coalbuckets" by Judy Bussey

Some of our quilts were scratchy from the pure wool that was often used in the patchwork. They were warm, though, and since we had heat only in our living room and none in the bedrooms, warmth was the key to making it through the winter.

Mother would often hang a quilt on the door between the living room and dining room to keep whatever heat was generated moving towards the bedrooms. Sometimes our windows would freeze on the inside. Now, I know Mother got up early, probably around 4 AM, stoked the fire, took down the quilt insulation and had the house warmed up a bit before we had to wake up and get ready for school.

If it was still cold, we would sit behind the "Warm Morning" coal stove in a corner eating our breakfast while we pulled on shoes and socks

Quilts are heavy, especially when several are stacked. I remember people saying they loved a cold room with lots of heavy quilts. I wonder if that was really true, or if it was just what was.

Judy Bussey was born and lived more than 40 years in Appalachian East Kentucky. When she returned to graduate school at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, she fell in love with teaching and has worked in various education-related fields. Most recently, she worked with private colleges to develop online education programs. After 20 years in Lexington, Kentucky, as most Appalachians do, she still gets homesick for the hills and for the language of her elders and goes back home often.

Read more of Judy's writing at her 'blog.

All original artwork in The Blue Mud Chronicles is by Jeffrey Unthank. See more of his work at:

Blue Mud is now available at its author page at Booklocker (best customer service) and as a Print-on-Demand [POD] book online through Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble and Target