plating
his notes, and said: "Mr. Speaker, in the Netherlands, a man of small
capacity, with bits of wood and leather, will, in a few moments,
construct a toy that, with the pressure of the finger and thumb, will
cry 'Cuckoo! Cuckoo!' With less of ingenuity, and with inferior
materials, the people of Ohio have made a toy that will, without much
pressure, cry, 'Previous question, Mr. Speaker! Previous question, Mr.
Speaker!'" at the same time designating Beecher, by pointing at him
with his long, skeleton-looking finger. In a moment the House was
convulsed with laughter, and I doubt if Beecher ever survived the
sarcasm.

At the time Mr. Clay came into Congress, Randolph had no rival upon the
floor of the House. He had become a terror to timid men. Few ventured
to meet him in debate, and none to provoke him. Mr. Clay's reputation
had preceded him. He had before, for a short time, been in the Senate.
He was known to be the first orator in the West, and the West boasted
Doddridge, Humphrey Marshall, John Rowan, Jesse Bledsoe, John Pope, and
Felix Grundy.

It was not long, before these two met in debate upon the subject of the
national road. Randolph opposed this measure as unconstitutional,
denying to the General Government any power to make any improvements
within the limits of any State, without the consent of the State. Mr.
Clay claimed the power under that grant which constituted Congress
competent to establish post-offices and post-roads. The discussion was
an excited one. Mr. Clay was a Virginian, but not of Randolph's class;
besides, he was not now from Virginia, and Randolph chose to designate
him a degenerate, renegade son of the Old Dominion. He had been reared,
as Randolph, a Democrat of the Jeffersonian school. In this he was an
apostate from the ancient faith. Randolph fully expected an easy
victory, and no man upon the floor was more surprised than himself, at
the bold, eloquent, and defiant reply of Clay. Between them the combat
was fierce and protracted. Randolph had the mortification of seeing
Western Virginia moving with Clay, and the entire representation of the
Western States joining with them. Clay was triumphant. The measure
became a law, the road was built, and a monument was erected to Mr.
Clay in Western Virginia, and by Virginians. It stands in a beautiful
valley, immediately on the road's side. From that time until, as old
men, they met in mortal combat upon the banks of the Potomac, they were