ight
than be president." While a candidate for president in 1844, he opposed
in the "Raleigh letter" the annexation of Texas on many grounds except
that of its increasing the slave power, thus displeasing both the men of
anti-slavery and those of pro-slavery sentiments. In 1847, after the
conquest of Mexico, he made a speech against the annexation of that
country or the acquiring of any foreign territory for the spread of
slavery. Although in 1849 he again vainly proposed emancipation in
Kentucky, he was unanimously elected to the United States Senate, where
in 1850 he temporarily pacified both sections of the country by
successfully offering, for the sake of the "peace, concord and harmony
of these states," a measure or series of measures that became known as
the "Compromise of 1850." It admitted California as a free state,
organized Utah and New Mexico as Territories without reference to
slavery, and enacted a more efficient fugitive slave law. In spite of
great physical weakness he made several earnest speeches in behalf of
these measures to save the Union.

Another conspicuous feature of Clay's public career was his absorbing
and rightful, but constantly ungratified, ambition to be president of
the United States. His name in connexion therewith was mentioned
comparatively early, and in 1824, with W.H. Crawford, Andrew Jackson,
and John Quincy Adams, he was a candidate for that office. There being
no choice by the people, and the House of Representatives having elected
Adams, Clay was accused by Jackson and his friends of making a corrupt
bargain whereby, in payment of his vote and influence for Adams, he was
appointed secretary of state. This made Jackson Clay's lifelong enemy,
and ever after kept Clay busy explaining and denying the allegation. In
1832 Clay was unanimously nominated for the presidency by the National
Republicans; Jackson, by the Democrats. The main issue was the policy of
continuing the United States Bank, which in 1811 Clay had opposed, but
in 1816 and always subsequently warmly favoured. A majority of the
voters approved of Jackson's fight against what Clay had once denounced
as a dangerous and unconstitutional monopoly. Clay made the mistake of
supposing that he could arouse popular enthusiasm for a moneyed
corporation in its contest with the great military "hero of New
Orleans." In 1839 he was a candidate for the Whig nomination, but by a
secret ballot his enemies defeated him in the party conv