United States Senate Chamber

As a member of the U.S. Senate, Henry Clay (1777–1852) had always stood ready to use his substantial influence to make peace whenever issues threatened to divide North and South. His efforts on those occasions had generally been successful. In 1850, however, as the quarrel between the two regions over the westward extension of slavery reached an impasse, Clay seemed too old and frail to stem the crisis. Nevertheless, on February 5, he walked haltingly into the Senate and for two days defended his compromise proposals for achieving sectional peace. Although his measures would not pass through Congress for several months, Clay had again succeeded in disarming the forces of disunion.