The president, though inclined to advance with extreme caution, whose trepidation was increased by several members of his cabinet opposed to warlike movements, was nerved with fresh courage and fired with fresh patriotism, by the energetic remarks of Mr. Clay, and induced to hasten the blow from the axe of executive power, which alone could burst the bands which bound and restrained the thunderbolt of war. About this time, while in the exercise of his official prerogative, Mr. Clay became entangled in a disagreeable controversy with Mr. Randolph. This gentleman, though possessing talents and eloquence of a high order, employed them in such a manner as to make himself distinguished for the most extravagant eccentricities and wild vagaries. There had existed not the most cordial understanding between him and Mr. Clay, during several months previous. Their intercourse was not very uniform; sometimes it would be suspended for weeks, when not a word would be spoken by either to the other. The great difficulty of living on terms of intimacy or common civility even, with Mr. Randolph, caused Mr. Clay to adopt this course. He did not desire to offend the capricious gentleman, nor to place himself in a situation to receive offence from him. Occasionally, when the milk of human kindness was superabundant in his heart, Mr. Randolph would approach, and in the most honied accents and blandest manner, salute Mr. Clay and inquire after his health, with every demonstration of regard. One of Mr. Randolph’s peculiarities was exceeding uneasiness under restriction; indeed, he seldom quietly submitted to any parliamentary restraint, however necessary and salutary. He regarded the rules of the house as trammels and shackles, more honored by the breach than observance, and struggled violently against their enforcement in his case. During the day previous to that when the controversy mentioned occurred, Mr. Clay, in conversing with a friend of Mr. Randolph, remarked that the president would probably transmit a message to congress, recommending a declaration of war, on the following Monday. This information was communicated to Mr. Randolph, who the next morning appeared in his seat, and commenced one of his usual windy harangues, without submitting any motion to the house. After discussing some time the subject of our foreign relations, although he well knew that such discussion was designed to be strictly private, manifesting more than his accustomed hostility to declaring war with Great Britain, and zeal in justifying her cruelties towards the United States, he was called to order, on the ground that there was no resolution before the house. Mr. Bibb, being in the chair, suffered him to proceed. Soon after, Mr. Clay resumed his seat, when he was again called to order, and required to submit his motion in writing to the chair. Mr. Clay observed that a standing rule of the house rendered it incumbent on