Henry Clay Of Kentucky

Originally Aired: February 5, 1941 Cavalcade of America #212, "Henry Clay Of Kentucky," the aging statesman Henry Clay races through a stormy night in 1849, desperately trying to reach Washington as the nation teeters on the brink of civil war. When his carriage breaks down at a roadside tavern, Clay witnesses firsthand the violent divisions tearing America apart, as Northern and Southern men come to blows over slavery and states' rights. Both combatants reject Clay's philosophy of compromise, dismissing him as a relic of a bygone era. Arriving in Washington, Clay confronts the grim reality of the crisis. Senator Cass warns him that Congress is hopelessly divided, with Southern delegates meeting in Nashville to discuss secession. Clay visits his old colleague John Calhoun, hoping to forestall disaster through reason and negotiation. However, the pro-slavery Calhoun insists the Union is finished and that the South must part ways with the North. Despite facing opposition from all sides and struggling with his own failing health, Clay vows to fight with every breath to preserve the Union and find common ground between the warring factions.