C.M. Clay.

This is coolbert:

Yet further from Freeper and extract from the New York Times headlines of yesteryear.

"AFFAIRS OF THE NATION: Appointments Made and to be Made; IMPORTANT FROM TEXAS: GOVERNOR HOUSTON AT ISSUE WITH THE SECEDERS (3/14/1861)"

"New York Times archives – Times Machine ^ | 3/14/1861"

"WASHINGTON, Wednesday, March 13."

"CASSIUS M. CLAY will not accept the Spanish Mission [ambassador to Spain]. He does not state the reasons for declining the offer, but probably does not desire to leave the country for the present. Neither would he accept the Mexican Mission. Mr. CLAY is a live [active] man and does not desire to ostracize himself during the present crisis of political events in this country. The Spanish Mission is therefore open to some ambitious aspirant."

CASSIUS MARCELLUS CLAY. 

From my perspective Clay a relatively unheralded individual his efforts as Ambassador to Imperial Russia should be seen however as rather significant within the context of the American Civil War.

IMPERIAL RUSSIAN DURING THE PERIOD OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR THE ONLY MAJOR EUROPEAN POWER INFORMALLY ALLYING ITSELF WITH THE UNION SIDE! POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS OF THE FRENCH OR BRITISH DURING THE CONFLICT AS A CONSEQUENCE DETERRED?

See previous blog entry [with additional embedded links] regarding the Imperial Russian response to the Union cause during the American Civil War.

Often too certain authorities have suggested that if Sam Houston [Governor of Texas at the time] had been more active in national affairs, secession and the American Civil War would have been averted. Sam Houston was a highly esteemed individual greatly respected. But alas it did not come to pass.

coolbert.