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Natural advantages are not always prognostics of success, and this country would now have been a wilderness for the savage and wild animals, had not the improvements suggested by the colonists been carried out by successful enterprize and valor.

Of the importance of that which can acts accomplish so much as you now behold, naught need now be said. It would be trespassing on the usual intelligence of assemblies, to point you to the ever fresh memorials of principles of justice and equality, that render this nation a band of ancient brethren whose only object is to promote general happiness by taking good care of themselves.

You may see herein what is accomplished by individual enterprize and by public benevolence. Lessons of great utility are here taught by induction. And this great edifice is a memento of the triumph of moral causes over physical in promoting objects of use and benefit.

Take away these self-sacrificing and devoted friends of humanity, and what would be the splendor of architecture, or the conveniences of genius? What, but the substance to the form, the shell to the nutrition.

It may be asked what have these children of misfortune to do with celebrations of this day? Much every way. Chiefly because they are reminded of their obligations, and aroused to a sense of duty incumbent and personal and obligatory, and an abiding and realizing sense of the importance of intellectual freedom first of all, and a control of it to the purposes of good intent, and to an immediate enlistment in the ranks of freemen, which are constantly diminishing, and needeth a constant supply of patriotism and virtue, which we honestly trust may ever be found among you, respected friends of Asylumia.

Within a brief period in the history of "Our Country," thirteen generals, some of the greatest that ever lived, have passed away -

"How sleep the brave? By all their country's wishes blessed."

And within a briefer moment hath Heaven taken to itself one of the noblest citizens, purest patriots, and greatest statesmen of the nation or the age, Mr. Henry Clay, whose history is read in a nation's eyes, and whose identity with it has rendered him actually a part of that country itself. Being of the same age with the government, he grew with its growth unto perfection, and stood forth its champion in the hour of peril, an architect and builder to an extent of genius unrivalled.

An Orator, whose commanding eloquence rivetted listening and admiring Senates; a Statesman, whose skill outwitted the Diplomacy of England; a Patriot, whose self-devotion caused a harmony and love in a wider circle of personally attached friends than ever falls to the lot of mortals, needeth not the idle adulation of the paragraph, or the fulsome panegyric of the eulogist. His interests, his worth, his whole self is known to nil of his countrymen, and their unavailing regrets at his departure will only be stilled by the fiat of a just being with whom are the issues of life and death. Through a long life, it were wondeful -sic- that he hid committed no errors. An anecdote, illustrative of him is related: During a canvass, some thirty-five years since, a bill passed Congress styled the Compensation Bill, which, though deemed by some of the wisest Statesmen, politic and proper, in Mr. Clay's Congressional District, there was great opposition, and one of his old constituents met him at the Hustings, with "well Harry, I cannot vote for you again." "Why not?" said Mr. Clay. "Ah," said the constituent, "you voted for that miserable Compensation Bill." "Indeed I did," said Mr. Clay, "and did a conscientious act of matured duty. But my old friend, have you a good rifle ?" "Yes, as good as was ever fired." "Did you ever miss fire?" "Oh! often, when my judgement was in its pride." -- "What did you do then, asked Mr. Clay, "did you break your rifle against the first log you met, or did you examine the lock, pick it, and try it again?" "Ah," said the Constituent, "I tried it again," and perceiving the object of Mr. Clay's inquiry, immediately extended his hand to him, with "Ah, Harry, I'll try you again." Mr. Clay was re-elected."

During his illness he was possessed and firm in his fortitude. The chamber where he was ill was attended with unusual interest, as from it issued the maxims of prudence and patriotism, that the honesty of the scenes could not permit to be questioned. -- He was sensible of his gradual and great change, and was pronounced by his accomplished spiritual adviser and friend prepared for it. Once he undertook to walk across the chamber, when the Physician cautioned him that he would faint. -- "Ah! indeed," said he, "and has it come to this?" His composure unto his life's end, and he made his request to repose his remains in Lexington cemetery in the bosom of his refined constituents and early and close friends. -- Earthly governments seem unstable. -- Earth's best and noblest are gathering rapidly unto their everlasting rest --

"Lord, shall it be forever said, The race of man was only made For sickness, sorrow and the grave? Are not thy servants day by day Sent to their graves and turned to clay Lord, where's thy kindness to the just."