And now the contenders. Our series on key political figures who ran for president and lost, but who nevertheless changed political history. Tonight we feature former House Speaker henry clay of kentucky, known as the great compromiser. The program was recorded at clays ashland estate in lexington, kentucky, its about 90 minutes. This is an encore presentation of cspans original 14week series which first aired in 2011. This is a portrait of kentuckys henry clay, known to us in our history books as the great compromiser. During his 49year political career clay served as secretary of state, speaker of the house and as a u. S. Senator and he was a contender, making five president ial bids, including the election of 1824, 1832 against Andrew Jackson, and 1844 when he ran against james k. Polk. Tonight we are on location at ashland, henry clays home in lexington, kentucky and for the next 90 minutes we will explore the life and legacy of this man. Unsuccessful in his long quest for the white
Ashland. Henry clays home in lexington, kentucky, and for the next 90 minutes we will explore the life and legacy of this man, unsuccessful in his long quest for the white house, yet having an outsized influence on American History. And we are in henry clays parlor r parlor right now. Let me introduce you to jim plotter, historian. Thank you for being with us. Good to be here. Why is he relevant to americans living in our time . On a couple of accounts, his famous quote, i would rather be right than be president. Its a call to people whatever were doing, which is to do the right thing. In a sense, politicians need to remember the country and sacrifice for the country and i think that is still something that we need to remember, as well and the man known as the great compromiser, and a man that forges these compromises that not only kept the nation together, but were constructive and those are the kinds of things we need to remember about henry clay as well as the things that he did in
Attention to me at this time. Thank you for attending. Just briefly for those that may not know your background you are the 75th postmaster general. The first one is behind you i can see, Benjamin Franklin, that he was the inventor of the post office, Postal Service. You are a native of new york. You went to college in florida and then he went back to your families a business and you built it up, moved it to greensboro, North Carolina, build it into one of the larger Logistic Companies in the united stateses ultimate merged with another company of been involved in philanthropic activities at my alma mater, Duke University among other places so thank you for giving us your time today. Let me ask you at the outset, when you agreed to become postmaster general did you realize youre going to get this much attention . Because its not normally the most famous position in washington, d. C. And about many people can name your immediate predecessors. You are very well known. Did you expect you
St. John stretch reverent rob fischer. Law welcome good evening my name is rob fischer i am the director of st. Johns church, and i am thrilled that our friends at the White House Historical association asked us to provide space for tonights conversation. Stewart asked if i would share a little bit of a history of this historic room that you are sitting in tonight, and so i will share with you this church was completed in 1816. The architect was Benjamin Henri vitro, and not only did he designs church, he was working on rebuilding the white house after it was destroyed by the british in the war of 18. 12 in 1818, he built what is now the home of the historical association. And if you go inside the dictator house, and you look up, you see a similar entrance. Its almost like a miniature of this dome of we have in our church space. The Original Church was built as a greek cross, so it wasnt even four sides. In just six years later, in 1822, they expanded the Church Building to make room f
Washington, d. C. , across Lafayette Square at the white house with the slavery and the president s neighborhood. As we begin tonights program please welcome the 15th rector of st. Johns church, reverend john fisher. [ applause ] welcome, good evening. My name is rob fisher. I am the rector of st. Johns church, and i am thrilled that our friends at the White House Historical association asked us to provide space for tonights conversation. Stewart asked if i would share a little bit about the history of this very historic room that you are sitting in tonight and so i will share with you that this church was completed in 1816. The architect was Benjamin Henry latrobe. Not only did he design this church, he was rewould abouting the white house after it was destroyed by the british in the war of 1812 and in 1818 he built Decatur House which is now the home of the White House Historical association and if you go inside the Decatur House and you look up, you see a very similar entrance. It i