From the Archives 85: William H. Townsend, The Lion of Whitehall: Cassius Marcellus Clay (1952)

On October 17, 1952, William H. Townsend (1890-1964) delivered an address on Kentucky legend Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810-1903) at a meeting of the Civil War Round Table in Chicago. The address was recorded without Townsend's knowledge by Ralph G. Newman, of the Abraham Lincoln Bookshop in Chicago, and released as a 2xLP set by the Lexington, Kentucky Morris Book Shop, to some acclaim.Townsend was an author, lawyer, Lincoln scholar, speaker, and lifelong president of the Kentucky Civil War Round Table. A lifetime defender of the downtrodden, Townsend always had a clear idea of right and wrong, and would staunchly defend his position, even in the face of extreme opposition. He could also spin a rich tale, and often said that he would "never let the truth get in the way of a good story." One of Townsend's greatest joys was speaking about Kentucky legend Cassius Marcellus Clay. A fiery mix of brains, temper and nerve, Clay was born into a slave-owning family and spent his lifetime opposing slavery and working for its end. Clay was also a lawyer, duelist, publisher, and a Lincoln appointee as ambassador to Russia. Highly skilled with a knife, Clay's famous pearl-handled Bowie knife was still with him, under his pillow, even as he exhaled his last breath. Here is Townsend's famous address on Clay before a meeting of the Civil War Round Table in Chicago during the fall of 1952. Recorded without his prior knowledge, this lecture has been widely acclaimed for its droll humor, satire, and historical value. This has been called one of the greatest addresses of the 20th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.