John Randolph Clay

[2] Clay was orphaned as a child, and was both brought up and taught by John Randolph of Roanoke.

[3] Afterwards, John Randolph Clay served in Lima, Peru as American Chargé d'Affaires from December 15, 1847 through August 22, 1853 and then as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary until October 27, 1860.

[3] One of his accomplishments there is shown in the following that was written by William Lewis Herndon in his Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon, vol.

I, (1852), chapter 19: Independently of the action of the Spanish American republics concerning the free navigation of their tributaries of the Amazon, we have a special treaty with Peru, negotiated by J. Randolph Clay, our present minister, in July, 1851, which entitles us, under the present circumstances, to the navigation of the Peruvian Amazon.

The second article of that treaty declares that, 'The two high-contracting parties hereby bind and engage themselves not to grant any favor, privilege, or immunity whatever, in matters of commerce and navigation, to other nations, which shall not be also immediately extended to the citizens of the other contracting party, who shall enjoy the same gratuitously, or on giving a compensation as nearly as possible of proportionate value and effect, to be adjusted by mutual agreement, if the concession shall have been conditional.