d inspired, as though his lips
were indeed touched with a live coal from the altar. The counterpart
of the scene that followed his closing words had never been witnessed
in legislative assembly. All were in tears. It was even said that
venerable Senators, who had never shed a tear since the ratification
of the treaty of Ghent, actually sobbed aloud, and refused to be
comforted. At length, amid silence that could be felt, an adjournment
was effected, and the Senators passed sadly out to their homes.
As he passed the Chair, Senator Vest, in undertone, remarked to
the Vice-President, _"Jo never saw him!"_

The next day, in the absence of his successor, "the blind chaplain,"
Dr. Butler again, and for the last time, officiated, simply repeating
in manner most solemn and impressive, the Lord's Prayer. At its
conclusion, Senator Blackburn, who had been a most attentive
listener, came forward to the desk and remarked to Vice-President
Stevenson: "I tell you, sir, I like that new chaplain of ours.
What a splendid prayer! There is something _original_ about that man!"

Thirty years and more ago, when first a candidate for Congress,
Mr. Blackburn attended a public execution--in common parlance "a
hanging"--in one of the counties in his district. Being a gentleman
of great distinction, and a candidate for Congress, he was
appropriately invited by the sheriff to occupy a seat with the
prisoner and his spiritual adviser upon the gallows. At the
near approach of the fatal hour, the sheriff, with watch in hand, amid
the sea of upturned faces, stated to the prisoner that he had
yet five minutes to live, and it was his privilege if he so desired
to address the audience. The prisoner meekly replied that he
did not wish to speak. Whereupon Mr. Blackburn, stepping promptly
to the front of the scaffold, said: "As the gentleman does not
wish to speak, if he will kindly yield me his time, I will take
this occasion to remark that I am a candidate for Congress, regularly
nominated by the Democratic Convention," etc. This incident being
told in the presence of Mr. Marshall, the opposing candidate,
the latter remarked that he remembered it well, and could vouch
for its truth. He then added that when Mr. Blackburn proposed
to speak out the prisoner's time, the latter turned to the Sheriff
and inquired who that was. To which the officer replied, "Captain
Blackburn." At this the prisoner, who had amid all the exciting
scenes of his