Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-09
him as the Senator from Arkansaw, according to
his use of the word.
NEBsTER. CLAY Axn ckrunrx

him as the Senator from Arkansaw according to
his use of the word.
| WEBSTER. CLAY AND CALHOUN.
That was the day Of Webster, Clay and CAL
houn. DR.. MIburn, speaking With STAR re-
porter, charscterizes Mr.. Calhoun az man of
courtly manners, unruffied bearing and COM
manding tone Of voice When he rose to speak,
felt rested on the Senate. The attention Of every
member was held by Mr. Calhoun as he pro-
ceeded with his clear argument
Standing in the aisle between his desk and
MS neishbors: one hand on each desk. without
| oeautiful words. without gesticulation, without
scarcely changing even the pitch of his voice,
| without any attempt at oratory, his only effort
seemed to be to unfold his subject and lay it
open to the view OF all, and this he did as sell
dom any man has done.
Continuing his talk about these orators DR..
Milburn said that Mr.. Webster began to speak
| with dei1beration, sometimes during the first
] OF speech seeming to stop and think for the
exact word he wished to use. As he went on
| with his powerful argument his interest grew;
| he put into the force of his argument his whole
| strength and with q mighty power held his
| dience to the last. He made every one who
heard him think for the time as he did. Their
] minds were controlled by him and he could
lead them where he would
Webster, however, did not seek in his private
conversation to endear himself to people. He
was often reticent, almost to a degree of rude
ness His manner IN this respect was in marked
contrast to that Of Mr.. Clay. whose affabiity
impressed every one. As an illustration of this
Dr. Milburn mentioned the experience of q
ministerial friend who was an admirer Of Mr..
Clay and who had for many years wished to
meet him, but had been prevented by his mod
esty from doing so. This friend, while walking
on pennsylvania avenue one afternoon,
Mr. Clay approaching. and terrifying himself
! with all the courage he could muster as they
met extended his hand and said: MIR. Clay,
am The Rev. -, pastor of Wesley Chapel
and from boyhood have honored and loved
you instantly the minister was made glad
by a reception full of warmth for Mr.. Clay
grasped his hand and spoke pleasantly, and
then putting his arm into the preachers they
walked toward the Capitol, the preacher COM
pieteiy at ease.
HIS SECOND TERM AS CHAPLAIN.
When DIR. Milburn came the second time to
the House as chaplain it was in December, 1853,
the first Congress of Mr. Pierce's administra-
tlon- In the years that had elapsed Webster,
Clay and Calhoun had died and many who occu-
pied seats In Congress at this time were des-
tined to become famous in the great rebellion,
either on Its Dattlefelds or in legislation affect
ing It, The White House q home OF sor-
row, for short time before Mr.. Pierce's inau-
guratlon his only son had been killed in a rail-
way accident. Mr.. William King of Alabama,
who had been elected Vice President on the
ticket with Mr.. Pierce, did not live to preside
over the Senate and the chair occupied by
Mr.. Atchlson of Missouri.
Hannibal Hamlin and Stephen A. Douglas
had gone from the House to the Senate and
Edward Everett, the man Of culture. finished
rhetoric and imposing presence, was the most
distinguished man in that body. Other promi-
nent Senators were Salmon P. Chase, VIM. H.
Seward, Chas- Sumner, Lewis Cass and VIM.
Pitt Fessenden.
Mr.. Lynn Boyd of Kentucky was Speaker of
the House, and among its members were Ma
thaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts, Richard
Yates, who had succeeded Mr.. Lincoln as Rep
resentative. and who few years later was the
war governor of Illinois. and Joshua II. Gid
dings. The two men who later acquired special
renown by espousing the southern cause were
John Z. Breckenridge of kentucky and AIexan-
der ii. Stephens. who became the vice president
of the confederacy. jefferson Davis was at
this time Secretary of War
HIS THIRD ELECTION.
After an interval of thirty years DR.. Mil
burn was for the third time elected chaplain in
December, 1885, the first Congress of Mr..
Clevelands administration, and he has held
the Office continuously since that time. Or all
the men who were In Congress when DIR. Mil
burn was chaplain in the Thirty-thIrd Con-
gress only one was there when he returned.
That man was Senator Colqultt, who entered
the House in 1855, and after serving through
that Congress was not returned till 1888, when
be entered the Senate.
During those years the Capitol had been en-
larged and the Senate had left the old room
now occupied by the Supreme Court and had
the north end of the Capitol while the House.
which had occupied what is now Statuary
Hall. had moved to the south end Of the
building.
The greatest change in the method of con-
Quoting the congressional business since the
time OF DIR. Milburn's first chaplaincy is in that
of reporting. Shorthand had not been intro
dcced for reporting congressional proceedings
when lie came to the House as chaplain in 1845.
There was. however, man who had attained
great speed in abbreviated longhand. This
was Joseph Gales. editor of the Ndtionnl InteiI,-
gence,, for many years the organ Of the whig
party. When Mr.. Webster intended to make a
speech he sent for Mr.. Gales, who reported it
as near verbatim as possible and they revised it
after II had been written in longhand.
When DIR. Milburn came as chaplain the
second time, 1858. shorthand was being used
to some extent. In 1S4S Mr.. Oliver Dyer be-
gan the work OF reporting in shorthand and
III lS49 Mr. NJ Elhone became his assistant. From
the nme OF It's Introduction may be dated the
decline of congressional eloquence of the old
school Up to that time speeches were made
for their immediate effect on the action of the
houses; now they are delivered to be read by
constituents and the country, and few are
listened to, except occasionally one by
noted orator.
SUNDAY SERVICES AT THE CAPITOL
When DR.. Milburn was in Washington during
the Twenty ninth and Thirty third Congresses
ii was the custom for the chaplain to hold
divine services in the House Of Representatives
on Sundays during the session. but this custom
had passed out Of use when he returned TO
Washington in 1885. During those early years
also the chaplains Of the House and Senate ar
ranged between themselves as to the time for
which they should offciate, each taking a period
Of from two to four weeks, and for that time
acting in both houses.
BY this arrangement only one chaplain was
required at the Capitol each day and the other
had all of his time during that period to attend
TO other matters As the chaplains were gen.
orally ministers of Washington churches one
could during the few weeks that the other was
officiating at the Capitol devote his entire time
to the duties of his church. To enable one
chaplain to offciate in both houses the Senate
clock was kept ten minutes behind the clock in
the House. that after prayer in the House
the chaplain could proceed to the Senate and
offer prayer there.
In the olden days also the chaplains we're
nominated under joint resolution on the
floor of the two houses, and not selected, as
they have been in late years, in party caucus
with the other officers.
1t has been DIR. Milburn's wish to return to
the old manner of electug the chaplains for