ber of the committee that was
named to wait on Mr. Blaine and notify him officially of his nomination.
The notification committee went all the way to Mr. Blaine's home,
Augusta, Maine, to discharge that duty.

The ceremony of notification took place in Mr. Blaine's front yard. The
weather was fine. The notification speech was delivered by the chairman,
Senator Henderson, to which Mr. Blaine briefly responded, promising to
make a more lengthy reply in the form of a letter of acceptance. At the
conclusion of the ceremony he called me to one side and asked what was
the outlook in Mississippi. I informed him that he could easily carry
the State by a substantial majority if we could have a fair election and
an honest count; but that under the existing order of things this would
not be possible, and that the State would be returned against him.

"Oh, no," he replied, "you are mistaken about that. Mr. Lamar will see
that I get a fair count in Mississippi."

I confess that this remark surprised me very much.

"Mr. Blame," I replied, "you may understand the political situation in
Mississippi better than I do, but I know whereof I speak when I say that
Mr. Lamar would not if he could and could not if he would, secure you a
fair count in Mississippi. The State will be returned against you."

"You will find," he said, "that you are mistaken. Mr. Lamar will see
that I get a fair count in Mississippi."

Mr. Lamar not only made an aggressive campaign against Mr. Blaine, but
it was chiefly through his influence and efforts that the State was
returned against Mr. Blaine by a very large majority. And yet no one who
knew Mr. Lamar could justly accuse him of being an ingrate. He was
essentially an appreciative man; as he never failed to demonstrate
whenever and wherever it was possible for him to do so. No one knew
better than did Mr. Lamar that he was under deep and lasting obligations
to Mr. Blaine; but it seems that with all his wisdom and political
sagacity and foresight Mr. Blaine was unable to distinguish between a
personal and a political obligation. Mr. Lamar felt that what Mr. Blaine
had done for him was personal, not political, and that if
his,--Lamar's,--party was in any respect the beneficiary thereof, it
was merely incidental. At any rate, it was utterly impossible for him to
serve Mr. Blaine in a political way. Had he made the effort to do so he
not only would have subjected himself to the accusation of party
treachery,