decided by a unanimous vote that upon the assembling of the convention at 9 o’clock that morning Mr. Griffin should withdraw the name of Williams from before the convention as a candidate for State Senator, but that no other name should be placed in nomination.  Every member of the caucus, however, was committed to vote for Revels.  This decision was to be communicated to no one outside of the caucus except to Mr. Buchanan, who was to be privately informed of it by the chairman of the committee to whom he had communicated his own decision.

As soon as the convention was called to order Mr. Griffin was recognized by the chair.  He stated that he had been authorized to withdraw the name of Rev. J.M.P.  Williams from before the convention as candidate for State Senator.  This announcement was received by the Jacobs men with great applause.  The withdrawal of the name of Williams without placing any other in nomination they accepted as evidence that further opposition to the nomination of their candidate had been abandoned and that his nomination was a foregone conclusion.  But they were not allowed to labor under that impression very long.  The roll-call was immediately ordered by the chair and the tellers took their places.  When the ballots had been counted and tabulated, the result was seventeen votes for Revels and sixteen votes for Jacobs.  The announcement was received by the Williams men with great applause.  The result was a victory for them because it was their sixteen votes together with the vote of Rev. Noah Buchanan that had nominated Revels.  The Jacobs men accepted their defeat gracefully.  A motion was offered by their leader to make the nomination unanimous and it was adopted without a dissenting vote.  In anticipation of his nomination Revels was present as one of the interested spectators and upon being called upon for a brief address he delivered it with telling effect, thereby making a most favorable impression.  This address convinced Rev. Noah Buchanan that he had made no mistake in voting for Revels.  Jacobs was then nominated for member of the House of Representatives without opposition, his associates being John R. Lynch and Capt.  O.C.  French, a white Republican.  The ticket as completed was elected by a majority of from fifteen hundred to two thousand, a Republican nomination in Adams County at that time being equivalent to an election.

When the Legislature convened at Jackson the first Monday in January, 1870, it was suggested to Lieutenant-Governor Powers, presiding officer of the Senate, that he invite the Rev. Dr. Revels to open the Senate with prayer.  The suggestion was favorably acted upon.  That prayer,—­one of the most impressive and eloquent prayers that had ever been delivered in the Senate Chamber,—­made Revels a United States Senator.  He made a profound impression upon all who heard him.  It impressed those who heard it that Revels was not only a man of great natural ability but that he was also a man of superior attainments.