486 A Piibllc Rehuhe — Anecdote of Judge White. [Octolber, 



The late lamented Judge Hugh L. White, of Tennessee, became 

 conspicuous at a very early period of life, as a jurist and a statesman. 

 He fixed his permanent home near Knoxville, amidst the scenes of 

 his youthful sports and the companion of his boyish days. Rarely 

 has a young man, continuing in his own country and among his 

 own kindred, so soon attained such literary and political pre-emi- 

 nence. From his youth, the Judge was characterized by profound 

 reverence for the ordinance, of the gospel. He was a regular attend- 

 ant at the house of worship. And while he was a Presbyterian, — that 

 being the church of his fathers, and the church of his choice, — he was 

 benevolent and generous towards other branches of the great Chris- 

 tian family. He gave to the Methodist church at Knoxville the 

 ground on which their house of worship was built ; and occasionally 

 he would appear in the congregation, and join with them in their 

 worship. 



Now, in those days, there was a notable presiding elder in that re- 

 gion, called Father Axley, a pious, laborious, uncompromising 

 preacher of the gospel, who considered it his duty to rebuke sin 

 wherever it should presume to lift up its deformed head within the 

 limits of his district. And while Father Axley was a man of respect- 

 able talents, undoubted piety, and great ministerial fidelity, he had, 

 moreover, a spice of humor, oddity, and drollery about him, that rare- 

 ly failed to impart a characteristic tinge to his performances. The 

 consequence was, that amusing anecdotes of the sayings and doings 

 of Father Axley abounded throughout the country. 



On a certain day, a number of lawyers and literary men were to- 

 gether in the town of Knoxville, and the conversation turned on the 

 subject of preaching and preachers. One and another had express- 

 ed his opinion of the performances of this and that pulpit orator. — 

 At length. Judge White spoke up — " Well, gentlemen, on this sub- 

 ject each man is of course entitled to his own opinion; but I must 

 confess that Father Axley brought me to a sense of my evil deeds, — 

 at least a portion of them, — more effectually than any preacher I 

 have ever heard." At this, every eye and ear was turned; for Judge 

 White was known never to speak lightly on religious subjects, and, 

 moreover, he was habitually cautious and respectful in his remarks 



