Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-08-04

tnat mimic legislature, Is now within the
borders OIL his Congressional District, for
this village Editor. qnite forgot to tell
-yon. has been repeatedly sentenced to go
20 Washington. SO much. very briefly,
very imperfectly. of the early story of my
friend of as many years as jacob wrought
for Rachel.
A month ago. just as entered the Hall
and caught my first glimpse of the lower
House Of Congress, New York. Massachu-
setts and Iowa were all on their feet and
all saying "Mr. Speaker'' while fourth
independent sovereignty was watching
his chance to say "Mr. Speaker" too
Turning to the desk, / saw the village
Editor of lang syne, SCHUYLER CoLrAx.
The same clear eye and cordial smilc--for
he Did smile--but public care and a heavy
sorrow "the stranger meddleth not with. !"
have touched The old picture with new
expression. His lip is fiFmer. his face
paler, there is less play to his features,
si1d if You look very closely. you shall see
that in all these years of effort, penurious
Time has rewarded him with but the
faintest suspicion of silver, and his hair is
as young and brown as ever. And why
Shouldn't 1t be? He is not half way up
the quadrcnt; he is barely foIty-one.
Locking back upon Mr.. Colfax's career,
from the time that boy was treating him
self to frolic with the Congressional
Globe" it seems to me admirably adapted
to fit him for the delicate and difficult
duties of third officer of the Government,
which he has discharged so nobIy, no
matter whom Won remember as having
occupied that chair before him. Master
of parliamentary Law, acute. accurate,
patient, he keeps the legislative deck
cleared for action. and the good ship
steadily under weigh He may bring a
turbulent members unruly sentence to the
hammer and pound it to pieces, but he
does not strike off his own patience with
the same blow; his abiding good temper is
never going. gone" A matter may be
numbered with all manner of parliamentary
helges and bitches. but it ali seems as
clear to him as the kings highway. Ibid
not marvel at his rigid impartiality, but
his wonderful readiness challenged nv
admiration. No matter what question in
unexpected places might be sr rung upon
him, 1t was no sooner asked than an
swered, as if it was just part Of a play
and this was the rhearsal.
True, as | remember, he was not new
to the ac,ual duties of the chair. First
called to it by Mr.. Orr, of Sonth Car
olina; often It's incumbent in the Both
Congress, and on one occasion for three
continuous weeks, aud in some of the
stormiest times. but he brought with him
that rare power OF self-control; he did not
find it in the chair. Endurance more than
brillian ,e in an essential quality fer
presiding officer. \ man Of common
nerve will bear five hours strain per-
haps. for single day. but when you add
to that three hours night-watch at the
wheel. and then repeat that eked out day
till the log runs on to months and the
months make half a year. and if there is
no twang to the strings then, no abatement
Of the natural force" no confusion or
you may conclude that ic is,
not an "iron" man as some would say,
but of far better material; as much better
as splendid brain and nerves, warmed up
with mental life, are to the iron turned
and twisted in the black smiths fire.
l do not know as it is quite demo- !
cratically safe to talk of "biood. p
However clearly we recognize it and |
highly we pay for it in
The bounding sseed we pompousy bestride," |
or in "the milky mothers of the herd"
it is not the fashion since Jefferson, to
say much of such blood, good or bad, as
Ilows in human veins; and yet is not a
fictitious rank but an actual quality. !
Now | happen to know that Mr.. Colfax's
family were not race fpoliticians. So. +
nothing can be proved in that direction. !
but then they did possess certain qualities,
already named. to which he has fallen |
heir in spite of himself. In the Treasury /
Of the United States is all old, yellow
account book--perhaps you would call it
"a blotter"--that cnce belonged to the
man who sometimes signed himself "G
Washington" In that book there is
to the effect that the record
Colfax, ''now undertakes the charge"
after which the room for improvement was
'ully occupied. The young Lieutenant
vas William Colfax. af,erward General.
md commander of Washington's life
Guards, and what is of more especial
inst now. the Speakers grand
ather. The Revolution ended, he married
cousin of Gen. Phillip Schuyler. The
family name was be-
lueathei to the son. and the child mot her
md widow gave 1.-THE dead fathers
ole legacy Of anything that lawyers write
n wills,-to the grandson. and so it came
o pass that there is Schuyler Colfax to- ;
honor the Northwest. Tenacious of
lffection as well as of purpose, the boy of
birteen bids the girl good bye, who had
,een the delicate playmate of his child
rood, and went away to the West. a
eparation at that cay, almost like
lying, for it was farther from New York
o the valley of the St. Joseph. than it
low is from Washington to the 'Moun-
aims of the Moon" Gone long enough
o become a man, he rctraces his steps to
lis "star in the East,' and bears her
,ack a wife, to the new home that awaited
ler Alas, for the star of his heart, it
vas written too soon. as of SO many
lisastered homes beside--sic Iur al astra
thus they go to the stars!
Without the least iaea Of earning the