Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1868-08-07
:
mr. ColfaN at Home.


home ia South Bead, Ind, ON The 3o,h ul,..
was a grand recognition ,f his cmincp,
worth as citizen aud statesman. Com;nr
as it did. in lie msin, from hi.
owa neiglhers. i; was peculiarly gratifying
as cyincing their appreciation of the man
IN his social and nrig,ihosls relations, A
man whose character was such'as TO inspirc
distrust rather Than confidence, would scarcely
have called forth such magnificent wel>
come as That accorded 10 Mr.. Colfax, In
all relations Of lie, he is alike coasis,en,
high.tolea aud moral. We give below sey>
cral extracts from the speech of Mr.. Colfax
delivered in response to the hearty welcome
accorded him.
SPEECH OF nov. sCurlrER coLrAx>
MR. MAYOR; Ny friends--ser l find no
word to address YOU m ire correct than that
-f,iends OF my bo, hood days, trieads Of nv
early manhood. friends OF my ma,urcr years.
friends who hnve gralpled ne to their hearts
with hooks OF steel, confess l scarcclr
know how to speak to you this afternoon in
response to the most enthusiastic welcome
yoa hare given me. There is ono word in
The English language. brief, short. but i'm.
prcssive, which thrills every heart that j. no,
calious and hardened. II makes NE l;s
blood course through our veins.uore rapidly
it is the word "home.'' rTaee is volume
in il TO me. Ii there is . man
in this broad land, from ,he Atlantic TO the
Pacific, who has cause 10 love his home, il is
lie who nov addresses YOU. Ever kind, ever con.
crate, ever devoted. ever sfiectiona,e, whrr
have come into your midst from the labors
to wh.cn ron have assigned me, have met
everywhere q generous welcome with the
heart in the outsire,ched hands.
When the railroad train sped, on NoDiay
last, across the Susquchanna ard Inc
crest Of the Allechanies and the 0bso, there
was one thought Of my own loved home on
The border Of our beautiful ST. lie. Ever,
abroad as well as at home. it las followed
NE, seeming like guardian angel to protcc,
me against danger and hcaor. When, three
years ago. on long and rerilous journey
through scenes Of insian warfare across
oar plains, | went to The Pacific coast %
those boundlees plans Of oar interior, down
in the bowels g. the earth in mines which
| visited. across the snowy Greet Of the
Sierras, on the borders Of that
great SEA that washes the
Chinese Umpire as well as our ogn shores,
far ava Z to ,he northwest or the Mediter.
aoesn OF our country, TO Puget Sound, Van,
couser's leland and back e ain. until almost
rder the equator. on the lsthmus Of Psna>>
ma, there SAs one thought that my compan-
los here, Gov. Bross, can testify was ever
before Eae by night and by cay, ans that was
Of the loved ones o. home.
There 10 NO mar Who owes ore 10 the
people among whom he lived than DO thas
speaks to you to-day. Taxi ing ne N your
arms. oh, no, taking me rather IN your beartAs
fiom my earliest boy hood you have ev9 bssn
Gordon Of slrone bssds ssl vasn hears
around me, against assaults asd calsuaiss
on every side, jeAloss of my eooA name sud
character ~ If It sss your esn, sepelhng
every slaudes. and yindieA1ne ne s<foss Me
Americas people. If forget yos may my
right hand forget is cunning and my tonscs
cleAve to the roof Of ny mouth. Great APP
plause.l For san say N iha, bear,ifsl
language Of Goldsmith.
Ra, hrre'r turn. Mhsssver realms see.
IL neat yEirarpeiled fondly fsrns so thee
to>eay with this magnificent demons;ra-
ton which you have made to me OF your
kindness. c9niess hs, come before you
With feslings ssddened aud slslost rs2rsaal.
fhere is 10 one that csn sprscists moro
itaa have the geEeross confidence sepossd
in ne Ly the millions tLsosg hout our land
Who believe in shs prisciples tba, have -
vocsted TO The boss Of my ability. IL their
placing NE side by side Sish our distinguish b.
ell con arder U, on our NstionA Gchs, in
their great struggle know 1t Vas The esis
dence upon sheis psr q conhdencs in MY
principles. and in abs pectiaule Of my linton
lions. II n because shey hsl sapposed,
having watched ny course A grave nstionsl
councils. that might Be sslisd - II chosen
by the people Of America. never 70 tHyr nv
back upoa Tie principles thst psofe sssd;
and yet. ~ say, ! cons here before you
to- day With sadness and . regret lha;. even
amid the en' hssiastic friends vho accom- pan
led me here from Chicago. have made me
iee {, DAY almost as if regretted I had
accepted the nomination. realise since
return. taat IL sewers, probably forever, that
tie which has been between rs for almost \
lifetime, as constituents and representatives:
that it removes me il some deg;es froD
being your osn chosen representative before
the American people; that rsvss a9aA may
! come before you " ssk your sS6rages.
aud oct and vote in your behalf in our NO.
liousl resncils. have Sslt IN sll The years
Of the past as have gone up aod dosn the
highways and the tysays Of this district, ~
il every home almost had ar open door, sDd
every heart almost generous Welcome.
Even though the poisoned srrovs OF eaiaMny
might be LuEled sgsisst ne, you vese shield
20 protect me, ard your warm and eeserous
confidence saseser manifested wherever you
. had an opportunity to exhibit it.
Then coming down still later, shall no,
speak to you Of the public life which..I have
had to leac-for that has been familiar 10
you. Ny lot has been cast in the storniest
perioe Of our couniry's history. from the
revolution TO The present time. Sith all the
exciieneat aud seeribt;es Of party passion,
with the shock of contending parties. With
an excitement unparalleled ia the political
contests sf the past. And yet. rejoice 10
be able TO say before you 10 daJ, thai never.
when returned to your midst, has there
been one mAn-even the Li.terest Of my
enemies, however aHtAgonistic he may have
been 10 ne in political rrinciple.-Inet me
with the reproaeb THAI ] had turned ny back
on a solitary pledge ] had made 10 you
when candidate before the people. or had
proved infdel 10 pledge that prosessed
when candidate. Cheers.
Not one. ,hAnk God, not one Enskusi>
astic applause.
Differing. rs some Of you undoubtedly do.
with me ia principIe,my convictions were
the convictions Of my lie. and believe in
them as implicitly as believe in inspiration.
They were the polar star that guided my
political course! They we're the chart BY
which marked Out my public career. i
have proved faithful 70 Them in the past, and
whatever is to be before me ins the future,
God helping me. shall stand by them Is
earnestly in that future as have in The
past. Icheers and enthusiastic applause.
Z 4