Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-06-18
Hon. Schuyler coifSx.

49, NNI - A@ssANAN
: York City, and was the only son {
a widowed mother. His father wa
an pe1eer Of zone Of, the New YoE
City banks, and died four month
before the birth of Schuyler. I
the blood Of the Speaker runs th
blood of the Revolutionary fathers
his grandfather, General WilliaI
Colfax, having been the command
ing officer Of Gen. Washington
life guards throughout the Revolu
tionary Wan. General Colfax's s wifi
was Hester Schuyler, Q cousin 0
General Philip Schuyler. Speake
Colfax received an ordinary com
mon school education, and thel
obtained a clerkship in q store
After three years service he remOv
ed osIndiana with his mother AM
her second husband, Mr.. Mat
thews, and settled in st. Josepl
County. For four years yOun.
Schuyler served as a clerk in stor,
in the little viIlags Of New Carlisle
and when seventeen years old, upoT
receiving an appointment as deputy
county auditor, removed to the
county seat, South Bend, where he
has since resided. b AT an early age
Mr.. Colfax commenced to take an
active interest IN political matters,
and frequently published his views
upon questions Of the day in the To-
cal newspaper. He soon acquired
reputation as an able writer, and
in 1s45 became proprietor and edi-
tor of the ST. Joseph Valley Regis
ter, published in South Bend
Though commencing with small
means and a small subscription list,
the paper by its general interest,
and the editorial ability displayed,
soon became remuncrative, Mr..
Colfax was a Wing as long as there
was q Wing party, and at its death,
like all its members of clear heads,
progressive tendencies, and decided
character, he joined the Republican
party. In the Whig party he had
risen to prominence, having been a
delegate to and one Of the secreta-
ries of the Convention which nOmi-
mated General Taylor. Mr.. Col
fax's first nomination to Congress
was in 1851, when he was beaten by
200 Yotes--said to have been ''col-
onized'. At the time of his second
nomination the Nebraska bill was
the most exciting Issue before the
country, and the representative of
the distTiet having voted for it
against the desires ofhis constitu-
ents, the anti Nebraska men imme-
diately selected Colf1x to take the
lead in furnishing the delinquent,
and elected him by two thousand
majority. When the Thirty-fourth
Congress met there was a majority
to the Administration, but
this opposition was of inharmoni-
Gus material A famous contest
for the Speakership, extending from
December 8, 1855, to February,
1856, resulted in the election of Mr.,
Banks-tlle first formal national
triumph of the national anti-slavery
sentiment.
AS the Speaker has power to
the committees of the
House, who prepare, and In a great
measure decide all its business, the
'esult was gratifying, and may be
attributed in a great measure to the
,xertionsof Mr.. Colfax, who by a
great effort succeeded in staying off
he election ofiMr, Orr a strong
,roslavery man. In the session of |
1856, Mr. Colfax delivered his we'll
inown speech on the bogus claws"
# Kansas, which was considered
10 able summary of the case in
7olved, that during the Presidential
ampaign Of that year halfa million
ories were printed for distribution.
from the year 1856 up to the pres
mt time Mr.. Colfax has been sue
essiyely elected by large maiori-
les, Mr.. Colfax was an enthusias-
ic supporter OF Mr.. Lincoln in the
of 1850, and as long as
he latter lived he loved, respected
nd trusted Mr., Colfax, in whose
ldgment he placed such implicit I
onfdence that it has been said he
arely took any steps affecting the
interests Of the nation without max
az his intentions known to him.
In 1868 Mr.. Colfax was chosen
nd has since remained Speaker of
he House Of Representatives, and
as acquired a high reputation as a
hrewd and kindly Chairman, and a
killful parliamentarian. Since that
ate his name has been so conspic-
ously before the people that this
ortion of his life is familiar to
Il. t t45-, -2 +
- A rare case occurred TODAY,