Nebraska advertiser., 1868-05-28
GehnEIar C0lfax.

in North Moore street, near West Broad
way. in the City of New York, March
%, 1923. His mother is but sixteen
years his senior. He received a good
common school education; was bred
printer, and settled in Indiana in 1886.
He soon became foreman and assistant
editor of the village paper of South Bend.
1t was then a very small sheet, such as
every Western settlement issues, as a
sort of flyer to a JOB printing business as
it has got its school. house, grocery, hotel,
and blacksmithshop, and begins TO think
about having a meeting-house. The
type out West frequently gets the start
of the preacher, though the race is close.
Those who saw Colfax then sat the case
describe him as a light, spindling, fax.
en-haired, boyish.looking yOuth-cIever
rather in the Yankee than the English
sense-with a delicacy of temperament
which suggested doubt whether he had
the stamina to live 10 manhood, without
the fainlesI suggestion that in his mature
years he would be Speaker of the House
and the second choice of the country for
President. the news then came to
South Bend by stage from Detroit, or
up the st. 10 River from the Lake.
There was but little of it, and though
Mr.. Colfax became the editor and pub
Usher of the South Bend Register as
seon as he became Of age, other and sub
sequent evidences were required to est
ablish his claim to intellectual superity.
In 1848 he was delegate to and Sec
rotary of the Whig National Convention.
In 1850 he was member of the Indiana
Constituational Convention. In 1852 he
was again Secretary of the Wing Nati-
onal Convention. He was elected to the
Thirty-fourth Congress, and has been
reelected to every subsequent
Congress. He was elected Speaker of
the Thirty. eight Congress, and has been
reelected Speaker of the Thirty ninth
and Fortieth. He was urged but be de-
ciined TO accept a seat in United States
Senate. preferring his presiding chair
in the House. His open, pleasant face,
has become familiar to large audiences
throughout the country, who have listen
ed to his addresses upon political topics.
upon the late President Linooln-by
whom he warmly lived, upon his tour
across the continent TO the continent to
the Pacific, or upon subjects connected
with the work of the Sanitary and Chris
tian Commissions. He is pure in his
personal and moral habits, has a broad
Outspoken, and catholic sympathy with
every good work of reform, whether
political, moral. Intellectual, or religious,
and has the warm and enthusiastic con.
fidence Of Christians and temperance re-
formers throughout the country. He
attends, and we believe is a member of
the Reformed Dutch Church, and is
thorough teetotalist. Without being
educated as scholar, industrious reading
has given much Of what is scholarship
unalloyed by its pedanlry. its Claunish-
ness, or It's egoIism. Without being
bred a lawyer, practical Familiarity with
legislation has taught him all that Is
most valuable in law, freed from the con-
servatism and inapti.ude for change and
reform which rest like an incubus on
so many of those minds which are bred
by the habits of the legal profession to
look for precedents which show what the
law has been, rather than to broad prime
iples which settle what the law ought to
be. Yet Mr.. Colfax has frequently
shown the haPpiest familiarity with pre-
cedents, especially in questions of parlia.
mentary practice. As a presiding off
Ger he is the most popular since
Henry Clay. His marvellous quickuess
of thought, and talent for the rapid ad-
of details, enables him to
hold the reins Of the House of Repre-
sentiVes, even in its most boisterous and
moods (and with the exception
of the New York Board of Brokers, the
British House of Commons, or a Fair at
Donnybrook, it is the most uproarious
body in the worldly with as much ease
and grace as Mr.. Bonner would show
the PAGES of Dexter in Central Park, or
as Gottschalk would thread the keys of
a piano, in dreamy mage of faultless,
quivering melody. As an orator, Mr..
COlfax is not argumentative, except as
clear statement and sound Judgment are
convincing. He rides no erraliC hobbies.
He demands few policies which the aver
ege sense of intelligent men cannot be
made TO assent to on clear statement
of his position. He is eminenlly repre-
sentative. A glance at his broad, we'll
balanced, practical brain. indicates that
his leading faculty is the sum Of all the
faculiies-judgment, and that what he
believes the majority of the people either
believe or can be made to believe. Some
men may be further ahead OF the age.
Mr.. CoIfax finds sufficient occupation
and usefulness in adapting himself TO
times and things as they are. without
euIing his throat with paradoxes or steal
ing march on mankind with some new
light, which they are very likely to re-
gard as a will-o'- -wisp." He has no
but great tact. HIS tai
ents are administrative and executive,
rather than delIberative. He would
make good appointments, and adopt sure
policies. He would make better Pres
ident, or Speaker of the House, than
Senator. He knows men well, estimates
them correctly, treats them all fairly and
No man will get through his
business with you in fewer minutes and
yet none is more free the horrid brusqu-
eness Of busy men. There are heart and
kindness in Mr.. Colfax's politeness.
Men leave his presence with the i'm
preston that he Is AZ once able. hnnast.