The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-07-30
Incidents in the Life of Mr..
COlfaX.

From his biography by Rev. A. Y.Moore.
In 1851, when but threo years
past the age required by the Con.
stitution, Mr.. Colfax was the whig
candidate for representative of his
district in Congress. His opponent
was DR.. Graham N. Fitch, then a
Democratic member of Congress,
an able politician, a popular stump
speaker, and since then United
States Senator. The old and the
young politician "stumped" the
district together, meeting seventy
appointments for speaking The
first encounter was in a part of the
district where DR., Fitch was well
known and Mr. Colfax a stranger
The former made the opening
speech and tried to overwhelm his
young competitor with ridicule,
advising him, "instead of attempt.
Ing to get a seat in Congi ess, to
tarry atJericho until his beard was
grown" an allusion which raised a
rear of laughter. "Before," says
Mr.. Moore, "tbat dcrisive laughter
bad died away, he was called upon
to come forward and begin his
first speech in his frst canvass for
Congress. Stepping forward quick
ly and glancing around with his
keen, searching eyes, he took the
hearts of his audience captive, as
with the readiness of an expei,enc.
ed debater, and with just indigna.
tion that made his words sound
like the twang Of bow that had
sent forth well-sped arrow, he
said: II was not aware. my fellow
citizens; that brass and beard were
the necessary qualifications of a
Congressman. If, in your judg-
ment, il is so. l must renounce all
hope of your votes. as l confess,
what you cannot but soc, that my
competitor has superabundance
of bothl" The cries Of Good, good,
and the ringing cheers that greet
ed his opening. told the Doctor tha.
if he was Goliath, he had, in the
STRIPPING before him q David to
contend with"
In this same canvass DR.. Fitch
sought to take advantage of Mr.,
Colfax's opposition TO the clause Of
state Constitution prohibiting the
immigration of free colored per-
sons. The people of Indiana at
that time were almost unanimous
ly in favor Of this clause, and it
required both principle and cour-
age to run against the prevailing
prejudice, but Mr.. Coltax met the
issue, stated his convictions, and
said to those whose support he
asked, "If you ask me to sacrifice
them (his conviotions) for seat in
Congress, l tell you frankly Lean
not do it. l would not act ttunter
to my convictions Of duty, ifyou
could give me fifty terms in Con-
gress." He lost his election by
only two hundred votes in a dis
trict that had before been strongly
democratic.
In 1852 be was delegate to-the
Whig National Convention at Bal
timore, OF which he was elected one
of the secretaries. When the Ne
braska bill was introduced by Sen
ator Douglas, in 1854, he opposed
itably in his paper, and in the same
year be was nominated by "Peo-
ple's Convention" made up of all
the "Anti.Nebraska" elements for
Congress. He was elected by q
majority Of seventeen hundred and
seyenty-six, in a district which two
years before had given bis com :
petitor nearly twelve hundred ma
jorlty.
In 1868, on the occasion Of Mr..
Coliax's first election as Speaker
he was honored with a public din
ner in Washington by the repre-
sentativee of the press without re-
gard to party. In roply to toast
Mr.. Wilkeson, a distinguished jour
nalist slid, in referring to Mr.. Col
fax's paper, the South Bend Regis
ter:
That paper l always read, both
on tho Tribune and on the Journ,
al. Tread it for its own sake, fol
it was wise, it was honest, 1t was
we'll made, it ever bad news
Twas one Of the few papers in A.
49, It'll kkA nnsaaar n