The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-09-03
Hon. Schuyler CosGax.


his father having died but short time |
previous. With but limited means, his
widowed mother could afford to keep him
at school but q short time, and at the age
Of 10 he was placed in a mercantile eStab-
lishment, where he remained three years,
contributing materially from his small sal
airy to the support Of both himself and
mother In 1886, he and his mother, in
company with others, left their home in
New York city, and settiod siaa- St. Joseph
county, Indiana. Shortly after his arrival
in the West; he was appointed Deputy
County Auditor for ST. Joseph county,
and employed his leisure hours in the
study of State law, in which he is said soon
TO have become an acknowledged expoun-
der. He read law pretty thoroughly du-
ring these leisure hours, but not with a
view TO adopting it as a profession. He
had but little idea of what great benefit
the information he was then gaining would
prove to him in after years. In 1916, he
started a weekly journal at South Bend,
the county-seat of st. Joseph county, called
The 81. ,Joseph Valey Register, becoming
| its sole proprietor and editor. 4 writer
| in the Indianapolis Journal corrects mis-
take into which the public has fallen rela-
! tive to Mr.. Coifax's connection with the
printing business Mr. Lanman in his
Dictionary of Congress, says: He was
bred printer" lie never was appren-
ticed to the printing business, and knew
nothing OF the practical part of the Fart
preservatiye Of ali arts" until after he had
commenced the publication of the Register
With his ready tact and quick perception,
| however, and great anxiety to economize,
for his means were yet very limited, he
soon mastered the art sufficiently to "help
out Of the drag ;" but he never attained
to any great proficiency in the business,
his editorial labors, the business of the of
fee, and other duties soon claiming his
entire attention. The Register prospered,
and soon became source Of profit to its
proprietor. 1t was ably edited, and was
model Of courtesy and dignity. Every
paragraph, however small, seemed to have
passed under the supervision of and to re-
feet the mind and elevated thoughts of
: its editor. He continued his connection
with this paper until three or four years
ago, writing a regular weekly letter for its
columns during his first two terms in Con-
gress It was during the early days Of the
Register that Dir. Colfax was laying the
foundation for the reputation he has since
attained as a debater \ debating club
was formed, which held regular weekly
meetings during the winter season, and it
was rare occurrence indeed to find Mr..
Colfax absent from these stated gather
ings. Politics, the temperance reform,
and other subjects were often as ably de
bated in this society as kindred questions
are in deliberative bodies of much greater
pretensions Of the present day The Hon.
John ID. Defrees, now Superintendent OF
Government Printing, and for many years
editor and proprietor Of the indianapolis
Journal to which Mr. Colfax was also at
tached as Senate Reporter for some time
after he commenced the publication of the
t Register, was also a participant in these
: debates They were both Wings, both
ardent and sincere advocates of and believ-
J ers In the temperance reform, and were
consequently seldom pitted against each
! other in these debates. The attachment
formed at this early day between these
gentlemen still continues with unabated
E tervor.
In 1848, Mr.. Colfax was chosen as q
delegate. and elected as Secretary of the
Convention which nominated Gen. Taylor
for the Presidency. In 1850 he represent
| SU o. COoGti1 NOUtIiJ III VIZ OOAA OiAIAO4i
: which framed the present Constitution OF
Indiana In this Convention he opposed
, with all his ability, the adoption of the
clause prohibiting free colored men from
, settling in the State. His opposition tc
! this measure was the cause of his defeat
: the following year when nominated iol
Congress, in opposition to DR.. Fitch But
n with ali the ability, tact and shrewdness o
n this old political wire-worker, he only dis
n tanced his young competitor 200 votes, II
a a district which had been strongly Demo
4 cratic for years. In 1852 he was again
Y delegate to the Whig National Convention
!, He took an active part in the campaign
G which followed, speaking often and writing
much In 1854, when the % great deep
of Indiana Democracy was broken up, ant
= the old Hunkers laid in grave from
= which it is hoped they may never be resur
rected, he was renominated and elected t
y Congress, and was consequently more &C
4 tive than ever before His experience a
a debater, and familiarity with State an,
National politics rendered him an over
d match for his opponents, whom he was a
z WAYS anxious to meet in an open and fai
y discussion before the people, where he wa
1t always certain of a victory. In 1856 b
was again nominated for Congress, an
h reelected by a handsome majority. Iii
. entrance into Congress was in the midst c
e the great struggle over the Lecompto
; swindle A writer says of his maide
speech in the House = His first speec
le in Congress went forth to repel the tide {
terror which was sweeping over s,rugglin
;? Kansas, and clearly showed that even the