Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-08-06
IFrom the Tin Chronicle Of the aist ultl
CoIfax al South Bend.
Enthusiastic Reception
Eloquent Speech OfMr. COlfax


Eloquent Speech OfMr. Colfaz
The reception which Hon. Schuy
ler Colfax met with at his home OF
last Thursday, was all that the mos
ambitious man or devoted patrlo
could wish. The enthusiasm dis
played on the occasion, the hearty
disposition of the people, and tht
display made on the route and il
the town, are fully described by on
special correspondent in another
column. The welcome address
was made by Col, Humphrey, the
Mayor of South Bend.
MIR, coLFAx's SPEECH.
When the cheering had subsidized
Mr.. ColiaX said
Mr.. MAYOR AND MY FRIENDs--
For can find no words to address
you more appropriate than that
friends ofmy boyhood days; friends
of my early manhood, friends ofmy
mature years, friends who have
grappled me to their hearts will
hooks of steel-I confess | scarcely
know how to speak to you this af
ternoon, in response to the mos
enthusiastic welcome you have Civ
ell me. There is one word in the
English language brief but impress
i've; it thrills every heart that is moi
calloused and hardened; it makes
the life blood course through ouI
veins more rapidly; it is the WORD
"homc." There is in it volume
to me. If there is any man in this
broad land, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, who has cause to love his
home, it is he who now addresses
you. Ever kind and considerate
ever atfeCtionate, when | have come
into your midst from the labors to
which you had assigned me, have
met everywhere generous welcome
with the heart in the outstretched
hand, When the railroad train sped,
on Monday last, away from the
banks of the Potomac, and across
the Susquehanna, the crests of the
Alleghanies and Ohio, there was
one thought that filled me full. 1t
was the thought Of my own beloved
home on the banks of the beautiful
st. Joe. ] have been absent from
You much in the past few years, but
your friendship has not been meas
ured by my presence with yon.-
Abroad as we'll as at home, it has
upheld me, seeming, like a guardian
angel, to protect me against enc
mics as well as danger, When,
three years ago, on long and per-
ilous journey through scenes Of In
dian warfare, across our Plains, /
went to the Pacific coast, on those
bOundless plains of our interior;
down in the bowels of the earth in
the mines which / visited; crossed
the snow. clad Sierra Nevadas; far
to the northwest on that beautiful
Mediterranean Of that region, Euget
Sound; over to the territory of
Queen Victoria on Vancouver's Is
land ; back again to the Isthmus Of
Panama, almost under the equator
there was, as my friend Governor
Bross will tell you, one thought
that was with us by night and by
day, and that was of the loved ones
at home. Cheers.
There Is no man that owes more
to the people among whom he
lives than do who speaks to you
to-day, From my earliestresidence
you have taken me in your arms.
Taken me in your arms? Oh, no {;
you have taken me into your hearts
and protected me against assaults
and calumny OF every side, jealous
of my good name and character as
If it were your own, repelling every
SANDER, and vindicating me before
the American people. If | forget
you, may my right hand forget its
cunning, and my tongue cleavo to
the roof of my mouth.
/ can say, in the beautiful Ian
guage of Goldsmith;
"Where'er roam whatever realms see,
My heart, untrayeled fondly turns to thce,n
But to-day, with the magnificent
demonstrationwhich you have made
to me of your kindness, confess
that come with feelings sqddened
and chastened with the thoughts
that have been all day uppermost
in my mind, There is no one that
can appreciate more than / do the
generous confidence reposed in me
by the representatives of the mil
lions throughout our land, who be-
licve in the principles have advo-
Gated to the best Of my ability. In
placing me side by side with our
distinguished commander, upon the
same national ticket in this great
| know It was from q con
lidence on their part, in my princi-
pies, and in the rectitude of my in
tentions, 1t was because they had
supposed, from having watched my
course, that might be relied upon,
if | were chosen by the people Of
America, never to turn my back
upon the principles that | professed.
And yet, as | say, come before
you with feelings of sadness and
regret, even among the enthusiastic
friends who have accompanied me
from Chicago, and have been made
to feel, to-day, almost as IL | regret.
ted that had accepted the nomina-