The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-05-28

Schuyler Colfax was born at {
house in North Moore Street, near
West Broadway. In the city Of New
YORK, March 3, 1923 His mother
is but sixteen years his senior. lie
received d good common school edu-
cation: was bred a printer, and set
tied in Indiana in 1886 He soon be-
came 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
sort of flyer to a job printing business
as soon as it has got its school house,
grocery, hotel and blacksmith shop,
and begins to think about having
z meeting house The typo
out West frequently gets the
start Of the preacher, though the race
is close. Those who saw Colfax then
= at the case " describe him as a light,
spindliDg, faxen-hsired, boyish look
ing youth-clever rather in the Yam
kee than in the English sense-with
a delicacy of temperament which sug-
gested a doubt whether he had the
stamina to live to manhood, without
the faintest 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
out little Of it, and though Mr. Col
fax became the editor and publisher
Of the South Bend Register as soon
as he became of age, other and subse-
Quent evidences were required to es-
tablish his claim to intellectual supe-
riority.
In 1913 he was a delegate to and
Secretary Of the Wing National Con
Yention. In 1850 he was a member OF
the Indiana Constitutional Conven-
ton. In 1882 he was again Secretary
Of the Wig National Convention He
was elected to the Thirty fourth Con
grass, and has been regu larly re-elect-
ed to every subsequent Congress He
was elected Speaker of the Thirty
eighth Congress, and has been re
elected Speaker of the Thirty ninth
and FOrtieth. He was urged but he
declined to accept a seat in the United
States Senate, preferring his presiding
chair In the House. His open, pleas
ant face has become familiar to large
audiences throughout the country,
who have listened to his addresses
upon political topics, upon the late
President LincOln-by whom he was
warmly loved-upon his tour across
the continent to the Pacific, or
upon subjects connected with the
work of the Sanitary and Chris
tan Commissions. He Is pure in
his personal aud moral habits.
has a broad, outspoken and
catholic sympathy with every
good work Of reform, whether poiti-
cal, moral, Intellectual or religious,
and has the warm and enthusiastic
confidence Of Christians and temper
ance refOrmers throughout the coua-
try. He attends, and we believe is a
member of, the Reformed ljutch
Church, and is a thorough teetotalist.
Without being educated as a scholar,
industrious reading has given him
much of what IS most valuable in
scholarship, Unalloyed by Its pedant-
~, its clannishness, or It's egotism.
Without being bred lawyer. practi-
cal familiarity with legislation has
taught him all that is most valua bic
In law, freed from the Conservatism
and inaptitude for change and reform
which rests ike an incubus on so
many of those minds which are bred
by the habits of the legal profession
to look for presidents which show
what the law has been, rather than to
broad principles which settle what
the law ought to be. Yet Mr.. Colfax
has frequently shown the happiest
familiarity with pFecedents, especially
10 questions of parliamentary practice.
AS presiding officer. he IS the
most popular the Hsuse has had since
Henry Clay. HIS marvellous quick
ness Of thought and talent for the
rapid administration Of details en-
ables him to hold the reins of the
House Of Representative even In its
most boisterous and turbulent moods
land, with the exception of the New
York Board of Brokers, the British
House of Commons, or a fair at Don
nybrook, 1t is the most uproarious
body in the world. 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 piano, in a dreamy maze of
1aultless, qulverlng melody
As an orator, Mr.. Colfax is not ar
gnmentative, except as clear state
ment and sound judgment are con
ylnclnc. He rides nc cratic hob
bIes. He demands no policies which
the average sense of intelligent men
cannot be made to assent to on clear
statement of his position. A glance
a. his broad, we'll balanced. practical
brain indicates that his leading Fec
MY Is the sum of all the faculties
judgment, and that what he believes