Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-06-03
SCHUYLER COIGax.

the only son OF ms Widowed mOLneF.-
He was taught in the common schools
of the city-fnished his education at
the high school then standing in
Crosby street, and at ten years had re-
ceived all the school training he ever
had. He now became a clerk in a
store, and after three years removed to
Indiana with his mother and her
second husband, Mr.. Matthews. They
settled in St. Joseph county. Here
the youth for four years again served
SIS clerk IN the village Of New Gsrlisle-
When II years old he was appointed
deputy county auditor, and for he
better fulfillment of his official duties,
he nov removed to the county town,
South Bend, where he has lived ever
since.
Like almost every Western citizen of
any activity of body and mind, young
COlfax took practical hold Of political
matters about as soon as he could vote.
He talked and thought, and began to
print his views from time to time in
the local newspaper Of the place. His
peculiar faculty of dealing fairly, and
at the same time pleasantly, with men
of al sorts, his natural sobriety and
sensibleness Of opinion, and his power
of stating things plainly and correctly.
made him what may be called natural
newspaper man. He was employed
during several sessions to report the
proceedings OF the State Senate for the
indianapolis Journal, and in this posi-
ton made many friends, and gained
good reputation for political lnforna-
tion and ability as 8 writer.
Mr.. Colfax's frst nomination to Con-
gress was in 1851, and he was beaten,
though only by 200 majority in a
district strongly opposed to him in
politics. His competitor was that Dr..
Graham \. Fitch who was afterward
the congenial yokefellow Of Mr. Bright
in the United States Senate on the
side of the South, during Mr.. Buchau-
ans Presidency. In 1852 Mr.. ColfaI
was delegate to the Whig National
Convention that nominated General
Scott, and, as at the Convention of
1913, was a Secretary. He declined 4
second Congressional nomination, and
his district, which he had lost by only
200, was now lost by 1000.
The Thirty-Third Congress, whose
legal existence covered the period from
December 5. 1858, to March 3, 1855,
franklin Pierce, being President,
passed the Nebraska Bill. Upon this,
the North, driven at last to the wall,
turned short about in its career of sur
render, and SET itself to put limit to
the spread of slavery. The old estab-
lished professional politicians of those
days did not understand this crisis, an d
very many Of them did not know any
thing about the change of public
opinion-or rather of public intention
that was going on, until to their i'm
mense surprise and disgust, an anti
slavery extension constituency that
they knew not of, suddenly voted them
out of their Offices. Such a bat-eJ ed
politician was Mr.. Colfax's own repre-
sentative in Congress at this time.
Even after having been elected as q
Free Soil Democrat, and after under
going a special season of argument and
entreaty by his friends, and during a
visit home while the Nebraska Bill
was pending, the shortsighted iegisla-
tor went back and voted for it. He
very quickly reaped his reward, how
ever. Had he known enough to take
the opportunity of doing right, he
would have found that for once it was
the way to temporal success, for un-
ouestionably he would have been re-
elected, and assuredly Mr.. Colfax would
have done his best to re-elect him. As
it was, the energetic editor was at once
selected by the anti-Nebraska men Of
that region to take the lead in punish
ing the delinquent. He was unani-
mOusly chosen candidate for Congress,
and after the candid and jolly Western
fashion, the two nominees went round
the district Yoked together for combat,
| like those duelists who are tied tOgeth-
! er for combat, like those dueiists WHO
are tied together by their left wrists
and WELD their knives with theiaright
hands. The result was Mr.. Colfax's
election by 1000 majority, the previous
majority of his competitor having been
900 the other way.
1t was during the session of this Con-
gFess-June 81, lS56-that Mr.. Colfax
delivered his Bell-knoWn and powerful
speech on the bogus claws" of Kansas,
imposed on that State by the fraud
and violence of the pro-slaveyy rufians
of those days. This speech, word-for
word quotation of clause after clause
of this infamous code, accompanied
with a plain, sober and calmly toned
explanation Of the same, produced a
very great effect, and was considered
so able q summary Of the case involved,
1 that during the Presidential campaign
OF that year, half million Of copies of
it were distributed among the voters of
the United States. By way Of driving
quite home the truths of the case, Mr..
Colfax, where he quoted the clause
which inflicted imprisonment at hard
labor with ball and chain, upon any
one who should ever say "thst persons
have not the right to hold slaves in
this territory" lifted from his desk
ana showed to the House an iron ball
of tie statutory dimensions (viz: six
inches diameter, weighing thirty
pounds,) apologizing for not also ex-
hibiting the six foot chain prescribed
along with it. Alexander H. Stephens,
afteTWard Vice President of the rebels,
who sat close by, asked to take this
specimen of pro slavery jewelry for
freemen, and having tested its weight,
would have returned it; but Mr..
Coifax smilingly asked him to hold it
for him untilhs was through speaking,
and while the pro-slayery leader
dandled the decoration proposed by his
friends for men guilty Of free speech,
Mr.. Colfax, in a few telling sentences,
showed that Washington and Jefferson
and Webster and Clay had said the
words which would have harnessed
them, a quaternion of eonVicts, into
the chain gang of the border ruff ans.
Mr.. Colfax's constituents, extremely
satisfied with his course and abilities,
as shown during the session renomins-
ted him by acclamation while he was
in Washington, and he was reelected
after the usual joint canvass, although
the Presidential election of that fall
went against his party. That such
would be the result, Mr.. Colfax had
confidently predicted, as a consequence
of the third party nomination of Mr..
Fillmore, but worked with none the
less zeal for his principles and his
party. He had breadth, and sound
ness, and cleaIness of view enough 10
sight along the rising plane of the sue
cessiye snti-slaFeTy votes Of 1874, 1913,
1852 and 1856, and to see that the par
ty of freedom and right was the party
of the future, and while doubtless he
would have been just as steadfast in
doing right if he had no hope of