Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-06-12
YOUNG HARRY CLAY.
A PEN Picture Of schuyler COls
fax In his HDen.,,

I 1 u. A.
Cleveland Leader.
Tn what is called his "den." / found
Schuyler CoIfax some days ago; lit
tie closet room, lighted by one basement
window, uader the Capitol. 1t was a
curiosity shop of manuscripts I'D doc
uments, order.'reignipg in superficial con-
! fusion. Here the Speaker hides himself
away from pages and harpies, and
works unassistedly at his speeches and
his correspondence, the latter of itself a
drudgery as great and exciting as any
accountants.
But lighthouse never Crews old; af-
ter hundred wears its fame is as youth
full as when il began. The pure, unaf.
fected. radiant cheerfulness of SIR. Colfax
keeps him rs rosy and hopeful as boy
Here he sits. smoking his cigar. surprised
in the midst of smile, for all his
thoughts are good companions.
l took seat before him, and while he
answered some questions bad brought,
tried to make out his face and charac
ter-a very difficult type were both of
them, for country of which the Speak
er is so representative, and yet Of tenn
permanent 80 uncommon.
We are sober minded people, with
lines of drift and anxiety in their faces,
like the marks of whip and burden. We
90 to law and 90 to church with the
same couutenances. We want to make
money fast and on the way and after
the end We have remorses, aches, woun-
ded self esteems, asceticisms. The air.
the soil. the worry and the hurry of
American life provincialized the Amer
lean into bard, repellant, drsadfully
over-esrnest man, with a skin, a stomach
and soul equally dyspeptic.
Out fthe population of faces grow,
now and then, liks cloverhead out of a
stockyard, all freshness and color. and
Quick to feel the earliest breezes. This
is Mr.. Colfax. His FIFE is perennial
hopefulness, having good conscience
for It's compass, and for its ballast tenn
peraEent that is equal as an hour glass.
Full of the elasticity of the Empire City,
a widows son, born thirty. five years
ago. with a parentsge reaching back on
one side to the Schuylers. on the other
to an officer to Washington's body guard.
At ten years of age his schooling censed
and be had found a new father. AT
thirteen be quilted New York and his
step fathers store for home in Indiana,
AT twenty he was an editor; twelve hun
dred dollars in debt. At twenty seven
he was a candidate for Congress, al
ready young widower, and sadder but
manlier by deserved love. At thirty
he was Congressman, as he has been
ever since, and three times elected Speak
er of the House, the third position in
the nation. At the base OF this success
full career we find neither wealth. chi
canary, nor pstr' mage, but good citizen
ship, faithful public services. steadfast
self respect, aud cheerful ten;pe.. 1t
is quiet career of success under Repub-
licsn institution, with steady talents.
quick perceptions, and excellent conf
dence. His model in the State has
been Henry Clay whose manners were
like his own, and he confesses to have
nodded his speakership upon Clay's
career as Speaker of the House; "Never
hoping" he says ''to reach this high
standard, it has ever been before my
mind, as the sculptor studies the model
of the Great Master of his art" In this
position be has never been traduced TIL
OF late, when during the impeachment
trial the majority of the House has con-
nived at certain qua-rels, but the Speak
er himself has aimed, in his own Ian
guage, TO make all ''fOrgetful Of the as
peritios which should perish with the &C.
casinn taat evokes them" Mr.. Colfax
is member of the Dutch Reform Chulch,
aud total abstinence is one of bis private
principles. He is smoker, however,
and LOVING traveller by foot and stage.
His oratory is forvid and florid together,
and has served bis party handsomely in
trying times. while his judgment is
guarded yet decisive as bis mode of
speech. OF his speeches l have collee-
ted some illustrations from various parts
of the Globe.
Thus he said of the employment of
negro troops:
81 do not call negro soldiers better
than white ones. If / were to express
my opinion it would be that those ofmy
own color are better and drawer. For I
have always told you, in spite of charges
TO the contrary, that l believed the An
glo Saxon race was superior to any other
that walks the footstool of COOL"
So he said of moral faithfuluess in leg
islation:
whether travelling in the valley of
humiliation or disaster, or keeping my
eye fixed on the heavens, believe God
re'gns. don't believe his blessings
will fall on the Confederacy. Gods
WAYS are sometimes dark, but sooner or
later they reach the shifting hills of Gay p
He first announced of the Republican
platform after the breach with Mr.. john.
son, thus:
''Let us make haste slowly, and we
can then hope that the foundation Of our
government. when thus reconstructed on
the basis of indisputable loyalty, will be
as eternal as the stars"
In like manner, on April 10, 1865,