The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-11
SPEAKER COLFAX,S VALEDICTORY.


In resigning the office of Speaker of the
House of Representatives, on the 81, Mr.
Colfax spoke as follows:
Gentlemen The opening of the legis- /
lative day, at the close of which L must
enter upon another sphere of duty, re-
quires me to tender to you this resignation
of the Office which, by your kindness and
the election of Speaker for the brief re-
mainder of this session. The parting
word among friends about to separate is
always a regretful one, but the farewell
which takes me from this Hall, in which
so many years have been spent, excites in
me emotions which it would be useless to
attempt to conceal. The fourteen years,
during which l have been associated with
the representatives of the people here,
have been full of eventful legislation, of
exciting issues, and of grave decisions,
vitality affecting the entire Republic. All
these with the accompanying scenes, which
so often reproduced in this arena of debate,
the warmth OF feeling of our antagOnlZing
constituencies, have passed into the do
main of history, and | but refer to them
te express the Joy which apparently is
shared by the masses of our countrymen,
that the storm cloud of war which has so
long darkened our national horizon has at
last passed away, leaving our impcriled
Union saved, and that by the decree of
our people, more powerful than Presidents,
Congress or armies, liberty was pro-
claimed throughout the land to all the in
habitants thereof But cannot leave you
without one word of rejoicing over the
present condition of our Republic among
the nations of the earth. With our mill
tary power and almost illimitable re-
sources, exemplifed by the war that de-
velOped them, with our rapidly aug
menting population, and the welcome at
our gates of the oppressed of all other
Chimes; with cur vast and lncreas-
ing agricultural, mechanical, manu-
featuring and mining capacities; with
our vantage on the two great
oceans of the globe, and our almost COM
pleted Pacific Railroad uniting these OPP
posite shores, and becoming the great high
way, the United States of America COM
mands that respect among the powers Of
the world, which insures the maintenance
Of all its citizens from oppression or in
Justice abroad. Nor is this all. The tri-
umphal progress of free institutions here
has had It's potential influence beyond
the sea. The right of the people to
govern based on the sacred principle of
our revolution, that all governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent of
the governed, is everywhere advancing,
not with slow and measured steps, but
with rapidity that within a few years
has been so signally illustrated in Great
Britain, Spain, Italy, Prussia, Hungary
and other lands. May we not hope that
by the moral but powerful force of our
example, letters may everywhere be
broken, and some of us may live to see
that happy era, when slavery and tyranny
shall no more be known throughout the
world, from the rivers to the ends of the
earth. l cannot claim that in the share l
have had in the celebrations and legisla-
tons of this House as member and as an
| officer, l have always done what was
wisest in action or word, for none of us
are infallible, but | have striven to
perform faithfully every duty. But, de-
voted as l am, as all know, to principles
that have deemed correct, the honor and
glory of our country have always been
paramount above mere party ties, l can
conscientiously assert. That nave sought
to mitigate rather than TO intensity the as
perities which the collisions of opposing
parties so often evoked must be left
to my fellow members to verify. In the
responsible duties of the last six years,
l have endeavored to administer the rules
you enacted for your guidance, both in
letter and spirit, with an impartiality I'M
influenced by political antagonism and I
may be pardoned for the expression OF
qualification, that while no decision has
been reversed-there have been appeals
sometimes taken, as they are by minor
ity as protest against the power under
the rules of q majOrity-it has never
been decided by strictly party vote. If,
in the GuickncsS with which a presiding
officer here is often compelled to rule,
hour after hour, on parliamentary points,
and in the performance of his duty to pro-
tect all members in their rights, to adj
vance the progress Cf business, ard to pre-
serve order, any word has fallen
from my lips that has unjustly
wounded any one, | desire to
withdraw it unreservedly. I leave this
room with no feeling of unkindness toany
member with whom have been assocat-
ed in all the years ofthe past, having earn
silly tried to practice that lesson of life
which commands us to write our enmities
in sand, but to engrave our friendships on
granite. But the last word cannot longer
be delayed. bid farewell to the faithful
and cOntiding constituency whose affec-
tionate regard sustained and encompassed
me through all the years of my public
life. Farewell TO the hall which, in its
excitements and restless activities, SO often
seemed to represent the throbbiDgs and
intense feelings of the national heart
And finally, fellow members and friends,
with sincere gratitude tor the generous
support you have always given me in the
difficult and complex duties of the chair,
and with the warmest wishes for your
health, happiness and prosperity, one and
all, | bid you farewell.
A FELLOW who has been shaved in
China says that the barber first stropped
the razor on his leg, and then did the
shaving without any lather. The GUS
toner demonstrated, but was told that
lather was entirety useless, and had ten
dency to make the hair stiff and tough,
and was therefore never used by persons
who had any knowledge of the face and
its appendages. After the beard had
been taken 0ir-and it was done in very
short time-the barber took long, sharp,
needle-shaped spoon, and began to ex.
plOre his customers ears He brought up
from numerous little crevices bits of wax
and dirt that had been accommodating since
his childhood. The barber suddenly
twisted his subjects neck to one side in
such a manner that it cracked as if the
vertebre had been dislocated. "Hold
~ shouted the party, alarmed for the
safety of his neck. "All right" replied
continued to jerk aud twist the neck until
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