The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-09-29
COLFAX.
The Opera House Crowded with En-.
thusiastie Republicans.
A LARGE .RUMBER OF LADIES
PRESENT.
Governor Baker Presents His Re-
spects TO Hendricks.

Schuyler Colfax discuss the current
political issues.
Long before Mr. Colfax arrived,
and indeed before he was expected,
the house began to be crowded, a
large proportion being ladies, who
not finding seats enough in the
auditorium, were seated in large num-
bers on the stage.
About eight o'clock, Mr.. Colfax
arrived, and was introduced to the
audience by Governor Baker
Mr.. Colfax said that he had so
many pleasant recollections Of the
cordial receptions he had met here
in times past, that he felt inclined to
drop the ordinary term fellow citi-
zens." and address the audience as his
friends, for he came to say to them
that all the pledges that were made to
them two years ago had been re-
deemed, and he was justly proud that
it was so.
In addressing an audience in Ev-
ansYiiie, he felt that he must refer to
the Courier. of this city. which had
invited especial attention to him
in a recent issue. It was be-
cause these pledges had been sue
cessfully redeemed, that these
attacks were made and because moth
ing could be found against his official
career that they had gone back to the
exploded accusations of fifteen years
ago and to show their desperation
a miserable sin begotten forgery of a
speech had been published and attri-
buted to him, when the same speech
had been attributed TO Mr.. Wilson
when running in the second Congress-
ional District. and to Judge Wilson
when running for Judge at Richmond,
but the fact was it was written, print
ed. and published by Democrat. No
Republican could conceive so vile
and wretched production, and no
man outside of a penitentiary could
be found who would dare make afi-
davit to the contrary.
Referring to the affidavit of Ply. D.
Viets, published in Tuesdays Courier,
he said that he had just had a letter
from Mr.. Viets which he would read
to the audience, and he felt con-
strained to commend the moral cour
age that enabled him to write the
letter which was a manly acknowl-
edgement of an error committed and
proved him man of honor and of
moral courage seldom experienced.
Mr.. Colfax then read the letter, of
which the following is copy:
EVANSVILLE. IND, Sept. Is, 1870.
HON. SCHUYLER CoLFAx:
Dear Sir-Seetng in the Evansville Co1S-
rier OF this date, an article grossly abusive
of yourself. embracing an affidavit pur-
porting TO have been made by me (date
been done you, and voluntarily take this
method of repairing that wrong, so TAR as
In the first place, 1 have no recollection
of having signed the said aridavit, but L
remember about swearing to something
In Messrs. Fendrtchs' store, in 1868, at q
| time when II regret to say) / was intoxicat-
1 ed. and was not aware OF the nature of the
4 AGlQAV1B. nave reason Tor EuDDOSInR
| that the above mentioned affidavit pub
| lished as above, is probably the one which
was gotted up in Messrs. Fendrichs' store;
have no recollection OF any other.
I never worked for you; never had any
personal acquaintance with you, and
have no knowledge OF your having been
member OF the Know Nothing Order.
regret exceedingly, both on my own
account and yours, the necessity which
calls for this explanation and that was
unconsciously made use OF by your pollti-
cal enemies for the purpose OF doing you
an injury; but truth and justice demand
/ have the honor to be, very respectfully,
lsigned,l P. D. VIETs.
"And thus" said Mr.. Colfax, re-
suming, another oalumny perishes
with the rest. although the acknowl-
edgement must have cost tho maker
of it great effort. and required the
greatest courage"
Mr.. Colfax then referred to a SINH
lar charge made by the State Sentinel,
about wounded soldier having called
at his house in Washington, and
whose card had been received on a
silver card tray, which had been dis
proved by showing that he owned no
such card tray, and that no such man
had ever called on him, and although
he had been for fourteen years be-
fore the public, as a Congressman,
not single Democratic paper in
his District had ever uttered such
charges against him, and he had always
received the largest vote from foreign
born citizens, nor dared they to allege
when or where the speech was deliv-
cred. As to the man who would pub
lish tho charge. not knowing whether
1t was truo or false, he might be ex-
cuseds on the score of his ignorance
Of its falsehood, but the man who
printed it after its falsehood had been
abundantly and conclusively proven,
his degradation brought him even
beneath scorn. and he was proud to
/ say he had not the honor of his ac-
quaintance. (TAis scathing rebuke
OF the viper Of the Courier, was ap-
plauded to the echo. and if the rever-
berAting cheers it received. reached
his ears-if there is shame left in
him, It must have made him feel Bit
terly his deep degradation.)
| Mr.. Colfax then spoke of national
matters, referring proudly to the
achievements of the Republican par
t7, as works that should immortalize
them. For protecting and ele7ating
the loWly, the poor and friendless, the
downtrodden and despised, and dem
onstrating to the world their faith in