Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-13
Vice.presiGent CcIfax and the
Indiana Delegation.
WASHINGTON. .Inne Z


WASHINGTON, June 8.
A number of Indiana delegates to the
National Republican Convention, and
with the Indiana Republican Congress
men, called at the Vice Presidents room
at the capitol, yesterday, and Judge
Dennis, of Evansville, addressed Mr..
Colfax as follows:
Mr.. Vice President Those of the In
diana delegates now in the city, of their
way home, with others of your personal
and political friends, are unwilling to
leave without making this call, and eX-
pressing their high appreciation of the
Invaluable services rendered by you to
the Republican party and to the country,
and while we, as Indianians, regret
your defeat at the late Republican con-
vention, where we earnestly labored for
your nomination as candidate for the of
fee of Vice President of the United
States, we, at the same time, feel proud
of your patriotic conduct in joining
with US in the hearty and cordial en-
dOrsement of the ticket, there nominated,
and we heartily approve the sentiments
contained in your telegram to Col. Eos
ter We feel well assured that we have
strong ticket, a ticket which bears the
names of men whose respective private
and public characters are so fair and
high that the country must approve
of them at the ballot box in November.
Before closing this interview we can
not refrain from expressing, also our
high appreciation of the honorable man.
ner in which you saw fit to conduct
yourself during the earnest canvass made
by the Indiana delegation, at the con-
vention, to secure your nomination.
While we cannot resist the impression
that if you had consented to make per-
sonal efforts in your own behalf, such
as all candidates are permitted to make
without loss of character or manhood,
success might have crowned our efforts.
We are, at the same time constrained to
admit that the dignified course which
you chose to adopt deserves greater hon
or than could be conferred by any office
within the gift of the American people.
We beg leave to reassure you of the
gratitude for the patriotic services you
have rendered the country, and of our
personal esteem and confidence.
Vice-President Colfax replied that he
was proud to be the recipient OF such
warm and earnest friendship as that ex-
hibited by the delegation from Indiana
and other States, and so kindly express
ed in Judge Dennis cordial remarks.
He bowed to the decision of the cOnven-
ton without a murmur or regret, and
should prove hereafter as faithful to the
Republican creed, in private life, as
when he had been a standard-bearer Of
the cause. lie rejoiced that after
eighteen years of public life, with all
his acts like the open pages of a book
before the people, the worst that could
be said of him at Philadelphia was that
he had written a letter stating his will
lingness and desire to retire from official
position, and had afterwards consented
to accept a denomination, if the party
deemed it best This charge he could
not deny, but he had never written or
said anything broader than is found in
expressions of that much quoted letter
So much has been said about it that,
now the convention is over, he felt he
had right to tell his home friends what
his lips had been sealed on heretofore,
namely, that it was not written for pub
LEGATION. He had expected TO submit
the desire he felt. and which was ex-
pressed in il, to leading Republicans
from his own State and elsewhere, when
Congress reassembled, for their advice.
But, he said, lac must add, in justice
the valued friend to whom he ="
that letter, that it was not mari "io''
fidential, and being from a ~" COL
on public question, that gu" u9i M l''a,
unquestionable right to lrienu ilaa al
no, not f private ana : ..erefore he justified
n n:I5 u" i. ~ I pr ing it. When he de-
, ember. at the appeal OF
, nnd 80. 80 Republicans from Indiana
80 ~ sections of the Union, that his
~ nation or retiring was a question
:" III the party should decide, rather
IAN himself, he felt that it would be
improper to electioneer with any one.
On the contrary, he told every delegate
he saw that his name ought not to be
presented, if another could ensure great
er unity and certainty of victory to the
cause he loved far better than political
honors. The Republican organization
whose records of great deeds for liberty.
humanity, justice and nationality, dur
ing the late decade, are unapproached
by any political party in any age. has
other advancing steps of progress and
reform to take before disbandmept or
furlough from duty While going him
self, therefore, to the retired list without
unkind feelings toward any one who de-
sired change in the vice-presidencv.
and wishing, especially, a decisive vic
tory in October in the more closely con
tested States, he would join with them
in November in cordially supporting
Ulysses 5. Grant and Henry Wilson for
President and Vice-President.
The British Army.