The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-04-04
HEJOURNAL.

From Harper's weekly,
CoLFAx AND HIS NEIGHBoRS.
A Discriminating and Just Review
of Mr.. Colfax's Case.
The reception of Mr.. Colfax by
his friends, neighbors, and political
supporters shows the advantage Of
an honorable reputation. For twen-
ty years he has stood before his
countrymen with an unblemished
fame as a citizen, politician, par
ent, relative and friend. His regular
and unspotted life, his temperance
and moderation, his freedom from
all those errors that so often taint
the politicians career, his labors in
the cause of virtue and good morals,
will now be remembered and become
the more conspicuous in the midst
of the abuse of the enYious and the
clamorous virulenee of the corrupt.
Nothing, indeed, SO excites the envy
of the vicious as the possession of
an unblemished fame; and the rash
haste with which several of the op-
position journals have Ventured to
impate to MIR. Colfax their own chief
failings will serve only to expose
them more plainly to the people.
Falsehood, avarice, indifference to
moral laws, he has never exhibited.
His whole political course has been
marked by truthfulness and consist
ency, by singular moderation in his
conduct toward his opponents, by a
firm adherence to- Republican prin-
ciples; and as he labored for the
preservation of his country in those
sad hours when those who now. as
sail him were plotting its destruc-
tien,1 so he has shared in all the tri-
umphs OF freedom, and has been one
of those whom his countrymen de-
light to honor. s,4 - = 1i-f e
1t was charged against Alexander
Hamilton that he had created the
national debt that he, and his friends
might grow rich from the plunder
of the public. He replied by expos
ling his own poverty. The charge
against Mr. Colfax is that he accept
ed shares in fraudulent company,
received considerable dividends, and
denied that he ever accepted them.
The charge of having purchased
some of the stock at the solicitation
of Ames, who was then believed to
be man of integrity, as we'll as
wealth, Mr. Calfax admits, but states
that he soon returned it, havingdis
covered the character of the compa-
ny, with the loss of what he had all
ready paid. Since that time lie has
never owned any Of the stock. nor
received snything from it. But
Ames, who at first stated that Mr..
| Colfax had never received q diyi
dend, and confirmed his statement,
now at second examination charges
him with gross deception, and alleg-
ed that he paid him check for 81 :
200 in 1868. He produced check
drawn to the order offs. c. for the
amount, and, we believe, memoran-
dunn from his note book. Mr.. Col
fax denied at once that he had ever
seen the check before. His oppo-
nents examined his bank account,
and finding there deposit of 81, 200
in June, 1868, brought the fact for
ward as a proof of his having reccig-
ed and made use of the $1,000 check.
And Mr.. Colfax tllen proves by
credible witnesses that he had re-
ceived about that time 81, POO from
different sources, which he had de-
posted and used. The Cashier upon
whom Ames's check was drawn,
adds an impression that Ames drew
the money for it himself.
Thus the accusation against Mr..
COlfax's integrity and truthfulness
rests solely upon the testimony Of
Ames, who has made two different
statements about the transaction
directly opposed to each other, and
who could be accepted as trust
worthy witness neither in the iudg-
ment of history nor of law. No one
could trust the memory or fidelity
Of man WHO upon oath gives two
versions of the same occurrence di-
rectly at variance. No reliance,
therefore, can be placed upon the
account Of Ames, and, except his
own testimony, there is not a trace
of evidence to confirm his story-no
receipt, no certificate, no endorse
ment. "The testimony against a
public Official" said Jefferson,
SHOULD be Affirmative" but neither
affirmative or negative proof exists
against MIR. Colfax. His only op-
posing witness contradiets himself,
and proves his own falseness.
Whether person in Office is per-
mitted to buy or even hold stock in
which the government may be inter-
ested is a question easily answered.
No official should make any use of
the opportunities of his position at
the expense of the public. Hamil1
ton, in the case we have noticed,
would not allow any of his relatives,
or even his friends, to buy. govern
ment stock. he held $500 worth,
which he had long owned, unsold
until he left Office. The stock which
Mr. Colfax had bought he at once
abandoned when he found that it
might expose him to dishonorable
influences or bring him into conflict
with the government. He saw that
he had been led into error, and at
once gave up the stock, at cOnsid-
erahle loss to himself His fault
was venal; he strove at once to re-
pair it. To the charge of having
made money at the public loss he
replies by exhibiting, like Hamilton,
the moderation of his own fortune,
and the honorable sources from
whence it came.
Its not unreasonable, therefore,
that the people Of Indiana should
welcome their eminent statesman
with new zeal and energy while his
enemies strive to cover his fame
with calumny, and destroy the we'll
earned reputation of q lahOrions life