Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-14
SCHUYLER COLFAx.
His Enthusiastic Welcome by the
Citizens Of South Bend Without
Respect to Party.

C1t1Z0uS OF SOut1 BEND without
Respect to Party.
The Chicago papers give full par
ticulars of the reception of Mr.. Col
fax by his fellow citizens Of South
Bend on Saturday last. The dem
onstration was magnificent one in
point Of numbers and enthusiasm,
but grander still in its expression of
the continued confidence and esteem
of the people among whom he has
grown up from boy. we copy
from the Inter- Ocean short ac-
count of the reception, and some eX-
tracts from the address Of Mr.. Col
fax on the OCCASION:
Soon after daylight the people
from the rural districts began to as
semblc in South Bend, making their
way to the city in all kinds of con-
veyances, on horseback and on foot.
These arrivals, joining the residents
Of the city, thronged the streets,
rendering locomotion rather difficult
Oh the business thoroughfares. A
large number Of houses were deco
rated with flags, and the city gener-
ally assumed a sorl of 4th of July
appearance. Mr.. Colfax's name was
on every tongue, coupled with ex-
pressions of sympathy and regard.
a platform and seats had been
erected on the Court House porch,
and the old seats in the square in
front, which had done duty in many
an exciting meeting during the last
political campaign, had been refitted
for the accommodation Of the crowd.
The train which bore the ex-Vice
President was to arrive at 1895,
and as that hour approached the
people made their way to the depot
and crowded around that structure
until it was almost shut out of sight.
At noon the manufactures closed
and crowd Of employees numbering
not less than 1900 joined the people
at the station, making it :: serious
question whether Mr.. Colfax would
be able to reach terra tirma without
walking over the heads Of the crowd.
AT 1885 the train appeared, and as
it ran INTO the station loud shout
of welcome rose from the assem-
blage, mingling with the strains
from the band Of clone, Sweet
Home"
To the distinguished guest, still
smarting under the sharp criticisms
of his opponents, this welcome must
have been peculiarly gratifying. AS
he stepped from the cars he was
Immediately surrounded, and prob
ably shook more hands and listened
to more tervent congratulations and
words Of welcome in the first five
minutes than had ever fallen to his
lot in the same limited time before.
He was finally placed in a carriage
which had been provided by the
committee, and which was drawn
by four white horses upon whose
heads waved parti-colored plumes.
During the few moments Of delay
which elapsed after Mr.. Co.fax took
his seat, he was obliged to grasp a
few of the scores Of hands that were
stretched toward him for recogni-
ton.
The procession was then formed,
headed by the South Bend Cornet
Band, and the column set out for
the Court House, where the address
of welcome and the response were
to be made. Behind the line of
wagons came large crowd, toiling
through the mud with which the
streets were literally coated. The
sidewalks along the route were
crowded with people, numerous flags
tluttered overhead, handkerchiets
waved from nearly every window,
bells rang, whistles blew, and occa-
sionally from the crowd rose cheer
for the man whom they had assem-
bled to honor. In some respects,
the march resembled the triumph
which the old Romans were wont to
accord to victorious general, 1t
is true Mr.. Colfax had no captive
kings fastened by chains to his char
lot wheel, but he did have in his
possession, as will be seen in the
report Of his speech, documents
which most Of the people here think
render one Cakes Ames as harmless
as if he were prisoner wading be-
hind the ex-Vice Presidents wagon,
in the mud of the South
Bend streets.
When the column arrived at the
Court House Mr.. Colfax was escort
ed to the platform by Mayor Miller
and Dr.. HUMPHREYS, and as he APP
peared in this elevated position he
was saluted with a hearty cheer
Mayor Miller then delivered the ad-
dress of welcome, and at its close
called for three cheers for Mr.. Col
fax. Mr.. Colfax responded with
bow, and at once entered upon his
Mr.. Colfax in the outset alluded
to the shameful misrepresentation
and perversions by his enemies of
his speech at South Bend i'll Sep
TENDER last, and showed, by extracts
from the columns of the New York
Tribune and the Chicago Tribune,
papers which have been the most
persistent in charging him with pre-
varication III that speech, that at
the time it was delivered they UNI
derstood perfectly that his denial
was not that he never had Credit
Mobilier stock, but that none was
eyer given him. Coming directly
to the question between him and
Cakes Aames, he said:
When / testified on the 18th of
January, after the holiday recess,
during which recess Hon. Mr.. Ames
said he had refreshed his memory,
by his memorandum at home, l de-
clared emphatically, as did here
last September, that l had never re-