New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-02-13
The Case OF Mr.. COITax.

There is evidently conspiracy on the par
OF the detestable trio, Ames, Alley, an
McCOmb, to tarnsh the fame OF Mr. Colfax
and, il possible, to drag him down to n leve
with their own infamy. Mr.. Colfax has neve
been popular with the politicians. but, lik,
Mr.. Lincoln and President Grant, he has
finn hold upon the heart of the whole peopl,
that is scarcely equaled by any man of hi
age OF the present day. The downfall o
Mr.. Coliax would awaken profound regre
throughout the country, but it cannot b,
enected by such men Is have entered into
this base combination. His principal &C
ctiser, Cakes Ames, after striking his blow
has sneaked off TO avoid the production %
the mote book" from which he claims &c
have had his mind refreshed" and we are
pleased to see that Mr.. Colfax declines tC
appear before the committee until ne returns
He wishes to face his accuser. and he will
| put 10 shame all those Liberal" and Demo
cratic editors who have taken snap judgment
upon the charges against one whose purity
and honesty are so widely recognized that the
evil-minded regard him as a common enemy.
The DOWNFALL of Mr.. Colfax would put out
OF the political arena he who to-day stands
foremost among the distinguished men of the
| republican party as the. successor of Presi-
dent Grant. Hence, he is the man above all
others against whom the animosity of politi-
| cal opponents is directed, and they are max
ing haste, with maudlin phrases of regret, to
recognize him as fallen man. They are
compelled, however, in order to make his
iall still more effective, to express q high
| estimate of the character of the man, and
| are doing justice to his merits in language
which they could not have been induced to
use could they foresee the confusion to which
his accusers will in all probability be put.
The following is a specimen of the laudatory
language of this class of his opponents, from
the st. Louis Republican, one of the most
earnest Democratic papers in the country:
HE has always enjoyed heretofore an I'M
blemished reputation, and that genuine pop
ularty which is the best reward bestowed
upon public man. An ardent politician
and advocating his peculiar views with zeal
which sometimes savored of bigotry, he has
never rendered himself obnoxious to his OPP
ponents by displaying that intolerance which
is as disgusting as it is ungenerOus. He has
fought bitterly, but never carried his hostility
outside the bounds of strict courtesy, and
those who have suffered most from his as
saults have been compelled to acknowledge
MIN gallant enemy as chivalrous as he was
resolute. Added to these purely professional
qualities was natural kindness of heart and
suavity of manner, which gained for him the
respect and esteem of all with whom he was
thrown in contact. lie never ceased to be
gentleman, never forgot that others had
the same right to express their convictions
and enforce their ideas that he had-and this
manly generosity brought its own appropriate
recOmpense.'
That MIR. Cofax will die with an unfair
nished fame, no anxiety need be entertained
by either his friends or enemies. 1t will re-
1ot%A No. l.
any of those who are making haste to accept
the charges as conclusive, to stain the char
acter of Mr.. ColfaX. Indeed, we have full
confidence that the persecution of which he
is now the victim will result in bringing him
still closer to the hearts of the people, and in
damaging only those who are 50 anxious to
witness his downfall. The charge against him
is that he received a check for twelve hundred
dollars and then denied its receipt No man
with common sense would deny receiving
check if he had received it, as the production
OF the check is always attainable. There is
no more reason to suppose this check pay
able to ''S. c." was handled and drawn by
Mr.. ColfaX than that the second check found
in the possession of the Sergeant-at-Arms to
IS. c." or "bearer" was drawn by him. Mr.
Ames acknowledges that this second rs.
c." check was given to Mr.. Schoteld, and
there is hence every reason to believe, in
view of Mr.. COlfaX's denial, that the twelve
hundred dollar check was also drawn by
some one else. 1t is, however, proper to
state that Mr.. Colfax denies having received
such check.
We had hoped that this mode ofklling of
political opponents had received such check
by the Presidential canvass that it would not
soon be attempted again. The more false
hoods and ISLANDERS that were hurled upon
Gen. Grant the more popular he became
with the very best of the people, or, as the
Philadelphia Bulletin expresses it, ''the moral
and religious forces Of the country" SO it
will be with Mr.. COlfax. His reception at
Philadelphia last week was an evidence of
the determination of the people to sustain
and protect recognized purity from the
scOurge of political defamers, and the I'M
usual cordiality with which he was received
yesterday in Baltimore, by an assembage
composed Of all sides in politics, rs an indi-
cation that Mr.. Colfax is to-day more popular
than he was before he became the victim Of
this conspiracy. -Bahimore american.