The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-03-14
A CONJURER'S TRICK.
HON. SCHUYLER COLFAX.
Statement of His Counsel Regarding the
Remittances Of the Late MIR. Nesbitt-
The correspondence.

Statement of His Counsel Regarding the
Remittances Of the Late MIR. Nesbitt-
The Correspondence.
Washington Cor. New York Times.l
The following statement regarding
Mr.. Colfax is made upon the authority
of his counsel, Judge Hale
When Mr.. Colfax went before the in
vestigating committee, on the 11th inst :,
it was for the purpose of showing the
source from which the 81 200 deposited
by him June % was derived. An at
tempt having been made to connect that
with the alleged payment of him by
Oakes Ames, his testimony in that con-
nection related solely to the receipt of
81, 900 from Mr.. Nesbitt, of New York,
between the 10th and Odd of June, 1868,
and to the sum of $500 paid him by Mr..
Matthews, his step-father. During the
same time Mr.. Colfax, in fact, received
from Mr.. Nesbitt, during the year 1868,
200, contributed in part for personal
and in part for political purposes in four
remittances of 81 900 each, sent respect
lively in April, June, July and October.
In giving his testimony, Mr.. Colfax,
acting under the advice of his counsel,
who had full knowledge of all the facts,
and to whom belongs the entire respOn-
sibility of the conduct of the case in
this regard, confined himself to state
ment IN regard to the remittance of
June, that being the only one having any
possible connection with the subject of
inquiry before the committee which
could be brought before them without
being deemed wholly impertinent to the
issue. After the committee had closed
its public sessions, Mr.. Colfax learned
that inquiries were being made privately
by the committee concerning his bank
account during the months of May and
July, concerning which no question had
been until then raised. He thereupon
Immediately notified the committee by
letter of tine above remittances of April
and July, stating the reason why he had
not referred to them in his evidence as
above given, and saying to the commit
tee that he would be glad to appear
before them and submit, in the first in
stance, to their private inspection, the
letters covering the remittances of April
and July, and that if, on such inspection,
the committee deemed them pertinent to
the inquiry with which they were
charged, he would then testify publicly
| concerning them and submit the letters
for publication. The proposition WAS
again submitted by Mr. Colfax's counsel
to the committee in person, but the COM
mittee have rs yet accorded no further
hearing to Mr.. Colfax, public or private
Meantime, grossly perverted statements
charging Mr.. Colfax with having in
S,,r,,,.I thn t1,nt 10 %.
titled concerning the remittance of June
he had forgotten the check received in
July, and also that he had deliberately
suppressed a part of the truth material
to the issue, have been circulated and
telcgraphed to the press. In fact, the
| rernittances of April and July, and the
correspondence covering them, confirm
instead of weaken the testimony of Mr.
Colfax and the witnesses by whom he is
sustained. The following are the letters
received by Mr.. Colfax from Mr.. Nesbitt
in April and July, those Of April II and
July IL each inclosing IA check for
900.
tBctor, n.c nomination inclos,u,-n Cheek for
$1,000 O-SchTyLer Co,tdr.l
NEW YORK, April II. 1868.
/ closed To assist in defraying your personal ex-
penses during the present political campaign.
| beg to say that j am ever ready to forward
the interest of a deserving member OF the
craft. and am pleased with you, though per-
sonally unacguainted. and knowing that to oc-
cupy desirable position i'll politics is expen-
sive. / have taken the liberty of defraying
my triile, with the assurance that if the matter
is known beyond ourselves, it will be through
You, and against my wish.
Very respectfully your obedient servant.
GEORGE +. NEsBIrT.
To Hon. Schuyler Cofax, Speaker House of
Representatives, Washington, ID. c.
i. s. (in pencil. u inclose a check for safe
ty. IL you had rather receive it in another
way, please name your wish.
To this Mr.. Colfax states that he re-
Piled that the gift for his personal use
coming from stranger he could not ac-
cept or use if it involved any favor of
any kind in return, personal or official.
Mr.. Nesbitt answered rs follows:
Before tie nomjndeion SchuyI,r ColfdJ.l
NEw YORK, April 20, 1863.
DEAR SIR: Your favor OF tho 18th WAS duly
received. | beg to assure you that i'll present
ing the affair referred to, l had no idea of
placing myself in position where l could ask
or expect favor. When l ask in my note of
the 18th that the matter may be confined to
ourselves l mean it, IL ii should be known
that we correspond should probably be an
noyed beyond anything | desire. l have mv
party predictions and personal preferences
for men, and am ever ready to contribute to
the success of either or both, and in doing 80
| usually adopt the course have in this in
stance, with the only condition that II may be
/ known only by the parties interested.
think il better to contribute in this way than
through n committee, where much is lost by
friction. Very respectfully yours,
To Hon. Schuyler Colfax, Washington, d. c.
This check passed through the bank
here May 2, 1868. Mr.. Colfax states
that the next letter he received from
Mr.. Nesbitt was about or soon after
the middle of the next month after his
nomination for Vice President, congrat-
ulating him on the nomination, and
inclosing 81, 900 bill for political pur-
poses, witch letter was read and the
bill exhibited at the breakfast table, as
heretofore testified. Mr.. Nesbitt stated
i'll this letter that this remittance must
be confidential, and would be unknown
to any one, even his family, unless Mr.
Colfax stated it. This, with all Mr.
Colfax's political letters for June, 1868,
cannot be found, nor can any record of
it be found in Mr.. Nesbitt's papers. Mr..
Colfax deposited it, with $500 more, June
y, 1868, and, carrying out Mr.. Nes-
bits wishes and the conversation at his
table, sent draft for the exact amount
on that day to the Republican Commit
tee at Indianapolis, which draft has been
exhibited here by the cashier of the
bank, written after the New York pa
pers had announced that the Mississippi
election, the first of the canvass, had
been carried by the Republicans, and
when Congress was expected to adjourn
i'll few days.