Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-02-20
The Case of Colfax.


page Of this epistle. ST.
The Case of C0lfax.
In regard to the appearance OF
Vice-President Colfax before the
Young Mems Christian Association,
the Nation, an able and influential
Republican Journal, makes some re-
marks which will be regarded as
quite pertinent. 1t also gives the
young brethren of the Christian as
sociation little bit of advice that
might be needed with much profit.
The Nation says:
By the time the Credit Mobilier
investigation comes to an end we
shall probably know what kind Of a
world we live in. Last week left
Ames check for $1,000 payable to
IS. c. or bearer, dated June 20, 1868
unexplained, and now the bank ac-
count of Mr.. Colfax having been !ex-
amined shows that Mr.. Colfax did, on
June %, 1868, deposit the exact sum
of $1,000, Notwithstanding his en-
phatic denial before the Poland COM
mittee that he received any suoh ad-
dition to his income at that time from
any source whatever. His exact
words were. Now could not have
had 81 200 added to myincome with
out remembering it very positively. :"
As soon as the fact of this deposit
came out Mr.. Colfax demanded a new
investigation from the Senate, which
the Senate very naturally declined
to let him have. He has now retain
ed as counsel Mr.. Robert S. Hall, Of
this city, and when Mr.. Colfax has
refreshed his memory by looking
over his papers he is going to dis
prove the whole thing.
Mr.. Colfax is behaving-to speak
mildly-very iniudiciously. He has
been accused, on evidence on which
any jury would convict him, of nav
ing perlured himself with regard to
the receipt of $1,000 from Oakes
Ames. Now, there is only one an
swer to this, viz: that Colfax receiv-
ed the money from some one else, and
this answer could be made in FIVE
minutes. All he has to do is to
name the man who paid it to him,
and give the reason for which it was
paid and this, to a gentleman of
small income, who keeps his accounts
with great accuracy, as Mr.. Colfax
says he does. can be task Of no diff
fculty. Instead Of doing this, how
ever, he went to the Senate and made
an absurd demand for fresh COM
mittee of Investigation, though the
Wilson committee was still iltting,
then allowed Oakes Ames to 50 home,
and said he would produce his de
tense when Oakes Ames came back,
made some rambling observations
about looking over his papers. and
then started off to attend religious
and temperance meetings in Phila-
delphia and Baltimore.
At Philadelphia he made his ap-
pearance before the Young Mems
Christian Association, and was re-
ceived with sho.ts of applause; and
at the temperance meeting at Balti-
more, there was more frantic applause,
and the Vice President informed the
audience, that the world was full
of human trials and crime and suf-
fering, full of wars and disease and
breaking hearts, full of unjust asper-
sions, and made other moral rehec-
tions of the same sort. We now beg
to inform Mr.. Colfax, that honest
men are sick, heartsick of this sort ol
thing; that what the world demands
of him Just at present, is not phllo-
sophical observations on the vanity
Of this life, but a plain account Of
how he got that $1,000; and pend
ing his preparation of that account
they think he ought to maintain L.
decent seclusion and reticence. We
may also, with equal confidence, in
forin the young .hl ethren of the
Christian Association that when they
raise shouts Of applause for man in
MIR. Colfaxs's position, they set hun
dreds of thousands Of other young
men asking-as they asked during
the Methodist book concern troubles
whether there is any more necessa-
ry connection between morality and
the worship Of Christ, than between
morality and the worship of Pan.
Membership in these associations is
fast ceasing to be certificate of in
tegrity; let them take care that it
does not raise presumption of want
of integrity.