Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-02-15
COLFAX'S DEFENCE,
The Woe Presidents Explanation Of the
Twelve Hundred Dollars DspoEit-Press
Comments Thereon.

somebody got the monoy-mf' Dlllohi lue I
clerk, says he thinks II Q
was Mr.. Ames himseli-Mr. Colfax was /
In receipt, By mail, OF $1,000 greeuback .
or national bank note from an almost
entire stranger, deceased paper dealer
aud stationer 10 New York, who desired
In that way to testify bis admiration for
Mr.. Colfax personally, and TO put him In
funds to meet the increased demands upon
his purse consequent upon bis nomination
for the Vice Presidency.
This windfall, IL appears happened to
MIR. Colfax at the breakfast table, and the
ne.thousaud-dollar bill was exhibited 10
the members of Mr.. Colfax's family, two
Of whom, his step father and bis sister,
testify to their recollection Of the fact.
Just about the time Mr.. Matthews, Mr..
Colfax's step-father, repaid to his step-son
the sum Of $500, previously borrowed
from him. These two sums Just make the
amount of 81, 200 at that time deposited,
in bills, by Mr.. Colfax in bank, and also
agree, curiously enough, with the amount
Of the check which Mr. Ames swears Mr..
Cofax at that time received from him-a
coincidence says the Baltimore Sun which,
If not accidental, suggests the idea that
Mr.. Ames must have been witch at |
guessing, in order to hit upon tst that |
time and amount as the basis of his charge |
against Mr.. Coliax. But, continues the
Sun, "while this does not disprove Mr.. |
Colfax's statement, 1t may yet give han
die to some persons TO speak lightly aud
disparagingly Of the fair fame of the
Vice President of the United States. But
to the mass of the American people, with
out distinction of party, ii will be cause
of satisfaction that the second highest
officer in the government has been able to
make a circumstantial explanation"
The newspaper comments on this OK
PLANTATION are varied and are generally
Hinged by the political predictions Of the
journals. We quote few of them.
From the New Ysrk Herald.
The Vice-Presidsnt has at last brought
forward his alibi on the twelve hundred
dollars matter, which Hoax Ames has
charged him withal. 1t is curious alibi.
Mr.. George F, Nesbtt, who Is con-
veniently dead, is a thousand dollars
worth thereof, and a Mr.. Matthews, the
step-fathe, of MIR. Colfax, who is alive, is
only two hundred dollars worth. Indeed,
in certain way, Mr.. Matthews Is part of
the whole amount, for he saw the thous
and dollar bill come out of the letter the
bright morning he paid Mr. Colfdx for "a
plano to the amount Of two hundred dol
lars. Wonderful coincidence Handy
old chap, this Matthews, to have IN the
= house. The alibi was to come from three
d persons in diff, rent States Il week ago,
and nos il comes to a thousand dollar
r bill laid or a coffin and two hundred dol
lars on a piano. Old Hoax has not pro-
duced any receipt, but his clerk is indus
triously searching and Hoax will not swear
that he does not possess II. Is old Iago
l meditating another great surprise
From tho New York Tribune
n We fear that there will be a very general
feeling Of appointment at the result o.
Il Mr.. Colfsxs defense before the Credit
Moblitr committee. Much was promised
and expected very little has come to pass
> The Vice-Prtsident, by his counsel, at
tempts TO break down the principal witness
q -Ames. Rebuked by the committee, th'
defense put in is as follows Mr.. Colfal
h says he received $500 from his falher-in
law and 81 900 hom New York merchs Mt
in (since dead about the time Oakes Anne
is alleged to have paid him 81, 200 as
=. Credit Mohiier dlvdi nd. These sums, de
posted in the First National Bank, Wash
iugton, are said to he the amount Whic
Oh stands to his credit in the account pro
duced. There is no attempt to establis
X this line Of defense on any sworn evidenc
except that Of Mr.. Colfax and some q
"a the members of his family. Against thl
is the sworn evidence of Cakes Amet
.,, fortified by his memorandum book, ih
:" check for 81 200 and his own book account
-, If Mr.. Colfax be innocent, he is the vic
u tim of a conspiracy stretching over man
To- years, arranged with consummate art, an
ed having no motive which an iraparti,
,es observer can discover.
from the Few York World
OF The defense of Colfax sinks him beneat
-ly pity, beneath contempt. Cakes Ames
I Z dav,ael4ad Hu
an he pTeteuds to have received, or rath,
p. 1000 OF 1t, a single grcenback, as pre-
snt from George F. Nesbitt, of New Yorl
now dead, in a letter now destroyed whlC
on the writer said he wrote without Il
ire knowledge Of any other perssn The d
Tense Is palpabe lie of coutomptib
no ingenuity. lie fortfies it by the recolle
lar ton of his sister and st pfather, who
evidence, if true, shows that even the
Ike Colfax knew the measure of his gull
per and within his own family was hy p0crit
These be thy gods, o republicans
nd, tFrom the New York Times
md Mr.. Colfax's defense in regard to Il
deposit of 81 200, which suspiciously col
ST ci6ed in date with the check alleged
nal have been paid to him by Cakes Ames,
briefly this He received toward the Ell
of May, 1868, a payment of 5000 on a
81 count of debt due to him by his ste
sel father, Mr.. Matthews, and about the mi
Ose die of June he received from the la
George F. Nesbitt, Of this city, nation
ing bank note for $1,000, as a contributi,
lst toward the heavy expenses of the cal
the paign on which he was about to enter
the vice. presidential nominee of the repu
uce lican party. The rest of Mr.. ColfaX
of personal statement was hardly needed
per clear him from the imputation Of beii
governed in his rulings as Speaker of II
ted House of Representatives by consider
TO-. tons affecting the profit of the Uni,
md Pacific railroad. Nobody, for whose OPT
ion he need care jot ever suspected hi
=. of that degree of want of fidelity to !
~ ~ legislative trust.
49, from the New York Commercial Advertiser
''It will be remembered that pub
-, opinion was "suspended" some time a
'.ul at the request of Brothers Pomeroy a
! Colfax. Information reaches us tn
ueu within the last two or three days il b
arr been cut down and found to be in exact
the same condition as when 1t was hui
tier up.