, 1873-03-10
THE COLFAX DEMONSTRATION.

display OF confidence in him by tho people al
sembled in South Bend, gave no additions
weight to his speech. All these will probably t
riyaled by the popular demonstration prepa
ing at North Easton, Mass, to welcome HI
Oakes Ames to the arms OF coni1ding COZ
stituency. II the people OF South Bend hay
undiminished confidence in Co1fax, the people (
North Easton only admire their Oakes Ames til
more because Of the ordeal through which h
has passed 80 triumphantly. Ames and Colfas
therefore, representing two opposing sides Of
sworn statement, haye not lost the confidence o
their ncighbors in the matter OF yeracity.
Mr. Colfax's speech was vast emulation o
words. In his two hot1rs' harangue he sait
nothing new-but houndered heavily through,
continual repetitions. Tho point lie tried te
impress upon his hearers WAS that thore had
been gigantic national conspiracy to destroy
| him, and TINT despite this conspiracy he had
come home to them in Us honorable plight aa
ever; :; and he claimed the sympathy due to a
martyr for TRUTHS sake. Complaining, lie said,
I'll l had been confessed and wicked criminal,
Icould not have been pursued with more mnlig-
nifty by portion of the American press and their
Washington correspondents" Assuming this to
be true, which it is not, Mr.. Colfax oyerlooks
the reason why the American press (the portion
which sides with him is too small to be discover
ed with anything but microscopic has lost
faith in any statements made by him. During
f1a rf1Q o1,, Al
tho papers Of the country the now famous letters
Of Oakes Ames to M'Comb, with the list Of
persons with whom Ames said he hAd
placed Credit Mobilier stock. In that List an
peated the name OF 's. Colfax, Speaker" We
can call to mind no paper that did not publiBh
this Implication Of hlr. Colfnx with regret, but
it was not possible to omit his name while pub
lishing the others. The statement Of Ames was
bold and emphatic, and repeated in two letters.
The press naturally expected disclaimer or a
denial, by the persons named, Of Ames' state
ments. It Was not made. Mr. Blaine denied it
in the first week in September. It Was not until
Sept. Is that Mr.. Colfa1 was heard from, in his
speech of TINT day ut South Bend. In that
speech ho was. particularly careful to avoid
challenge to 0akea Ames, WAS rather compli-
mentary to the great Bhoyel-maker, but was as
particular to denounce the newspaper press for
having published Ames' letter with his name in
the list. At that time the only allegation !
against Mr. Colfax was that contained in !
the Ames letters, and this was, that he, |
0akes Ames, had in the distribution Of Credit !
Mobi1er shares among Senators and Representa-
tivea in Congress, placed $4,000 thereof in the
hands Of Schuyler Colfax, Speaker. Tint WAS
The whole allegation.
Mr. Colfax, at South Bend, began his speech !
by saying: i
Lett detain you few moments, my townsmen, !
while touch fabric Of fasehood with the spear Of
truth, expoatng the so-caed Credit Mobiler scandal
that you may ont Of what worthless stuff campaign
charges arc manufactured
He then told Of his long and active support Of |
the Pacific Railroad, Of his speeches and 1ec~
lures, declaring that it was not necessary to haye
offered him 8 bribe to secure bis support, and
then added:
DO need to add that neither Cakes Ames nor any
'ther person ever gave, or offered to give, one
bare twenty Shares or two thousand aares in the
3redis Mobier any other railroad stock and that
hare never received the value Of
arhing out Of the 30 per cent Dividends nor tire 800
er cent dividends In cash. STOCK and honda you have
cad about every day for the past month, 100 per
ent uor per cent, nor the tenth Of per cent I
said TINT twenty ahares Of it could hc purchased
par, without buying into prospective lawsuit, it
7ould b good investment, II it WINS as
a1uable 0 stock represented, aud have
lid that would like to buy twenty shares at par, II
In the studebaker Wagon Company, or tho
frdseu Clover Separator Company here, challenge
her Of the two Last Companies TO give me such
d opportunity now hereafter but never having
cen plaintiff or defendant in court Of Justice,
ant no stock Of any kind, ct any price, with lawsuit
top Of it. not eyen with the prospective dividends
$220 which, free to maintain, neither these
eyes Of mine nor this rocketbook have ever seen
frat dollar ot although 1t is positively asserted
at have been entitled 10 this handsome amount {
er since four years ago. r
Accepting that as fair, square denial OF G
axes Ames' allegation, precisely as 11r, | 4
nine's was accepted, tho newspaper press b
morally, and especially the Republican press, r
quilted Dir. Colfa1. Could any person who o
I'D that speech then hare he1east thought that l.
r. Colfa1 hdd recetred from Mr. Oskes Ames e.
1000 Of Credit Mobiler stock; that at tho
ne Of receiving it there were credits on it in
, wey of dividends, amounting to 81, ,45s; that
:. Colfax had paid Alr. Ames the difference Of
u, or thereabouts, in CASH. Yot 3Ir. Colfax, -
Washington, in January, 1878, did, on oath, :.
te thnt he had made this contract with A1nes, !"
had paid Ames the money. The newspaper y.
ss, which Dir. Gotta, says now pursue him, :.
the same papers that in September last, &C. ~
ted his South Bend speech as bold and manly 49,
lial Of having ever had any dealings with ~
1es Ames in Credit Mobilier stock,--tnat be- "
the fa1sehood which he was supposed to ~
9 touched with the spear Of truth. When ~ ~
newspaper press, and the country generally, 49,
g told by Mr. colfsx, in January, that he had -
er intended in his South Bend speech to deny e''
ing purchased Credit Mobilior stock from LA
ies Arncs that all he intended Was to deny oe'
such stock had been s*giyen'' him, the ias
7s, and the country generally, loat faith in col
fa1s veracity, and could not help regarding eu<