The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-03-07
HON. SCHUYLER COLFAX.
statement OF His Counsel Regarding the
Remittances Of the Late MIR. Nesbitt-
IN. Carrespontience.
Washington Cor. New York Times.l

The Correspondence
Washington Cor. New York Timesl
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 18th inst,
it was for the purpose of showing the
source from which the 81 200 deposited
10y him June % was derived. An at
tempt having been made to connect that
with the alleged payment OF him by
Cakes 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,
81 900, 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 the 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.. Colfaxs counsel
to the committee in person, but the COM
mittee have as yet accorded no further
hearing to Mr.. Colfax, public or private.
Meantime, grossly perverted statements
charging Mr.. Colfax with having in
formed the committee that when he tes-
titled concerning the remittance of June
he had forgotten the check received in
July, and also that he had deliberately
suppressed part of the truth material
to the issue, have been circulated and
telegraphed TO the press. In fact, the
remittances 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
III April and July, those of April II and
July II each inclosing check for
81 900.
Before the nomination ncloSm'e-d Check for
l,OO0-SchuyIer Collar.
New YORK, April II, 1868.
DEAR SIR: l beg your acceptance of the in
closed to assist in defraying your personal eX-
penses during the present political campaign.
| beg TO say that | am ever. ready TO forward
the interest of deserving member of the
craft. and / am pleased with you, though per-
sonally unacquanted, and knowing that to oc
cupy desirable position in politics is eXpen-
siye | have taken the liberty of defraying
my trife, with the assurance that if the matter
il known beyond ourselves, it will be through
YOU, and against my wish.
Very respectfully your obedient servant
GEORGE f. NEsBITT.
TO Hon. Schuyler Colfax Speaker House of
Representatives. Washington. ID. c.
lin mcneil II iuclosa n check for
ty. If you had rather receive it i'll another
way, please name your wish.
To this Mr.. Colfax states that he re-
piled that the gift for his personal use
coming from a stranger he could not ac-
cept or use if it involved any favor of
ANY kind III return, personal or official.
Mr.. Nesbitt answered as follows:
Before tie nOD,irdeion-Schuyler Collar
NEW YORK, April 20, 1868.
DEAR SIR Your favor of the 18th was duly
received. | beg to assure you that in present
ing the affair referred to. had no idea of
placing myself in position where / could ask
or expect favor. When | ask III my note of
tho 18th that the matter may be confined to
ourselves / mean it. If it should be known
that we correspond l should probably be an
noyed beyond anything | desire. | have my
party predictions and personal preferences
for men, and am ever ready to contribute to
the success OF either or BOTH and Ill doing so
usually adopt the course / have in this in
stance. with the only condition that it may be
known only by the parties interested. l
think it better to contribute in this way than
through committee, where much is lost by
friction. Very respectfully yours,
Gro. +. NEsBITT.
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 a 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
in 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