The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-04-01
A Supposititious Congratulatory Letter,

The following congratulatory SUPPOSE
titious communication from Schuyler
Colfax to James +. Wilson, recently
elected United States Senator from Iowa,
appears in the N. Y. Sun of a recent
date.
MY DEAR WILSON: have watched with the
deepest interest the proceedings Of the Iowa
Legislature, and beg leave to offer my most
sincere congratulations upon your election to
the Senate. l am often called upon to fill posi-
tons of great responsibility In our little COM
munity, and SO general is the appreciation OF
nv repugnanc to pecuniary considerations that
my townsmen never pay anything for my serv-
ices In fact, l invariably volunteer them.
Here in the State which has honored me SO
much am understood, and the value Of my
abilities is recognized. Some time the party,
the country, will also understand me In a
spirit of patience, of Christian forbearance and
meekness, l bide the time when returning
sense of justice shall have assured my tri-
umphant vindication, when / shall burst forth
from the darkness of my temporary retirement
like the sun, smiling brightly through dark
clouds.
To you, my dear Wilson, time has brought
ample reparation. / am encouraged as |
think of your success Your position in 1873
was, am glad to remember, substantially the
same as mine. We were both of us victims Of
that designing Ames We got our stock in
the same way. We indicated ourselves In
the same way. We both sought in the bosom
of our States shelter from the attacks of an
inconsiderate press. May not hope that /,
too, shall return to public life!
/ am always glad to hear of the success OF
the old Credit Mobilier crowd. My heart goes
out to them warmly. And, take it all in all,
they have been pretty lucky, with the excep-
ton of my unfortunate self
don't see any immediate prospect OF re-
turning to the House or Senate. Indeed, !
am not identified to any extent with the secu-
lar politics of Indiana depend on you to do
something for me. / am not involved In any
OF the unhappy quarrels which have SO in
jured the party, and can't be Objectionable
to anybody. Can't you get me a diplomatic
post of some kind! have always thought
that, with my tact, blandness and way OF
looking innocent when am cornered, / should
shine as diplomatist. The way things look
now should prefer the Peruvian or the Chill
ian mission. Can't you get me Hurlbut' 8
placel / stand well with the farmers here,
and they would like to see the guano question
treated in a statesmanlike manner. There Is
always chance in Peru of getting mining
claims, claims against the Government. etc. /
am poor man.
Mention my name to Arthur, and show him
how much his recognition of me would tend
to reunite the party. II you can't get me
Peru, get me Chill, or even Venezuela. Orth
could give me some points by which / might
make little something in the latter country,
won't take Consulshp-if there is any
chance of anything better.
By the way, do any of the railroads for
which you are working give away stock to pub
lie men. Perhaps YOU could do something for
me in that way. Or don't railroads do bust
ness in the way they did i'm '69!
Remember me to Blair, of New Hampshire,
who, am glad to see, is following in the foot
steps of his predecessor, my dear friend Prof.
Patterson.
God bless you in your new career. Don't
forget about the guano. Yours affectionate-
". s. G.
To the Hon. JAMES F. WILSON.
How does it happen that the same Legisla-
ture which elected you is opposed to free
passes. / suppose they act in the interest of
the railroads, but it is a bad precedent. Don't
forget about Peru. 8. G.