The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-14


Colfax. in whose Judgment he placed the utmost
confidence"
The Thirty. eighth Congress met on Monday,
Dec T. 1868. The House was promptly organ
lied by the election upon the first ballot, of Mr..
Colfax as Speaker, he receiving vote Of 1O1
out of total of ls1. Whitelaw Reid, then
Washington correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette, wrote as follows of the election: ta
s"There is a moment of suspense while the lists
are carefully footed up the tellers-Dawes, Pen
dleton, Pomeroy and Wadsworth, Yankee
Radical Cincinnati Democrat, Pennsylvania
Republican and Kentucky Pro-slavery Union
ist range themselves before the clerks desk,
and Mr. Pendleton announces that. Colfax has
one hundred and one votes, Cox fortytwo, and
the rest scattering, down to two And the gal
leries cheer again. He has carried every
vote Of his party in the House
there is not bolter or dodger
It is the sixth time in his political
career he has had just such a flatteriug expe-
rience. With what grace he may, the clerk
nounces that Schuyler Colfax one of the repre-
sentatives from the State of Indiana, having re-
ceiyed a majority OF the votes given, is duly
elected Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives for the Thirty-eighth Congress And the
galleries cheer again, while the members faces
are wreathed in Smiles and there is general
turning to the medium sized, brown
bearded. genalfaced man in the
midst or the ADMINISTRATOR meIuUerS
who has been avoiding the fire of gazes from
spectators by bending over rollcall.
And then, under the gaze of all this assemblage
of place and power there walks up the aisle. to
take the official oath of the third executive
Office in the Nation, the son of poor widow
of New York city, who quit school at the age of
ten years to seek his fortune in the West, and,
since then, thanks to the training of printing
Office. to generous talents. and a good use OF
them, has been gradually climbing climbing,
kcH ho 80 vdc in xyIQA hQ
unanimous choice of his party for the place"
Soon after his election to the speakership, the
members of the press gave him public dinner
in honor Of the election of the first editor to
that Office
In April, 1864 Mr.. Long, of Ohio, made a
speech in the House Of Representatives, virtu-
ally declaring the rebellion right, and the war
for the Union unjust and wrong that the names
of our battlefeds were synonymous with dis
union. The speech seemed, in fact, almost like
the unfurling of the confederate flag on the
hoor of the House. Without consultation with
his friends upon the subject. Mr. Colfax, under
an imperative sense Of duty to the
country, and to the soldiers that were
in the field and before the enemy
calling upon another member to preside, left the
Speakers chair and, upon the floor Of the
House. made motion for the expulsion of Mr.,
Long as an unworthy member, and supported
the motion with speech.
In May, 1864, large number of the citizens
of Indiana resident in Washington. met at the
house of Mr.. Colfax for the purpose of testifying
their high appreciation of his public services and
private virtues, the testimonial being silver
service. Hon. Hugh McCulloch Secretary of
the Treasury, made the presentation speech, to
which Mr. Colfax modestly and gracefully re-
piled.
In the summer of 1864 Mr.. Colfax published a
card declining denomination. but it was over
ruled and he unanimously named He
went into the canvas with all the energy of his
nature, doing great service toward the reelec-
ton of President Lincoln. While on his way to
attend the second session of the Thirty eighth
Congress he received the honor of public ban
quent in Philadelphia, the prominent Union men
of the Quaker City vieng to do him honor
Before the war of the Rebellion Mr. Colfax
had planned an overland journey to California
and Oregon. He had expected to take this
Journey during the summer Of 1861. The
breaking out of the war caused its indefinite
postponement. In the spring of 1865, when
everything gave promise of the speedy extinc-
ZION of the Confederacy. this journey was again
determined upon. On the l4th day of April Mr.
Cofax was in Washington. He called early upon
the President. Mr.. Lincoln spent over an
hour with him, conversing in regard to
the future and explaining how he hoped to heal
the wounds of war. and build upon sure foun-
dation the great Republic. In the early even
inn Mr. in uuith
Ashmun, of Massachusetts,, who had presided
over the Chicago convention that had nominated
Mr. Lincoln for President, again called upon
him.. Amidst the rejoicings of that
day, on account of the successive
national victories, it had been announced
by the papers that General Grant
who had just returned to Washington from his
final victory over Lee. and the President would
be at Ford's Theater that night Gen. Grant
had an engagement which prevented him from
attending. The President was reluctant upon
chat occasion to attend but was persuaded to go.
that the people might not be disappointed. Mr..
Colfax walked from the parlor to the door
with the President, and at the door
bade him goodbye. declining his
invitation to accompany him to the
theater on account of bis own engagements
that evening 1t was doubtless the last "good
bye" ever uttered by Lincoln. It was the fatal
night of the assassination.
Mr.. Colfax was reelected Speaker in 1865, re-
eeiving 139 votes to thirtysix cast for Mr..
Brooks, of New York He was re elected to
Congress in 1866 and to the speakership in 1867,
serving with honor and distinction until the end
of the Fortieth Congress.
The prominence of Mr.. Colfax, brought about
by his undoubted abilities and exalted patriot
ism, made him formidable candidate before
the people for the vice presidency. The idea
was taken up by many throughout the country,
and brought to successful termination at Chicago
in May. 1868. The Republican State convention
Of Indiana, in harmony with the action of all
other State conventions. instructed It's delegates
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