New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-08
SCHUYLER COLFAX.
A BRILLIANT AND PATHETIC CAREER.

u. j.
SvO. PIP. $50. Funk wagnalls
Although the author of this book married Mr.
Cofax's half-sister, and had excellent opportuni'
res of knowing his private life. he has written
political rather than personal biography. Fer
haps he has done wisely. Mr.. COlfax's character
was simple and we'll understood. To far greater
degree than most public men he displayed at home
the same traits which distinguished him i'll Con-
gress and on the platform of debate and his re-
marka5le popularity only the extension
til sagh wider sphere of the same sort of aiiec-
Tomato regard which was felt for him in the circle
of family and friends. fuller account of his do
nestle habits larger store of personal anecdotes
and illustrations, ght have made the tale more
lively. hut could hardly have added much 10 our
knowledge of the man. We have little doubt that
he showed the whole of himself in his poItlcal
career and that his true lie. Moieo'e''
although the name of Schuyler CoifaX Is not ASSOC
cated with any great measure OF statesmiiis"P'
although it is even doubtful whether he onsht 10
lie classed with the leaders OF the party III ""'o'
he held such an honorable position. the history Oh
his onblic life is virtually the history OF American
noIitical progress during the most important perou
nj opr National growth. Mr.. Coiax was always
one of the best representatives OF the best seh8e OF
the Republican party; not OF Its fearless reiorha-
tory ardor like Greeley and Sumner: not OF It's lar
seeing slgacity and prudence like Seward; nut OF
the impulse OF the patriotic masses upon which the
statesman must rely for immediate action lie had
the true politicians instinct for reading the public
mind, even before the public had quite made it
ND He s.w how the people were going before they
Quite saw it themselves; and gave expression to
their most patriotic purposes and most honorable
sentiments before the slow moving intelligence OF
the majority had reduced inchOate tendencies TO
formal opinions. In applaudng representative
who OWNED their best thoughts and expressed
them IN language somewhat decorative brt never
too fine for the general relish people were half con-
scions of commencing their own rcspectability. NO
public man cakes a stronger hold npon us than he
who calls ont our hesitating virtues.
SCHUYLER Colfax was born IN New-York City in
1923. He belonged to family of some note; bis
grandfather William Colfax. was Cartain-C Com
man aant of Washington's Life Guard during the
Revolution: and on the female side he was de-
seconded from the Schuylers. De La Matters. and
STRIKERS all well-known in the colonial annals OF
New-York. He proud of the good name OF these
ancestors but they left him Leher money nor
social advantages. He had very little schooling ::
and at the age of eleven he was placed as clerk
in the store of his stepfather, Mr.. Matthews. Two
years later the family emgrated to Indiana FROM
that time until lie was twenty we find Schuyler
assisting Mr.. Matthews in keeping a country-store
and post office AT New Carlisle, in working farm,
apd in dlscharging the -utes of county auditor. an
Office which led to his removal to south Bend. the
town which was his home for the rest OF his liie
He studied law in half-learted way. during these
years but he never vas admitted to the bar. io-
tics and journalism claimed all his interest. lie
had dabbed in both from boyhood and before he was
twenty John d. Defrees gave him an excellent OPP
portunity to study both by appointing him Senate
reporter for his paper, The indiana state JoWnG'.
during the session of the State Legislature. and also
procuring him appointment as assistant engross
ing ce1k 1t is related of hn that he usel to talk
politics with his elders when lie was ten years DID,
and at the same infantile stage OF development.he
would wait about the rclls until midnight to Get the
figures of close district. lie kept private diary
in which record OF election rctulns.so far as they
fell in his way from all the States. and for all kinds
OF Offices" was a leading feature; ho commented
upon public affairs and noted down the incidents OF
the Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign, which
was fought when he was seventeen Al eighteen he
was theoretically eec.ioneerlng for the Wings /:
and long before this date he was writing political
letters for various newspapers. lie correSpondcd
with The Nsw-YoRK TRIBUNE almost from lis
foundation and Mr. Greeley set a great value upon
his letters which were BRIGHT and full OF news
Visiting New-York. however. when he was nine
teen Schuyler would not call upon the famous odl-
tor because he did not wish Mr. Greeley to know
how young he was. Newspapers had an cXtraor
binary fascination for I'm, and tie defeat OF a
Lccofoco thrilled him to tine soul Precocious en-
thusasm is common enough in poetry and the arts,
but il is rarely mark ell in politics Schuylcrs m
born aptitude for the twin professions to wLlch he
WIS 10 devote himself a special gift akin to the
finer endowment of the Imagination, sort Of poor
relation to genius. When sec this country clerk
turning from the strain of cheese and calico to Ievc!
in the polenics of the party press and taste the
sweet intoxication of TALES Of majortles We are
reminded of the boy poets who have lspec in num-
hers or the child Sebastian Bach climbing TO the
cupboard at night and abstTactins a tough musical
score to copy aud study by moonlight. At the age
of twcntv-one he began the publication of The st.
Joseph Jaliey Rejter at South Bend. He SON made
this paper force IN politics. and he retained his
connection with it untll his election as Speaker.
lie made bis mark in the state Constitutional
Convention OF 1850; he was delegate to the
Wing National Conventions of 1915 and 1s52, IN
both which he supported Scott; and in 1871 he
ran for Congress, being defeated by majority OF
only 200 votes. With the AbotlOnists, properly
so called he hal no sympathy whatever; but he
was from the first an emphatic uncompromisn ne
opponent OF the extension of slavery and bold
advocate of the equal rights OF the colored people
IN a State which treated them as noXOus animals,
and imposed fine of 500 upon every one who
should give them employment. In the general
REORGANIZATION which followed the min nj the Wing
party he found himself one of the original copstit
uents of Indiana Republicansm, reaching that
position after some dalliance with the Know
Nothing, lie was Of the nine Republicans
returned to Congress by Indiana in the first cam
paisn of the new party ls54 carrying his district
by l. 7GG majority in total poll of ls,2l2. The
canvass was highly exciting. Eectoncering was
done in those days mostly on the stump, ard the
rival candidates met each other face to face fight
ing in the presence of delighted crowds Colfaxs
antagonist was Dr. Eddy TIC sitting member, tho
same WHO had beaten him in 1851. They
ira yellcd in company, riding together nearly {
thousand miles, eating and often sleeping together
but conducting their daily ducls with unilaggin'