Stages-Departure from Salt Lake City-Arrival at Virginia City-- Reception-Speech of Mr. Colfax-The Ride over the Sierras-Lake Review of the Journey-Departure for Oregon-Journey through that State-Portland-Excursion on the Columbia River-Reception at the Dalles-Washington Territory-Reception at Olympia-Puget Sound-Reception at Vancouver's Island-Speech at Victoria-Re- turn to San Francisco-Excursions through California-Honors to Mr. Colfax by the Citizens of San Francisco-The Chinese Dinner- The Parting Banquet-Speech of Mr. Colfax-Departure from Cali- fornia-Remarks of Mr. Bowles on Mr. Colfax's Receptions by the Meeting of the 39th Congress-Mr. Colfax elected Speaker-His Address --Measures of Congress-Conflict with the President-Elected to the 40th Congress Again chosen Speaker-Meeting of the Chicago Con- vention-The Platform-Nomination of General Grant-Balloting for Vice-President-Choice of Mr. Colfax-Scenes in the Convention -Announcement to Mr. Colfax-Scene in the Speaker's Room-Re- ception of Mr. Colfax-Congratulated by the Democrats-General rejoicing-Formal Announcement of his Nomination to Mr. Colfax- His Reply-Scene at General Grant's Residence-Mr. Colfax's Letter LIFE OF SCHUYLER COLFAX. CHAPTER I. Ancestry-Birth-Boyhood-Early Life-Removes to the West-Appointed Deputy-Collector-Early Studies--Starts a Newspaper-Life in the West-The Debating Club-Delegate to the Whig Convention -Sent to the Constitutional Convention-Defeated for CongressSchedule of his Majorities-Declines the position of State SenatorElected to the 34th Congress. SCHUYLER COLFAX comes of good stock. His grandfather was General William Colfax, of New Jersey, a distinguished officer of the Revolution, who commanded the life-guards of Washington throughout that struggle. The confidence and affection reposed in him by the great commander, during that dark period of our history, were fully merited, and no officer of the Continental Army was more highly esteemed by his comrades in arms. After the war closed, the tried soldier was among the most intimate personal friends of Washington, which circumstance is the most emphatic endorsement of his worth and integrity, as a man, that the "Father of his Country" could give. General Colfax married Hester Schuyler, a cousin of the famous General Philip Schuyler, of the Revolution, and in whose veins flowed the best blood of New York. His son by this marriage was named Schuyler, after the family of his wife. After attaining his manhood, this son became an officer in one of the New York banks. He did not long survive his marriage, but died about four months before the birth of his son, the subject of this memoir. SCHUYLER COLFAX was born in North Moore street, in the city of New York, on the 23d of March, 1823. His mother was of very limited means, and unable to provide him with the advantages of education, for which his unusual brightness and aptitude showed him fitted; and such education as he received was gained at the grammar-schools of the city, and the High-School in Crosby street, to which he was soon promoted. He was possessed of more than usual intelligence and quickness, and though his school career was brief, it was one that both instructor and pupil could contemplate with pleasure. His mother's means were too limited, however, to allow him to remain at school long, and, by the time he was ten years of age, he was put into the store of a friend, as a clerk. There he remained three years, contributing greatly, by his small salary, to the support of his widowed mother, and entirely maintaining himself. In 1836, his mother, having married a gentleman named Mathews, removed with her husband to St. Joseph County, Indiana, taking her son with her. Young Schuyler there became a clerk in a store in the village of New Carlisle, which position he held until he was seventeen years old. In 1840, he was appointed Deputy-Auditor of the county, and, in order to have the best facilities for the discharge of his duties, he removed to the town of South Bend, where he has resided ever since. This was his entrance into public life. UNIT CALI EARLY STRUGGLES. 13 It is said that it is the ambition of every American boy to become President of the United States. Whether this feeling was shared by young Colfax we are not prepared to say; but it is certain that, at a very early day, when most boys are thinking of their games and play, he made up his mind to enter upon the stormy and uncertain career of politics at the first practicable moment, and to rise as high and as quickly as his abilities would permit. Nor did he content himself with merely determining to rise in the life he had marked out for himself. He began, when only sixteen or seventeen years of age, to pursue a systematic and careful course of reading and study, resolving to make up by his own exertions what he had lost in leaving school so young. He read law thoroughly, and, though he had no idea of entering upon the practice of it, he soon became "an acknowledged expounder" of it, and it is believed that his friends sought his advice in such matters quite as often as they did that of the legal gentlemen of the neighborhood. Many hours of each day, after the duties of his office were over, were given to the most careful and laborious study. History, biography, travels, poetry, fiction, and every thing that could store his mind with useful knowledge, or aid him in acquiring elegance of style in which to express his thoughts, were eagerly read and pondered over by this young man, who had resolved to win a name. He knew the slow, uphill, wearying nature of the task upon which he had entered, but he did not shrink from it. Other men had begun as poor and unknown as he, and had won the President's chair. The task was hard, but it required only industry, merit, and independence; and he meant to succeed as far as lay in his power. The In 1845, at the age of twenty-two, he took his first step in the path he has since trodden so worthily. He established a weekly journal at South Bend, called "The St. Joseph Valley Register." Of this journal he was the sole proprietor and editor. Those who know any thing of the difficulties which lie in the way of a country newspaper during the first few years of its existence, will appreciate the magnitude of the task which Mr. Colfax thus undertook. The country was not very thickly settled, and the people, who were just laying the foundations of that remarkable prosperity which they enjoy to-day, had very little money to spend on newspapers, and still less for advertising. revenues of the paper were very small, and its expenses very heavy. He began with just two hundred and fifty subscribers, and by the end of his first year had succeeded in contracting debts for his paper to the amount of thirteen hundred and seventy-five dollars. The prospect was gloomy enough, but the young editor was not discouraged. He had begun bravely by putting his shoulder to the wheel, and doing his own work. In order to economize his resources as much as possible he applied himself to learn "the printer's art," and worked regularly at the case, until his editorial duties and increasing office business compelled him to desist. Undismayed by the gloomy condition of his affairs at the end of his first year, he persevered, and slowly and surely won success where all had seemed so doubtful before. His paper steadily prospered, and |