Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1907 — SPEAKERS of CONGRESS from INDIANA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SPEAKERS of CONGRESS from INDIANA

Schuyler Colfax, American statesman, was born In the city of New York March 23, 1823, a short time after the death of his father. He was a grandson of General William Colfax, who commanded General Washington’s life guards throughout the Revolutionary war. Owing to the limited clrcum-’ stances of his widowed mother be had scarcely any opportunities for obtaining a school education. In 1836 he removed with his mother, to northern Indiana and employed his leisure hours In reading law, In which he became very proficient, although he appears not to have taken up the study with any view of adopting It as a profession. About 1845 he established at South Bend, Ind., a weekly paper, the Saint Joseph Valley Register, which he edited for many years, and which was an able organ of the Whig party. He was secretary of the national convention which nominated General Taylor for the presidency In 1848. As a member of the convention which fyarned [revised] the constitution of Indiana In 1850 he opposed the clause which prohibited free negroes from settling ih the state. He was the Whig candidate for congress in 1851, but was defeated by a small majority. In 1854 he was elected a member of congress from the Ninth Indiana district, wblch he represented until he entered upon his duties as vice president. He was elected rpcaker of the house by the Republicans In Decemlier, 1863, and was twice re-elected to the same position. On May 21, 1868, he was nominated for vice president on the ticket with General Grant They received 214 electoral votes against eighty given to Seymour and Blair. Hfe died at Mankato, Minn., Jan. 13, 1885.

SCHUYLER COLFAX.