SCHUYLER

See also:

• SCHUYLER COLFAX (1823-1885)

COLFAX (1823-1885)  , American political leader, vice-president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, was born in New York city on the 23rd of March 1823 . His father died before the son's birth, and his mother subsequently married a Mr Matthews . The son attended the public schools of New York until he was ten, and then became a clerk in his step-father's store, removing in 1836 with his mother and step-father to New Carlisle, Indiana . In 1841 he removed to South Bend, where for eight years he was deputy auditor (his step-father being auditor) of St Joseph county; in 1842–1844 he was assistant enrolling clerk of the state senate and senate reporter for the Indiana State Journal . In 1845 he established the St Joseph Valley Register, which he published for eighteen years and made an influential Whig and later Republican journal . In 185o he was a member of the state constitutional convention, and in 1854 took an active part in organizing the " Anti-Nebraska men " (later called Republicans) of his state, and was by them sent to Congress . Here he served with distinction from 1855 until 1869, the last six years as speaker of the House . At the close of the Civil War he was a leading member of the radical wing of the Republican party, advocating the disfranchisement of all who had been prominent in the service of the Confederacy, and declaring that " loyalty must govern what loyalty has pre-served." In 1868 he had presidential aspirations, and was not without supporters . He accepted, however, the Republican nomination as vice-president on a ticket headed by General Grant, and was elected; but he failed in 1872 to secure renomination . During the political campaign of 1872 he was accused, with other prominent politicians, of being implicated in corrupt transactions with the Credit Mobilier, and a congressional investigation brought out the fact that he had agreed to take twenty shares from this concern, and had received dividends amounting to $1200 . It also leaked out during the investigation that he had received in 1868, as a campaign contribution, a gift of $4000 from a contractor who had supplied the government with envelopes while Colfax was chairman of the post office committee of the House . At the close of his term Colfax returned to private life under a cloud, and during the remainder of his lifetime earned a livelihood by delivering popular lectures .

He died at

Mankato, Minnesota, on the 13th of January 1885 . See J . C . Hollister's Life of Schuyler Colfax (New York, 1886) .