Editing Schuyler Colfax (section)

===Reconstruction===
In 1865, Colfax, along with author Samuel Bowles and Illinois Lieutenant Governor [[William Bross]], set out across the western territories from Mississippi to the California coast to record their experiences. They compiled their observations in an 1869 book called ''Our New West''. Included in their book were details of the views of Los Angeles, with its wide panorama of vast citrus groves and orchards, and conversations with [[Brigham Young]].

On September 17, 1867, Colfax, along with Senator [[John Sherman]], addressed a Republican meeting in [[Lebanon, Ohio]] on the political situation in Washington.<ref name=NYT_08_20_1867>{{cite web| url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1867/09/20/79366916.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1867/09/20/79366916.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live| title=Hon. Schuyler Colfax on the Political Situation| date=September 20, 1867| work=The New York Times| access-date=April 5, 2019| via=The Times's print archive}}</ref> Colfax said he was firmly against allowing those who participated in the Confederate rebellion to be reinstated in office and control Republican Reconstruction policy. Colfax affirmed that he was not in any way for repudiating the debt caused by the Confederate rebellion.<ref name=NYT_08_20_1867/> Colfax said Congressional reconstruction would give security and peace to the nation as opposed to President Johnson and his southern Democratic policies. Colfax favored [[Impeachment of Andrew Johnson|Johnson's impeachment]] saying Johnson was recreant, a usurper, and was unfaithful in executing the Reconstruction laws of the land in granting a general amnesty to Southerners who had participated in the rebellion. Colfax told Republicans who were tired of Reconstruction to leave the party and join the Democrats.<ref name=NYT_08_20_1867/>