The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-30

| conversations. "The letter." said he 'is about
my conforming my testimony to suit the story
| he intended 10 tell, and he frequently wrote
| TO me on that subject, and he frequently
talked with me also on the same topic.n
Being satish fed that there could be no possible
| mistake about the genuineness oil this letter,
Judge Poland read 1t slowly and distinctly:
SENATOR PATrERsoN's LETTER.
WASHINGTON, January 4, 1873.
Hon. OaEeS AmeS:
MY DEAR SIR-The facts in respect to the
Credit Mobllier. 30 lar as had any connection
with IL, are as follows:
You came to me one day, knowing that q
want OF means was O chronic evil with me,
and said, "Patte.son, If you would like, can
let you have thirty shares OF stock IN the
Credit Mobilier. which think will be profit
able Investment, and will be good thing for
you." My reply In substance was, That If you
had anything which / could properly invest 10.
and ont OF which could make some money,
should be glad to take 1t, but that had not
the money at that time, and must deier II I'LL
could get 1t.
Your reply was that you presumed I could
have it later, when 1t might be convenient,
and you regarded 1t perfectly Legitimate
transaction. At that time you did not and
could not anticipate you should ever ask for
further legislation from Congress In respect to
the road, and you never did except when 1t
was forced upon you by the 90 ecretary.
After the conversation with me you may
have had the impression that should take
the stock some time; but for some reason or
other, perhaps for want of funds, never
took any of the Stock. II never had aay
stock In the company. I Gould not, as l did
not. have Its dividends.
If pressed to know II purchased at any time
any bonds or stock OF the road, you can say
did at the time they attempted 10 embarrass
Las, thn fnnLr INC q Hn
ed, and paid you the full market Valne for
it. paid you $1,000 in money tor STOCK and
bonds.
The stock put into the hands of Mr.. Nor.
ton Immediately to sell as soon as IL snoula
20 up reasonably In the market, which ne dlo;
saw Mr.. Morton on my way through, and
he said he had never held any STOCK 10 the
Credit Mobiller for any one, but did not wish
10 have his name brought into the examlna-
ton If 1t could be avoided. / am going to
Ohio. will see you on my return.
Don't fail TO correct your original statement
before the committee.
II must not be reported as II 7oU stands.
Very truly, &C., ]. w. PATTERSON.
EVERYBODY AsToUNDED.
The effect of the reading of this letter was
prodigous. Everybody was astounded. Even
the correspondents, who have had from Time
to time intimations OF the kind OF evidence
most incredulous until they obtained the
original and saw the word ''pressed" and the
last two paragraphs underscored. The stu.
pidity OF O man who would write such letter
is untathomable, but what shall be said OF bis
effrontery In coming before the committee
and swearing az he has done? Surely there
is no depth of lniamy to which public man
will not descend when once he has listened to
the tempter
The case made out against Colfax and Pat
tersou is 90 clear, and the nature OF their Of
fences 30 terribly bad, that men who have Inc
least respect for their own fame as well as for
their country's honor cannot Tor single hour
longer associate with them. 1t is solemn
aud perhaps sad duty for any senator to call
attention 10 this matter. which involves the
honor of not only q brother senator tut Of the
Vice. President OF the United States; but what
will the world say OF The honor OF the Ameri.
can Senate If there Is no senator possessed OF
sufficient courage to perform this sad ana yet
'"'' ~ Proof Wanted.
From the New York Trlbune-Edltoriall
The Credit Mobllier scandal has gone 30 far
that nobody can afford now to be satisfied
with conjecture and hearsay evidence. The
committee must get to the bottom OF tnls cor
ruption. There Is not an honest man In Con-
gress who can afford to leave the mystery
halt solved, or permit Witnesses to meet IN
private rooms and prearrange their testimony,
to forget what they do not want to remember,
to dole out scraps OF memoranda, OF Tell ONLY
what they suppose will make matters easy''
for certain senators and representatives. The
disclosures oil the past few days have be-
smIrched the fair lame OF some OF the most
eminent and widely respected politicians.
Both parties are dilcredlted In the persons oil
their leading members. II these men are
guilty oil corruption, the preVarlcation, the
lps, the deceit, The cowardce, the perjury
charged upon them, we may ask ln despair,
Whom. then, ehall we trust! 1t will not do to
guess OF the comparative credibilily OF OAkes
Ames and Sci uyler Colfag, OF Thomas G.
Durant and James Brooks. We must have
positive proof, one way or the other, and we
believe it can be obtained II the committee
| will 90 to work 10 the right manner
When the inquiry began, Mr. Oikes Ames,
az recent testimony shows, held consultation
with come of the principal men 10 whom he
had offered shares, and agreed with Them
upon the story he and they should tell, and
the circumstances 1t would be best or hun to
forget. When he found, however, that as a
result of this plan he was likely 10 be aoan-
doued by his accomplices, he began TO recover
his memory; he found his missing memoran-
dun book; he looked over the accounts oil the
seropapt.aL-arms with whom he had deposited
corruption fund; and he furnished extracts
from his books and papers greatly TO the dis,
credit of some of the gentlemen whom he had
at first protected. Now 1t is clear mat MT
Ames is not telling the whole truth. De mas
documents which the committee ought TO see.
The memorandum book which revived his re-
collection In two cases has undoubtedly re-.
yiyed it In great many others. The commit
lee have done at last what they ought to have
done at frat, and called for It's production.
From that we may learn whether hessrs. Col
fax, Allison and Patterson are more gully
than the others, or whether they have only
been inund out little sooner.
But Mr. Ames's memorandum book is not all
that Ia wanted. The bank accounts OF some
of these suspected gentlemen ought to be
examined as Mr. O'Conor and Mr.. Tlden
examined the bank accounts OF the New YORK
Ring. We may learn from these sources how
many persons continued TO receive dividends
on the stock which they profess TO have re.
turned TO Mr.. Ames, and how many resold II
for a nominal sum, ''somewhere 10 the neigh
borhood of five CENTS" 80 that, like Mr. Alli-
son, "they could call 1t Ames's OF theirs, just
as they pleased" II would be interesting TO
know who made large deposits Just at The
time dividends were declared on Credit Mo-
bllier.
WHY too are not the accounts OF the ser
peant.at-arms examined? ? Mr.. Ames textiles
that he deposited $4,000 with that officer and
drew upon it to pay the Credit Mobiller dlVl
dends TO Congressmen who pretended they
never received any dividends. LIT us see Inc