New-York tribune., 1873-03-14
OAKES AMESS RECEPTION.
DIR. CoGswELL CALLS HIM THAT NOBLEsr WORK
OF GOD, AN HONEST MAN "-MR. AMEs's
REPLY-HE Is HIGHLY GRArIFIED AT THE
CONFIDENCE SHOWN IN HIM.

or GOD AN HONEST MANn-MR. AMES's
REPLY-HE Is HIGHLY GRArIFIED AT THE
CONFIDENCE SHOWN IN HIM.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBUERl
NORTH EAsToN Mass March l3.-The friends ana
fellow -townsmen of Oakes Ames. feeling the neees-
sity at this juncture in his history of expressing N
some way their regard for their Congress Repre-
sentative invited him to meet them this evening ~
supper given in Ames's schoOl-hOuse In tins town
Mr. Ames very naturally consented, and the aiian
accordingly came off tonight, under circumstance
of proptlous weather. crowded house goou oli
of fare general speech making, and mutual con
vivialty.
Just before o'clock, Mr.. Ames with bis brothers
Oliver and Frank and their families, reached the
school l-house. and, after exchanging teW prlei
concentrations with more immediate fnends pro
ceeded to the principal nall. Five tables, piaceu
lengthwise of the hail. received the guests AT tne
center of another table at the head OF the hai s'
Mr. Ames with his family and few special friends.
Among those present were the Rev. w. L. Chathn'
paster of the Unitarian Church, Chas. w. Slack, ;.
h. Moves ESQ., of Canton. the Hon. Francis A. Hobart
of Braintree Henry j. Fuller of Taunton, and about
200 others. The Easton Brass Band furnished the
musie. and some plants from Oakes Ames's green
honse contributed to the colors and odors OF the
occasion. , .,;s
with short PRAYER carefully avoiding all reference
10 Credit Mobilier OF it's dividends DR.. Cogsweh'
the Chairman for the evening then invited all pres
ent TO put what they saw before them where IL
would do most good' II took about an hour 10
appropriate the sumptuary allotment, and III
Cogswell then aimed the following address at tne
guests Of the evening
DIR. COGswELLs WELCOME.
HoVoRABLE OAKEs AMEs: Your friends and nelIu
bors feeling lthat mark of respect ana esteem -
due yOu from theIn have gotten up this comphmeh1
reception ID honor Of yourself thereby ahordlDs the
Qualification OF meeting yOn sOcably and Of eXtehuhg
10 you the hand Of welcome, and OF making you Ieel
that 'Be ever humble there is no place Ike nome
We meet YOU as friends and neghDors irrespective 'i
party that we may show you that during your iong
term Of Congress from this district We have had tAe
most perfect confidence in your honesty and integrity
and thar We have always been proud 20 claim you as
friend and fellow tOwnsman.
And feel confident that but speaking the senti-
ment Of all your friends here tonight that while others
have sought 10 cast a stigma upon your fair name ana
reputation we have always looked upon you as iAa'
nobest work OF God. an honest man"
But I see before me here tonight many Of your
friends who far better able than myself to SOUND
your praise worth. VIII close with the following
sentiment THE Hon. Oakes Ames like gold from the
crucble he passed the hery ordeal, and comes out
purer and brighter
loud cheers. 1t was a trying position for Mr. Ames
10 be IN. for the audience evidently expected =
speech But the hero was not 70 be disconnected.
He had come prepared for such an emergency and
when he rose and put his hand in his pocket en-
thusiastic individual called for three cheers. They
were heartily Joined in by all. Perhaps some one
thought that Mr.. Ames going To produce his
famous memorandum book. II 50, they were disap-
pointed.
Nevertheless, he did not mean 10 trust his men,
ory though it has long and faithfully served him.
He pulled manuscript from his pocket, and said in
a low voice, almost inaudible TO me, My friends,
you know / am not much of a hand at speech
making; but have written something which will
read to You if cam" He then read from the manu-
script az follows:
MR.. AMEs's SPEECH.
Ny FRIENDS AND NEIGHBoRs: l should be iess than
human not to gratied and happy tins gath
ering Of my constituents 10 show their confidence and
faith in my honor, truth. and integrity. am not IN the
habit OF speech-making. you all well know. have,
you been the principal subject OF abuse ior
the last six months The press Of the country has been
full OF what has been called the Credit MOber Sean
dali The whole ofense if ofense it can be called, Is
in selling $4,000 Of stock 10 Il members Of Con
gress at the same price I paid for IT, aud
at the same price I sold the stock 10
others and the parties purchasing the stock had
simply told The truth, and SAID they had night TO pur-
chase IT, that would have been the end Of II but from
the fact OF their denial the public suspected there must
be something criminal in the transaction. and to find
ont what the crime was, Congress appointed Commit
tee inquire 4 Oakes Ames had bribed any member of
Congress The result the appointment of the nOo-
rious Poland Committee" That Committee was
gagged nearly three months, and the result OF al its
abors was badly damage the characters OF some men
nigh in Office for truth and veracity; but the OBJ
iect OF the Committee, 10 II Oakes Ames bribed
any member was admitted not proven. but that Com
nuttee made the wonderful discovery that guilty
OF selling stock for less than it worth, but the
parties taking the stock and keeping il very u-
nocent and that had the extraordinary ability 10
give "a Dribe without their knowing u, aud 10 DO
they did not know what
OTHER SPEECHES AND DEMONSTRATIONS.
The short speech was received with applause aud
cheers. quartet song and cOngratulatory speeches
followed. Mr. H. K Fuller OF Taunton characterized
Mr Amess defamers pe1urers. and claimed that but
FOR his indOmtablc perseverance the Pacific Railroad
would not have been built to day aud his principal
nalguers those who begrudged him his fortunate
Mt. F. A. Hobart Of Braintree believed that not one
jOt or little Of the confidence ms constituents had A.
ways repOsed in SIR. Ames had been abated by the
Credit MobIer investigation, and claimed that the AT
OF partisan press helped rather than otherwise 70
that confidence ana the grand tanscOntnenta
highway lasting memorial OF MS enterprise. should
they be called upon TO their choice Of repre-
sentative to-day, they would put their votes wnere
they wOuldtO the most good" and send him triumph
anty back 10 bis old seat Mr. Hobart closed with the
sentiment, " Our guest-the man who knows how 20
build railroads ana don't lie"
Mr. Charles W. Slack OF The Boston Commonwealth
peculiarly eicitous in his expressions Of approval
OF Mr. Ames's course and gave q short resume OF his
good works, public and private through long ana non
oraDe fe his patriotic political previous TO-
during and since war and urged that his great
cOmp shmeDt for the benefit OF and Americans IN
particular should entte hIm 10 the benefit Of every
uue IffH