Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-02-10


| paid back, you mean that the dividends from
the Credit Mobilier were 1914.
Answer. / mean that the dividends and
interest amounted to Ssl4.
Question. Mr.. Ames only paid the money
and interest to your wife, and you made up
the additional sum, so that she should lose
nothing by failing to receive the dividends?
Answer. l made it up to her by making
the account square with Mr.. Ames at the time
of settlement; so that, in the aggregate, moth
ing was received from him, and what she made
came from me. When this transaction had
been completed, do not think was the pos
SCISSOR of property to the amount Of 1000.
Question. DO you remember the time when
this transaction was closed with Mr.. Ames?
Answer. am not certain to day, but
think it was in the month of November or
December, 1868; it might have been few
weeks later.
Question Do you recollect what it was
about the Credit Mobilier which disturbed
you?
Answer. can not; but saw something
in the newspapers which gave me anxiety, and
made me think that there might be something
that did not understand about it, or that
might bring the road before Congress for leg
islation. l did not know anything about the
Credit Mobilier-how it transacted its bust
ness, or made it's money. had no doubt Of
right of my wife, to invest the little she had
in Government securities, bank, railroad, or
manufacturing stocks, or in any other prop
erty in which others invested. l had no
doubt, either, of the legal and moral right Of
any member Of Congress to do so. But, as
have stated, my own circumstances and sit
uation were peculiar. Entering Congress \
poor man, with no capital, no business, no
profession, and no occupation out of Congress
by which could make anything beyond my
salary, l felt sensitive in regard to money
transactions. 1 came into Congress in the
beginning of 1855, and when the war opened
had saved, by the most rigid economy, about
$1,000; and when the war closed my liabilities
were many hundred dollars greater than my
assets l raised two regiments and two bat
teries at considerable expense; l had served
several months with General Mcclellan, al
ways paying my own expenses; l was chair
man of the Committee on Military Affairs, and
my rooms were continually thronged by off,
GERS and soldiers, and can truthfully say that
no soldier ever asked me for money who did
not receive something, unless he was intox-
icated. So that when my wife's money was
given to Mr.. Ames was not worth thousand
dollars; and would sell all have o-day,
my humble home excepted, for SO, 500, and
that have earned during the last four years
in writing for the New York Independent. In
this transaction with Mr.. Ames have done
nothing which did not feel that, as men,
Der of Congress and man, had perfect
right to do; nothing to be palliated or ex-
cused nothing am called upon to apologize
for to my fellow-men or my country; nothing
I must take into my closet and ask Gods for
giveness for. In making the investment with
Mr.. Ames, though the money was not mine
and its profits would not be mine, l was ac-
tuated by no improper motives; and the mo-
ment l saw there was bare possibility l
might have made a mistake, the transaction
was Cancelled, and that, too, at a sacrifice of
1914. l am not regardless of the good opin.
ion Of my fellow men; nor am I insensible,
though l have been in public life for third
of a century, to the criticisms of portion of
the public press. Conscious of my innocence,
feel outraged at the charges which have
been made against me, and l believe no great
er wrong was ever perpetrated than has been
perpetrated on many honorable gentlemen,
who could not be influenced by the Pacific
railroad or all the railroads of the country.
By Mr.. Niblack. Question. Let me ask
whether this odium which has been created in
the public mind has not, to some extent, ari-
sen from the mistakes which some gentlemen
have made in endeavoring to conceal their
connection with it.
Answer. can not say for others, sbut l
first appeared in the papers, l was in Hart
ford attending public meeting, and a state
ment was put in my hands to the effect that
had been given by Mr.. Ames two thousand
shares of the stock of the Credit Mobiier,
which was said to be worth, when l received
it, $500, 900; that was very rich man, and
could afford to vote for the Pacific railroad
A statement was made On my authority that
never owned a dollar'si interest in the Pa
C. xI,n
either in stocks, bonds, contracts, &c. That
statement was absolutely true, for had none
of the stock Of the Credit Mobilier given me,
never saw any of the stock, and never had
any interest in it or benefits from it. l in
tended at once to publish an explanation, like
the one have made to day. Before doing so
! consulted one or two gentlemen connected
with the road, who said that had done moth
| ing demanding an explanation, that there
was law suit pending, and that under those
| circumstances, should say nothing, as it
might mi ure them.
Question. On the suppositon that it was
an entirely innocent transaction, that it was
not mistake for the persons whose names
were mixed up with it to attempt to cover it
up.
Answer. Every gentleman must judge of
that for himself. / was never more innocent
| Of wrong motive and intent than in this trans
action; and it may have been a mistake for
me to have acted on the advice of others rat-
er than on my own judgment think mistakes
| have been made in this matter.
Question by Mr.. Ames. Did you not ask
me when l suggested this stock to you, if we
expected to want any legislation in Congress
upon the subject, and did not answer that
| we did not want any.
Answer. have stated that was very ex-
| plicit on that point.
Question by Mr.. Ames. 1 recollect that
you were very particular about making the
inquiry.
Answer. You told me that you wanted
nothng that all the legislation your road
required had been passed years before. If
there had been any question on that point l
should never have consented that my wife's
money should have been so invested. You
told me that you had sold some of the stock
to Mr.. Grimes and that you had guaranteed
it; but did not know that any other members
of Congress had purchased any.
Question. (By Mr.. Alley.) l have heard
it stated that the Washington correspondent
of the Boston Traveller has published in his
Al - IL Al.