Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-07-05
From narper's Weekly June s5th.
NIr EnranIhsn ncGrnsc.

Mr.. Garfield has laid his defence before the
people, aud il is probable that large major
Ivy Of his countrymen will rejoice To pro-
nOunce verdict In favor Oi one who has al
ways borne high reputation and whose ira
ducers are pininly unworthy OF bcif The
Credit MOblicr was AN association formed to
plundeY the nation Though the Pacific Rail
road. Its apparent purpose was To purchase
land along the line Ul the Pacific route aud to
profit 10y the rise in value lis real aim, 10
mpkc great pautits by contracting to build the
railway at sums far greater than It's true cost.
1t was managed by part OF the directors OI
the Pacific road its proceedings were secret,
and its purposes unknown. MIR. Amcs, it
seems, was the chief agent in directing the
action Oi this secret combination, and Justice
to the living rCqllircs that his cunduct should
be scrulinizrd with singular attention. In lS.
81 GcOrgr Francis Train, one OF the founders
oi the Credit Mobilcr, Approached Mr.. Gar
field to induce him To take an interest in the
Company. Mr.. Garfield refused
In 1868 Mr. Ames came to him suggesting
the great profits tnat must arise from the spec
ulation in land, but wholly concealng from
his Intended victim the Frauds that were d.,
signed The project Oi purchasing land along
The Pacific route seemed perfectly harmless,
and MIR. Garfield COnscnl, d to subscribe for
one thousand dollars worth of stock. But he
did so only upon the con dtiOn that he should
| be permitted to examine the charter and the
! object of the Credit MOLilcr. This Mr.. Ames
never suffered him to do. lie never there
| FORE took the stock. Aud when at II Latter Pc
rod he discovered something OF The real ma
tuEe OF the Credit M,bilirr, he at once told Mr.
Amts that he would no longer entertain the
! project, that he wUuld have none OF his prof
| its or risks
! Such was his temptation and his escape
! The directors of the Credit MOhilicr, conscious
OF guilt and of danger, had sriyen to impli
| IA % Al llp-
! gal gains, and when they were rcpuiscd, la
| bored To destroy thOss whom they had failed
to c1rrupt. Mcnuccd with pubic iniuuily,
fearful oi ruin and disgrace Mr.. Amts seems
| To have thought that he could best shield his
transactions from discovery by ntImidaing
ar driving rom power the Republican party.
lie Tor the first time made pdUlc his chargc s
during The recent political CONSENT. They W, re
seized upon eagerly 10y The oppOs ilinn Urcss-
The most incredible stories of corruption were
circulated against the m Isl eminent m,n in the
nntiuu. Wilson, COIuX, Biainr, aud many
others were rrpOEtcd to be The holders OF Lar -
amounts of the tainted stock, and the chief
sIrcnglh of the liberal Republican movement
lay in its extraordinary capacity for slndnr.
All these IiHes have been swept away by time
and reflection oi the people. In The case OF
no Rrpubican has it been shown in any OF
those who were t'mptd hy Amcs fell into
his power. Wilson, {, LnX, Garfield, Blaine
stand before the country without II slan.-
Even of those less cautious ii does not appear
that any knew the secret Obj Ct uf the Credit
| Mubilicr. The amounts charged in this idle
scandal sank gradually To al lew hundred dol
lars each. And the altt tmpt 10 drive The Re
publicnns from power from eXiravagnnt false
hoods and loud assertions iaiICd. The Credit
. Mobilicr could not indicate them npr touch
their patriotic lame.
The affair of this notorious association ARE
about Ia he examined in n public lawsuit, and
what degree of guilt attaches To its proceed
ings will be made plain 10 all the people. u
the frauds charged upon il be proved, thcy will
at least show thai the testimony of lis diGcc-
tors against honest men is wholly woThlrss
and that none OF those who were the object ol
lis ISLANDERS, need take the trouble to reply t.
them. Death has laln upon the chief oi lis
managers. We should D.. glad 10 be able ie
think that even Oikes Amcs was no NOR,
guilty than many common Spectators; that
he wasignornnt of the palmer principl oIrec
titudc, rNhcE than willing openly To violate
them The sentiment of honor in CONNER
cial dealings has mnnhe mpid progress among
MS within the last flw years. The frauds o
railroad sp, culal ai.s will not be oasily repeal
I'd. But Mr.. Gnlfrd's defense against til,
} charges Ol his nssuinnt WAS hardly nrclcd
His character was Il sufficient shield. Ills po
liicnI lite has covered him with honor, and
not all the mucor of the enemies of freedom
can deprive him Of Tic est, en- and gratitude U
. his cOunirymcn.