The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-07-07
Irrefutable Testimony.

If there is lawyer in this country
who has a constitutional hatred of all
public officials who show the slightest
tendency towards corruption, it is
Judge Jeremiah S. Black, Democrat
of Democrats. With full knowledge,
after thorough investigation, he wrote
the following letter, which we COM
mend to the careful study of all intel
ligent and disinterested readers:
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. Is, 1873.
My DEAR SIR From the beginning of
the investigation concerning Mr.. Ames'
use in the Credit Mobilicr, | believe that
Gen. Garfield was free from all guilty
connection with that business. This opin-
ion was founded not merely on my conf
dencc in his integrity, but on some special
knowledge of his case. may have told
you all about it in conversation, but de-
sire now to repeat it by way of reminder.
assert unhesitatingly that, whatever
Gen. Garfield may have done or foreborne
to do, he acted in profound ignorance OF
the nature and character of the thing
which Mr.. AmCs was proposing to sell.
He had not the slightest suspicion that he
was to be taken into a ring organized for
the purpose of defrauding the public, nor
did he know that the stock was in any
way connected with anything which came,
or could come, within the legistivc juris-
diction of Congress. The case against
him lacks the ScieRter which alone cOnsti-
tutCs guilt.
In the winter of 1SG0-70 told General
Garfield of the fact that his name was on
Ames' list; that Ames charged him with
being one of his distributes; explained
to him the character, origin and objects
of the Credit Mobilier; pointed out the
connection it had with Congressional leg
islatiOn, and showed him how impossible
it was for a member of Congress to hold
stock in it without bringing his private
interests in conflict with his public duty.
That all this was to him perfectly new
revelation am as sure as | can be of such
a fact, or of any fact which is capable of
being proved only by moral circumstan-
ccs. lie told me then the whole story of
Trains offer to him. and Amcs' subsequent
solicitation and his own action in the
premises, much as he details it to the
committee. | do not undertake to repro
duce the conversation but the effect of it
all was to convince me thoroughly that
when he listened to Ames he was perfect
ly unconscious Ofanything evil. Watched
carefully every word that fell from him on
this point, and did not regard his MARIA
tive of the transaction in any other respects
with much interest, because in my view
everything else was insignificant. | did
not care whether he had made a bargain
technically binding or not; his integrity
depended upon the question whether he
acted with his eyes open. 1.-The had known
the true character of the proposition made
to him he would not have endured it, much
less embraced it.
Now, couple this with Mr., Ames' adj
mission that he gave no explanation what
ever of the matter to Gen. Garfield. then
reflect that not IA particle of proof exists
to show that he learned anything about it
previous to his conversation with me, and
| think you will say that it is altogether
unjust to put him on the list of those who
knowingly and willfully joined the fraud
ulent association in question.
j. s. BLACK.
Hon. j. G. Blaine, Speaker of the House
of Representatives
If the Democratic papers had any
sense Of fairness they would let their
readers see this convincing testimony
of lawyer distinguished for his acute
ness in detecting guilt-inc,pient or
committed.