The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-07-02
GARFIELD AND AMES.

Judge Black Declares Garfield En-
i'm AmeS' Statements GEN. GAR
tHae Whole Matter.
The following letter from the distin-
guished Democratic lawyer, Judge
Black, addressed to Mr.. Blaine, when
Speaker of the House, is strong and
clear about the connection of Gen. Gar
field with the Credit Mobilier stock
transactions
PHILADELPHIA Feb. Is, 1873.
MY DEAR SIR: From the beginning of the
investigation concerning Mr.. AnaeS' use of the
Credit Mobi6er, I belieUed that Gen. Garfield aoas
free from all guilty connection a0ith that buSi-
ness THIS opinion 10dS founded not maerely on
my confidence IN has integrity, but on some spe-
cadt kre0octedge Of has case I may have told
you all about it in conversation, but I desire
now to repeat it by way of reminder.
[ assert unhesitatingly that, whatever Gen.
Garfield may have done or forbOrne to do, he
acted IN profound ignorance of the nature and
character of the thing which Mr.. Ames was pro-
posing to sell. He had not the slightest sus-
plclOn that he was to be taken into ring organ
lied for the purpose of defrauding the public,
nor did he know that the stock was in any man
ner connected with anything which came,
or could come, within the Legislative jurisdic-
ton OF Congress. The case against him lacks
the seienter which alone constitutes guilt.
In the winter of 1S69-'70 told Gen. Gar
field of the fact that his name was on Ames'
list that Ames charged him with being one of
his distributes explained to him the charac-
ter, origin, and objects of the Credit Mobiler;
pointed out the connection it had with Con-
gresslonal legislation, andshoWed him how i'm
possible it was for a member Of Congress to hold
stock III it without bringing his private inter
ests III conflict with his public duty. That all
this was to him perfectly new revelation am
as sure as l can be of such fact or of any fact
which is capable of being proved only by moral
circumstances. He told me then the whole story
of Trains offer to him, and Ames' subsequent
solicitation, and his own action in the premises,
much as he details it to the committee. / do not
undertake to reproduce the conversation, but
the effect of it all was to convince me thorough
ly that when he listened to Ames he was per-
fectly unconscious of any evil. / watched care
fully every word that fell from him on this
point, and did not regard his narrative of the
transaction In other respects with much interest,
because in my view everything else was insig-
nlficant. did not care whether he had made
a bargain technically binding or not, his integ-
rity depended upon the question whether he
acted with his eyes open. If he had known the
true character Of the proposition made to him
he would not have endured it, much less en-
braced it.
Now, couple with this Mr.. Ames' admission
that he gave no explanation whatever of the
matter to Gen. Garfield, then reflect that not a
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 al
together unjust to put him on the list of those
who knowingly and willfully joined the fraudll-
lent association in question. ]. S. BLACK.