Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-07
The Credit Mobilier Scandal.

We do not believe that Gen. GARFIELD
needs any further vindication than has
already been published from the old scan
dial which the New York Swn, one OF the
most malicious of the Satanic press, re.
vived to subserve the lowest partisan ends,
but as the letter of Judge BLACK upon the
subject has often been alluded to in this
connection, we republish it by request.
Judge BLACK, it is we'll known, is strong
partisan, and would not, if he could avoid
it, do or say anything to help Republican
ism. Should such calamity fall upon
the country as the success of the Demo
cratic ticket this fall, Judge BLACK would
be prominent candidate for a position
in the cabinet. In consideration of his
position, his letter ought to be good au.
thority, and to silence the reteration of
this old SANDER. The following is the
letter:
PHILADELPHIA, Feb Is 1873.
My Dear Sir:-From the beginning of the in
vestigation concerning Mr.. Ames' use of the
credit Mobilier, believed that General G arfield
was free from all guilty connection with that busi-
ness. This opinion was founded not merely on
my confidence In his integrity, but on some spe-
cial knowledge of his case. | may have told you
all about 1t In conversation, but desire now 10
repeat it by way of reminder.
assert unhesitatingly that, whatever General
Garfield may have done or fOrbOrne to do, he act
ed in profound ignorance of the nature and char
scter of the thing which, Mr. Ames was proposing
to sell. He had not the slightest suspicion that
he was to be taken into a ring organized for the
purpose OF demanding the public, nor did he know
that the stock was In any way connected with
anything which came or could come within the
legislative jurisdiction of Congress. The case
ag inst MIN lacks the scienter which alone consti-
tutes guilt
In the winter Of ls69-7o. 1 told General Garfield
of the fact that his name was on Ames' list; that
Ames charged him with being one of his dis
tributes; explained TO him the CHI aracter, origin
and objects of the Credit Mobilier; pointed out
the connection 1t had with Congressional legis-
latiOu, and showed him how impossible 1t was
for Member OF Congress to hold stock In 1t
without bringing his private interests IN conflict
with his public duty. That all this was to him
perfectly new revelation, am So sure as can be
being proved only by moral circumstances. lie
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 1t
to the committes do not undertake TO repro
duce the conversation, but the effect OF 1t all
to convince me thoroughly that when he listened
to Ames he was unconscious of anything evil
watched carefully every word that fell from him
on this point and did not regard his narrative OF
the transaction In any other respect with much
interest, because in my view everythi az else was
Insignificant / did not care whether he made
bargain technically binding o not his integrity
depended upon the question whether he acted
with hts eyes open. Ii he had known the true
character or the proposition made to him, he
would not have endured it, much less embraced It,
Now couple this with Mr. Ames, admission
that he gave NO explanation whatever of the mat
ter to General Garfield, then reflect that not a
particle of proof exists to show that he learned
ANYTHING about it previous to his conversation
gether unjust to put him on the list of those
who knowingly and wilfully joined the fraudu-
lent association in question j. s. BLACK.
Hon. j. G. BLAINE, Speaker Of the House of Rep
resentatives.