Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-30
CREDIT MOBHIER.
THE TESTIMONY OF JUDGE BLACK AS TO
GEN. GARFIELD.

The Hon. jeremiah S. Black, of Penn
sylvania, is lifelong Democrat. He is
to-day one of the ablest men in the Dem
ocratic party, and is one of the most acute
and most experienced lawyers in the
country. For twenty-five years he has
been familiar with Washington affairs
In the Crebit-Mobilier suits he was the
consul of McComb, and knew all about
every matter connected with that corpor-
alton He had no professional relation
to Gen. Garfield and was his political an
tagonist Judge Black, however, is a
man who appreciates character, and for
this reason he felt called upon, as fair
minded man, to write Speaker Blaine a
letter relative to Gen. Garfeld's alleged
connection with the Credit Mobilier.
Judge Black was present at the sessions
of the Committee investigating the Credit
Mobilier rumors, and upon its conclusion
wrote the following letter, which we COM
mend to our readers.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. Is, 1873.-MY
DEAR SIR: From the beginning of the
investigation concerning Mr.. Ames use
Of the Credit Mobilier, [ believed that
General Garfield was free from all guilty
connection with that business. This opin-
ion was founded not merely on my con-
fidence in his integrity, but on some spe
cial knowledge of his case. may have
told you all about it in conversation, but
[ desire now to repeat it by way of re-
minder.
I 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.. Ames was proposing to sell.
He had not the slightest suspicion that
he was to be taken into ring organized
for the purpose of defrauding the public,
nor did he know that the stock was in any
manner connected with anything which
came, or could come, within the legisla-
tive jurisdiction of Congress. The case
against him lacks the scienter which
alone constitutes guilt.
In the winter of 1S69-'70 | told Gen.
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 Con-
gressional legislation. and showed him
how impossible it was for member of
Congress to hold stock in it without bring
ing his private interests in conflict with
his public duty That all this was to
him perfect new revelation [ am as
sure as | can be of such fact, or Of any
fact which is capable of being proved on
ly by moral circumstances. He told me
then the whole story of Trains offer to
him and Ames' subsequent solicitation
and his 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
thoroughly that when he listened to Ames
he was perfectly 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 other respects with much interest, be-
cause in my view everything else was in
significant I did not care whether he had
made bargain technically binding or
not; his integrity depended upon the
question whether he acted with his eyes
open. If he:.had known the true charac-
ter of the proposition made to him he
would not have endured it, much less en-
braced it.
Now, couple this with Mr.. Ames' ad-
mission that he gave no explanation
whatever of the matter to Gen. Garfield,
then reflect that not particle of proof
exists to show that he learned anything
about it previous to his conversation with
me, and I think you will say that it is al
together unjust to put him on the list Of
those who knowingly and willfully join
ed the fraudulent association in question.
J. S. BLACK.
Hon. }. BLAINE, Speaker of the House
of Representatives