Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-30
Irrefutable Testimony.
[From the Evening Post


LII there is lawyer in this country
who has constitutional hatred of all
pubic officials who show the slightest
tendency to corruption, it is Judge Jere-
mlah 3. Black, Democrat of Demo-
Gratis. With full knowledge, after thor
ough investigation, he wrote the follow
ing letter, which we recommend to the
careful study of all intelligent and disin-
terested readers:
PHILADELPHIA, Feb ID, 1873
MY DEAR SIR: From the beginning of the
investigation concerning Mr.. Ames use of the
Credit Mobilier, believed that General Gar
tesd aods free from all guilty connection aoitb
merely on my confidence IN has integrity, but ON
some special knowledge of has case. I may have
told you all about it in conversation, but I de-
sire now to repeat it by way of reminder.
assert at'ahesitdti'agly that, ao1,ateoer General
Ga,J'e!d may haze done or to,6o,me to do, he
character Of the thing ,o1,ich M. Ames acas pro-
posing TO sell. He had not the slightest sus-
plclOn that he was to be taken into ring organ
lzed 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 Legislative jurisdiction of con-
gress. The case against him lacks the scie,ater
which alone constitutes guilt.
In the winter of 1869-70 told General 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 character. ORR
gin and objects of the Credit Moblier: pointed
out the connection it had with congressional leg
lslation, and showed him how impossible it was
for 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 sure as I can be
OF such fact, or of any fact which Is capable of
being proved only by moral circumstances Fe
told me then the whole story of Trains offer
him, and Ames' subsequent solicitation and b \
own action Ill the premises, much as he details
it to the committee. do not undertake to re.
produce the conversation, but the effect of it all
was to convince me thoroughly that when he lis
tened to Ames he was unconscious Of anv
thing evil. watched carefully every word thr )
Tell from him on this point, and did not regard
his narrative of the transaction in any other re-
spect with much interest, because in my view
everything else was insignificant. did not care
whether he made bargain technically binding
or not; his integrity depended upon the ques-
ton 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 embraced it.
Nov, couple this with Mr.. Annes ddnisStC
mdt ne gaze no explanation oChdteUer of the mat
ter TO General Garfield then reflect that Saot q
particle of proof eriSls to slo,o that he learned
anything about it previous to his conversation
with me. and | think you will say that it is alto
gether unjust to put him on the list of those
who knowingly and wilfully joined the fraudu-
Hon. j. G. BLAINE, Speaker of the House of
RenreSpntatiyes