The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-22 00:00:00

THE ALTA VELA CASE.

The Alta Vela affair has rapidly grown into a
great scandal. Mr. Black seems determined not to
let the matter drop, and the President's counsel
have made use of it in the Impeachment case against
the Managers. Judge Nelson, who spoke as the
mouthpiece of the President, exposed the transac-
tion to the Senate, and on Wednesday, the 29th
April, Mr. Butler replied, denying the truth of the
statement. Mr. Nelson answered Mr. Butler with
great warmth, and on the Senate reassembling after
a recess, Mr. Sumner brought the matter up, cen-
suring Mr. Nelson, whose words he construed into
a challenge to Mr. Butler, at the same time introduc-
ing a resolution of censure, which the Senate rejected.
Both the learned gentlemen disclaimed a warlike in-
tention ; but the Tennessee lawyer announced that
he was ready to meet the general in any way. Mr.
Nelson, in offering his explanation, had referred to
letters showing the connection of both Generals
Butler and Logan with the claim. These Butler
desired to look at, to which Nelson assented, pro-
vided the general promised to return them, which
Butler declined, and they were given to the clerk.
On the following day General Butler made a speech
in further explanation, and it is stated that he and
Logan are gathering evidence to prove that they
had signed the opinion that the President was
bound to seize on Alta Vela before the Impeach-
ment was decided on. The question was taken up
in the House, where James Brooks, of New
York (Democrat), offered a resolution summon-
ing the Managers to explain their extraordi-
nary conduct in thus trying after the commence-
ment of the Impeachment proceedings tointimidate
the President into an action injurious to the public
interest, which, after two days' debate, was rejected
by a party vote. That Messrs. Logan, Bingham,
and Butler signed the opinion is almost undisputed ;
but the question is, When ? Mr. Butler alleges that
it was made out before the Articles were drawn up.
1 This is emphatically contradicted by the opinion it-
-1 self, which was presented to the President on the
9th March, long after the formal Impeachment. In
answer, Butler accuses some person at the White
House of altering the dates. The debate among
the Representatives on Mr. Brooks' resolution was
very acrimonious. Mr. Logan denounced Mr.
Brooks as a villain and Mr. Eldridge as a blackguard,
and in reply to a question from Mr. Butler, Mr. Brooks
affirmed he had called him a gold robber, asserting
that the charge had been sustained in the New
York Courts. Notwithstanding the liberal use of
abusive epithets applied by Mr. Butler, Mr. Brooks
continued his charge, raking up every previous
circumstance brought against Mr. Butler. The
sharpest thing that we have seen in the way of
commeut is in the New lork Citizen, entitled
"Jerry on his Dunghill :"—" Ex-Attorney General
Black, in his letter throwing up his brief as one
of his President's counsel, because said President
would not inaugurate and levy a foreign war
to help said Jerry and some half dozen of his
congenial associates in stealing a dunghill of
guano from an island called Alta Vela, uses
the following language To me it is cause of
sincere grief that I cannot' (in conseluence of my
dunghill), aid in the struggle you are making for
truth, justice, and the Constitution of your coun-
try.' Observe that Jerry says your country,'
not ' our country.' For the fact is, and Jerry
has grace to recognize it, that it is the only country
fit for such foul villains as himself, Ban. Butler,
Bingham, and the other guano thieves, is that com-
post of penguin's ordure, which is said to be worth a

million dollars, and which we know as Alta Vela.
Yon olet should be the motto on Jerry's coat of

arms."