Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-05-08
The Impeachment Managers and the
Alta YeIa Affair.

A special of the list instant to the Chi
cago Tribune says:
; For the last two days the subject of the
alleged letter of four Managers and other
members Of the House to the President,
upon the Alta Vela case, has caused almost
as much talk as impeachment ITSELF
Messrs. Logan, Butler and Garfield each
made statements Tin the House) which
wholly took away any foundation for the
charge that any of the Managers whose
names were on my letter had the least idea
that the paper they were signing was to
go to the President. Mr. Butler stated
that he had given legal opinion to Col.
Schaffer as a friend only; that General
Logan had signed, and then General Gar
field, and that then the son of Judge
Black had taken the paper to the Presi-
dent The President had asked
Black to get some more members OF
Congress on it to- stiffen him up
against Seward, as the New York friends
of the latter were interested, and
Seward would do nothing in the case.
Young Black came to the House and OBJ
tanned some other names, and as soon as
the President got them he published the
letter in New York paper in accordance
with his usual treatment of letters. How
young Black got the signatures of the
Managers and others General Garfield ex-
planned. Black turned the paper over to
him, and he (Garield) took it to Mr.
Bingham and told him it was legal
opinion of General Butler regarding the
rights of certain American citizens to an
island. Mr.. Bingham, after asking if it
was all right, signed it. General Garfield
then took the paper to Mr.. Stevens and
told him the same thing Mr.. Stevens said
he knew that Mr.. Seward had acted the
rascal in that matter, and he signed it will
ingly. Mr. Blaine did the same, and so OF
the other members, not one of them know
ing or supposing that the paper was going
to the President. The whole thing is a
clear case of attempting to make political
capital against impeachment. 1t also came
out that Nelson himself had taken part
in this same matter, and given the Pres.
dent substantially the same opinion as that
in Buffers letter to Colonel Schaffer. AS
part of General Garfeld's explanation, he
caused to be read the following letter
from Judge Black: t
New YORK, April 2s, 1868.
MY DEAR SIR: The newspapers talk wildly
about my retirement from the impeachment case
Some of them put Mr.. Johnson in the interesting
predicament of an ill-used gentleman because ]
am not defending him before the Senate. Mr.
Nelson said very absurd things in his speech the
other day: What is worse, they assert, by inuendo
at least that some of the Radicals in Congress had
mischieyous purpose in expressing their opinion
that justice ought to be done to the owners Oh
Alta Vela want You to understand and remem-
Der two or three points:
First knew nothing about the paper until il
went into the hands Of the President. never, in
my life spoke to any one of the signers about the
case, except to you, and not to You until after the
Second, You certainly could have had no design
In making breach between the President and me
for when told you of his conduct, and that the
misconduct of Mr.. Seward might compel me to
decline acting as his counsel, you advised me not
to decide hastily on a question Of SO much mo-
ment to my professional reputation; SEss
Third, never saw or heard anything from which
Der Of Congress signed the paper in question fol-
reason, except that it expressed your real con
Fourth, You know certainly that NV retirement
was not prompted by anybody. 1t was my own
act, for which / alone am responsible, and it was
done because / felt myself morally forced to it.
tween decision of the Alta Vela case and the loss
of my services as counsel is all false from first to
last. never asked him to do anything in it ex-
cept on the ground of pure justice. I distinctly
told him that did not want it as favor to me.
When found that Stewards policy was stronger
than legal duty. was done but Mr.. johnson did
not know until he had given his last word that it
would or might have the effect of dissolving our
relations. have nothing to say against the mag
nanimity or courage for which Mr. Nelson gives
him credit; only that there was no necessity for
to any test whatever.
$50 am, most truly yours, &c
H4 on co sSigne0 5.a1 Ha j. s. BLACK.
The same day Judge Black wrote this
letter to General Garfield he addressed one
to President johnson, of which the fol-
lowing are the main points: The letter
first calls the attention of the President to
the general features of the case, and states
that the President had never suggested
any possible justification for the outrage,
and had never uttered word of excuse
for Secretary Stewards course in the case.
Black then says he deems it necessary to
stir up the pure mind of the President by
way of remembrance, which he proceeds
to do. He states in the most positive
terms that there was no understanding be-
tween himself and any members of the
House, and that he never knew of the let
ter till 1t had gone into the Presidents
hands; and, further, that he had had no
communication whatever with the signers,
directly or indirectly, either verbally or in
writing. After reviewing the case at some
length, Mr.. Black asserts that Seward made
false statement to him in writing, con-
corning the conclusions the President had
reached, and that whenthe deception was
exposed the President ordered the written
exposure of it to be put on record. Upon
this Black makes the following comment ::
/" 1t is impossible to understand how you could
sleep one night without turning the perpetrator
of this scurvy trick ont of Office"
After detailing the position assumed by
Mr.. Seward in the paper used to deceive,
Mr.. Black continues: s..5..-...-