The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-14

teller, Bedford, Indiana.
The Alta vela Matter.
We publish this morning sketch Of
the debate in the house Of congress, in
which some of the impeachment managers
Beast Butler, particular!y--were rather
roughly handled by Brooks, Eldridge and
Marshall. We call the attention of the
reader to the debate aud to certain expla-
nations we present for the proper under
standing Of the subject.
Certain American citizens claim the
guano island of Alta Vea, estimated to
be worth not less than a million of dollars
They are not, however, in possession of
the island, which is held by foreign pow
er. The claim of these citizens has been
tor years before the state department,
which has more than once decided the
claim to be unfounded. Mr. Jerre Black
is one of the claimants attorneys. He
was also the principal of the presidents
counsel in the impeachment trial. Mr..
Black, after the impeachment had got
fairly under headway, urged the president
to disregard the decision of Secretary Sew
ard, which was aversc to his clients, and
make the proper order to sustain the claim
he represented. The president declined,
and Mr.. Black n1tifed him that he with
drew from his defense, aud would no lon
ger be regarded as one Of his counsel.
But that does not yet touch the impc1ch-
ment managers, nor explain the cause OF
the debate in congress. We Low come to
that branch of the subject. The house
resolutions, impeaching the president, were
adopted February "a. The articles of i'm
parchment were made up March 2. The
service upon the president was made Mar.
I. He was required to appear on the Ii.
While the impeachment was thus pending,
the following letter was gotten up, ad-
dressed to Col j. w. Shatfer, formerly of
Gen. Buffers staff, and one of the attor-
neys for the Alta Vela claimants:
WAsurNoToN, March 9, 1865
Col j. W. Shaffer, Washington, ID, c.:
the validity of the claim of the T. s. to the jurisdiction
the island of Alta Vcla upon considerable consd
Grafton of the subject am clearly of opinion that un
der claim the United States citizens have the
elusive right to take guano there.
This is clearly indisputabc, both by the law of
tions and our municipal law have never been able
to understand why the executive did not long since
ert the rights OF he government and sustain the RI ut
fG claims ofts citizens to the possession OF the island
in the most fOrcble manner consistent with the dignity
and honor of the nation
am. yours, truly,
concur in the opinion expressed above BY Gen; But
Ter JOHN A. LOGAN.
IA. GARFIELD.
W. X. KOONTZ.
TmADDEus III nHSEthsni sTnkivENs,
J; G.; BLAINE,
It will be seen that four of the si2ners
Of that letter are Of the house managers to
prosecute the impeachment before the sen
ate, viz E: BENZ. +. Butler, John A. Lo-
gan, Thaddeus Stevens and John A. Bine-
ham. And another of the signers was
congressman Moorhead, h Pennsylvania
he who did the unmanly part Of hiding
himself conveniently to hear the converse
The letter was laid before the president
by a son of Jerre Black, and Mr.. Black
himself subsequently called the attention
of the president to the same. Here then,
two weeks after impeachment had begun,
the letter of these managers was laid be-
fore Mr.. johnson. When Mr.. Nelson,
OF the presidents counsel referred in his
speech to this natter, and charged Butler
& Co. with an attempt to coerce the presi-
dent into sustaining the claim of MIR.
Jerre Blacks clients to the island Of Alta
Vela-carryiug the dagger of impeach-
ment in one hand, and the claim for his
endorsement in the other-Butler indig-
nantly denied the letter was gotten up or
signed by him after the impeachment had
begun. Nelson produced the document
and put Butler to shame. SO glaring and
outrageous was this attempt of the mana
gers to coerce the president into doing
what the state department had repeatedly
decided against, and which involved over
one million of dollars, that Mr.. Brooks, OF
New York, offered resolution for COM
mittee Of investigation.
The irmness and honesty Of the presi.
dent under the circumstances must elicit
the commentator Of every true hearted
man. His own friend and legal counselor
was urgent, and four OF the managers Oi
impeachment were pressing for favorable
decision from him. But his convictions
of duty were not so easily to be overcome
Ec was willing to lose his most powerful
advocate and brave the malignity Of th'
impeachers sharpened, rather than dc
what he considered public wrong Gin
Enquirer.
<4D,>
During an afternoon nap two day
before he was assassinated, Darcy Nc
Gee had dream, viii ch he afterward
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