The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-02
~uR ALTA vELA CONTROVERSY.
1nenressing Letter frsn Judge Black . The
e-srr ~ President.

xxC9lOeMIs
WASHINGTON, MAY l, 1858.
The ventilation given to the Alta vela case by the
declarations OF Mr.. Nelson, of the Presidents coun
sei. has called for the following letter from Judge
Jeremiah 8. Black, Of Pennsylvania, to the Prest
dent -
NEW YORK. April g. 1885,
nR. PRESIDENT beg leave to cali your attention
ve!a and to the means by which the reparation due
70 p snem mas been de aged and baffied.
Al f0r some time past you have been wen posted on
.ne merits OF this case. You are quite aware that
american citizens ON the island OF Alta
YEA In pursuit of their lawful business and
were lawessly captured, Imprisoned, robbed
and ruined. You never suggested q possible justin.
cation Of this outrage nor did you ever to my knoWl
mas Tor years been hindering the justice which his
duty bound him to promote.
Of remembrance;" for 1 am assured that MI.
Is plying his arts sv with more aSssdui,y
under his influence and the publisher OF the COM
Merctal Advertiser Is known to be his alter ego.
be expects to operate indirectly on You.
He tries to make the impression without asserting
fact that .n some ex
opponents in the House Of Representatives,
whose names are appended to the within opinion
that paper until after it went into your hands, heard
notning about IT. had no communication with
sns de9s tS or indirect verbally or
yourself showed 1t to me. was not aware
that the Maryland delegation in Congress had ex-
records long after it was filed. Nor did know that
the subject was before the Legislatures Of Maryland,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey until after resolutions
upon 1t had been unanimously passed by those
bodies. Expressions similar to these could have
been got without number for no sensible and impair
n But you will do me the justice to
acknowledged that used no outside influence to
move you. relied upon your PATRIOTISM your love
OF right, and your scorn OF wrong. II others paid
you the doubtful compliment Of snpposing that you
needed to be strened in the performance Of so sim
pie duty. hope am not to blame.
Mr.. Seward, through his New York organ, broadly
eg6ertS that j, While Secretary OF State, decided
against the claim Of the United States and the right
or our citizens to the possession of Alta Vela The
record shows the exact contrary to be true. His
assertion to you that decided the in favor of
TO me that you had decided it In the same way.
! maintain the following facts to be strictly true.
nave no reason to suppose that you doubt any OF
them But ask the Secretary of State whether he
contradict themi-
l. The little islet of Alta vea lies out in the Ca
rbean Sea and not within the territorial waters but
entirely beyond the lawful Jurisdiction Of any
nation.
2 Until the Americans took possession it had been
wholly unOccuped. Though navigators knew of its
existence from the days Of Columbus it was regarded
- useless and suffered to be derelict desert and
8. American explorers discovered a deposit OF
9uanO upon 1t and proceeded to take possession,
they had right to do by the public law Of the world
and as they were encouraged to do by special
aot Of Congress. They established business there
which was not only lawful, but laudable, and they
0ad the express promise of protection from their
4. This thing was not done in a corner. The pos
2esson was not taken by stealth but openly in the
legal authority to all inqurers, and displayed the
American Dag in the sight Of all corners.
lying about six miles away. St. Domingo was nf-
Teen and half miles distant. with the Haytien island
Of Boata nterposed Neither Of these countries pre-
both at different times during the Amer-
can occupancy visited the island, We're
and saw the occupants expanding larger sums Of
money In good faith and in the firm belief that their
title was incontestlble Neither Of them gave the
G1ghtest hint that they had q claim to 1t. Their
silence under these circumstances estopped them to
get up claim afterwards even If they had good one
mission Of the American right was made because
Shey were conscious that they had no reasonable
Q. II st. Domingo had been possessed Of any fair
g Known to the United states government
Tor the removal OF the occupants. But her
authorities, without any assertion OF title notice
Of claim either to our government or to the owners
OF the 1sland treacherOusy took advantage OF their
defencelcss condition when there was no American
vessel in the neighborhood and when the owners
them by force. They tore down the American
nag, Destroyed the property on the island
captured the employees, transported them 10
ST. Domingo and Imprisoned them. Twenty-one
days afterwards vessel in the service of the owners
came to get the men OIL. The Dominicans decoyed
her into the port and forcby detained her there for
q month without permitting her master to have any
communication with his own country or the COnsulS
n the neighborhood.
KapaciOus. Santa Anna, who was then at the head
Of AFFAIRS in ST. Domingo, sold himself and his country
the Spaniars for $780, OOO took the money and
away. The preparation of this outrage upon Ameri
can citizens was part OF the bargain. The general
administrations which succeeded that OF Santa Anna
never touched the island for upwards Of five years,
and would not have touched 1t yet IL they had not
learned that Secretary Of State intended to voun
toer mis- official influence for their defence.
8. No assertion Of title in st. Domingo and no de-
nial OF the American right has been made to this
day save and except by our own Secretary. When
the Dominican authorities were formally and
directly interrogated on this point by the special
agent Of the United States they made no distinct
answer and upnO pretence either of legal jurls
Motion or Of prior occupancy, and they have stood
mute since, unless Mr. Seward is to be regarded
Q. The wrong of expeling our people from the
island and the Injury to their persons and property
were easy aud cLeap. But the marauders had
Justice which our government owed to itself and its
people Mr.. Seward enlisted on their side from
motives which do not pretend to understand, and
they have found him more serviceable tool than
Santa Anna himself.
1t will not do to make light OF business like this
cousry is the security Of her people abroad as
- at home. In all the history Of our shame and
our misfOrtunes there Is no record Of an insult at
once so impudent, so unprov0ked and so atrocous
IS this. The long series of aggressions CON-
United upon US by the British previous
to the War OF 1912 may have been
worse In the aggregate; but not one OF
them taken separately has anything like the enor-
Inity Of this. Select the worst act Of Mexico, COM
pare IL with this and 1t will seem Insignificant
The detention of Martin kosta, at Trieste the insult
TO our minister at Greytown-these were trnes light
~ air. Yet In bombarded town.
and In the other we stood ready to fight
an Austrian feet In an Austrian port. When
we ourselves dishonor the flag OF another country
by an act Of unlawful violence we always make the
pr.per reparaton. Mcssrs. Mason anu Sldell were
taken from the deck Of a British packet, and Mr.
Seward himself went down upon his knees TO ask
pardon and promise atonement. Outside OF our own
history the most analogous to this arose out of the
expulsion of the English from the Falkland Islands
by the Spanish authorities But that was done in
good faith, under fair claim OF right, after full no.
tice, and accompanied by no circumstances OF cru
city to persons destruction OF property, and the
possession itself was OF absolutely no value. Yet the
British government prepared for bloody war, and
the rage OF the nation scarcely suffered itself TO he