Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-27
THE KNOXVILLE WING
Knoxville, Tenn, May d, 1858.
ALTA VELA.
A Gard from Judge Nelson.
~ eRoWNLoW = HAws.


before the high court Of impeachment 10 the Att
Y ella claim, bad no idea that ! stirring up s,
great hornets nest. Nothing was said 10 th
Court by any of the honorable managers at the tint
April 2t-wheu the remarks were made but foul
days acknowledging April 28-and after Mr.
Williams. who followed ne had concluded his repll
20 the Presidents counsel, Mr. Manager Butlel
read q carefully prepared written statement 70 th,
Court commencing on page 1907 Of The printed re-
cord in which be charged me with insinuatina
gGlumny, and alleged that my statement-which
be Gaid must have been obtained from Andrew
johnson contained every element Of falsebood
being both The 8uppTeSSlo Uert and the ggestio 0Ls
IN that il says that on the 9th Of March, General
Benjamin I. Butler addressed letter 20 j W Shat
fer and that this letter was concurred in and ap-
proved BY John A. Logan, j A. Garfield, w. Il
koOntz, j. X. Isorhead, Thaddeus Stevens, J. g
Blaine and John A Bingham, on the same day.
March 9th, 1863, when the President knew that
The names Of the five last mentioned gentlemen
were procured copy Of The letter long after the
original was IN hs hands,
Il will be remembered that l replied 10 the per-
ona insult in strong language, stated that the LETT
fers were not IN my possession at the moment, re-
marked that j would ask leave Of the Senate 20 read
them next day, and promised 20 do So whether !
discovered that had been ia error as 10 The date
vr not.
General Butler, in bis carefully prepared state
ment, said among other things
In February last nay attention was next drawn
to the spoiietion and imprisonment Of American
citizens upon tbe island of Alta Vela by AN inquiry
Of personal friend, Colonel Shafer, if l bad any
acquaintance with tho question, and if So would
give him ny opinion lawyer the merits Of
The controversy. To serve friend simply upon
recollection Of tho discussion with the Attorney Cen
s-al gave him such opinion. the rough draft Of
which hold iu my hand which iB without date.
md which, being copied, ] signed and placed in bis
handle This 5eLieUs 10 have been ia the earg part
IF February sertaily before tie act committed
By AAdrs,e Johnson s0hieh brought his inpsaeh-
ms1t" dc, &c. iSae printed record, l005)
On the next day, april 29) l offered 10 read the
letters 20 tho Senate. bat was not permitted to do
So and only allowed 20 make an explanation as to
the date Mr. Manager Butler said, among other
thjngs Gas 90 The reading Of the letters, propose
% object 10 that until they can be proved in the
usual Courba Of judicial proceedings p lsee printed
record, p. l006) although be could, in moment
have sstis1ed himself hJ inspection and e1amina-
zion Uhsihes h. ai=a-afa e. she letter 7 Traa-asd
WAS genuine or not,
On page 1927 and 1925 of lhe record il appears /
offered 20 read tho letter, but not permitted 10
do So and stated 10 substance that The original let
tgr signed bV Benjamin +. Butler, and concurTed
iu by John A. Bingham aud J. A Garfield, WAS
dated on Tho 9th Of March, 1868 and that on the
10th Of March, s66, Mr. Ohauncey p Black adj
Crossed letter 30 the President stating that be en-
closed copy Of said letter, with the additional sig
natures Of Mr. Koontz j. K Moorhesd, Thaddeus
Stevens, j g. Blaine and John A. Bingham. and
that this copy, like tho original bore date the etE
# March ig65 and that there was no other date
aither 10 the original or the copy. Correct copies
o. the letter a. ] am informed, were subsequently
read before the House Of Representatives by the
Hon Mr. Brooks of Ssw York anc i will be seen
that General Butler. when he stated to the Senate
that his opinion 81 signed CERTAINLY BEFORE
tas act was committed by Andrew johnson which
HrJught on bis impeachment" made an assertion
which is al variance with the date in tho original
gtter and The careully-prepsred copy, and that,
instead Of fastening the stppreSsio Uep or me Sl9
gssta fcJsi upon the President myself, be has
placed himself in the prodicament Of opposing be
'rn and imperfect testimony to q written date over
as own signature The opinion could not GER
TAINLY have been signed before the act was CON-
nlued b. Andrew johnson which brought on me
impeachment because the record shows that Presl-
dent Iohnsun's letter appointing General Thomas
secretary OF War 0a tutcTl1l bears date eprusry
s', 1868 about sixteen days cefore the opinion was
igued by General Butler. It further appears. from
the public records that the articles Of impeachment
voted on in the Housed Representatives on the
18th Of February and laid before the Senste on the
a of March; and that the summons was served OF
the President on tbe Eth Of March, two days bsfoT
the opinion was signed. IL will further appear
from the printed record Of the impeachment trial
page 1909 that General Buffers statement that h'
signed the opinion CERTAILY before the act WA
committed by Andrew johnson whlco brought on
ms imppachment" is not sustained ~ the ahoaNi
az Chsuncev r. Black, who states distinctly ina
Che time when this opinion was received, aIS
.rtgtEer 70 .ras dotted do not recollecti ~ ana th
rullio viii determine whether General ButleTs IN
.nnbed statement as 20 the date is higher and bet
Ter evidence than a written date over his sgnatur
IN the original and repesied in the carefully pre-
pared copy.
According 10 the bcs. information l can 90
tan, General Butler procured the original lette
and copic from the acting clerk OF he Senate 81
che very day deposited them. In The proseAce q
Che Senate, with said clerk, and be has had ampl
time within which Co deny their gcaaineness If the.
are spurious. but De has not done so 90 my knOwl
edge and Toe conclusion Is irresistible that the let
t--s are genuine that thev boar the true date an,
that they certainly were not signed in the mont
~ Fsbrusrr but in the month of March, and ate
he commencement Of The impeachment proceed
Inzt 90 I bad truly alleged.
m was my intention, So FAR as ! am PERSONAL
scuC8raed o. lci this matter rest where It term
nstsd in tbs court Of impeachment but my stteI
zion las been called 20 ceraia structures By the H2
THadd6u1 Stevens reported In the Daity Aol7lu'
Chronicle OF abs date, which have made this pr
huinary ststemCut necessary, and which csnno
sitEer justice t. the President or myeoii, perm
fe pas without notice
IL appears Chat Mr. Stevens in the course OF
debate iu the House Of Representatives on the ds
before yesterday, and while speaking Of Geuer
Butler opinion or letter said
1t is nowhere addressed 10 the President or an
Of his counsel OF 10 any member Of his Governmen
-
cain. any insinuaton Of clsmency on any conditio
I, 10 was ever shown 90 him, his counsel, or Cab
not b was without The sanction Of The writers,
'ssst 60 far ns j au concerned. WIS. thea had "a
letter 20 d. With the prosecution which DIR. NelsC
wzs disclsing7 IL waa not addressed 20 the Pres
lolt bis ADVISER OF kindred did lot make Il
most distant reference 10 any one Of the charges
The article OF impeachment, nog could u Be 90
lsrued by any honest man b. have any connectiC
or bearing upon the prosecution. II bad not be-
given in evidence nor referred b. until some ds
after The testimony was closed, and when the ccu
ao were summing Up. J think co honorable nj
would have used Dc % ssaail The motives Of broth
counsel ss J. was dragged Ia irrelevsntly and III
gally.
III ! have any correct idea az nay own characi
nu-cur thosa % whom ] an best known, and il the
De iu d, any one trait more prominent than anotbs
% is that have on Ell occasions. and under an q
.rumslances when tbe reputation 10 the legal ~
tezsiou wa. drawn la question, vindioateI and 50
ported 81 % the bost Of my ability, both by proce
and example. It was this feeling which animal
me iu the Argument 81 the case of John Baxter
fore The Federal Court Of Knoxville, IN the sul
mer Of 1860, where ] opposed The Congresses
Test oath prescribed for lawyers and where IL W
Tor the lrft time. held 10 be unconstitutional a
void IL was The same high regard for the hor
and rights Of The legal profession that prompted
n argue General Chainpions case before The 5
preme Court 81 Tennesee, 10 the iah % 1895, =
10 aid 10 procuring from that tribunal = aeea
declaring thst iea oaGh prescribed BY eirs