The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-05-09
Political.
Alto velO.
From the Chicago Tribune. May l.

the other day, and almost provoked bioodshed
What is it Alto Ne!o enjoys the distinction Q
having been ore of the West India Islands dis
covered by Columbus in persen. Upon 1t
raised the standard of Spain, and formally pro
claimed it possession OF his sovereign, neari!
four hundred years ago. Its recenS history Is a
follows: On the 18th of August, 1856, Congress
enacted a law that whenever any citizens should
discover n deposit of guano "on any island, rock
or kev NOT within the lawful jurisdiction of any
other government and not occupied by the cit
ize,s Of any other government, and shall take pos
session thereof and occupy the same such per
sons should be protected in such possession by the
United States. On the 14th of Hay, 1851, Jere-
niah S. Black was Secretary of State under
James Buchanan on that day W. ]. Kendall, OF
Baltimore, Maryland, notified the department
that he had discovered deposit of guano on the
island of Alto Velo that he had taken possession,
and asked 10 have his claim acknowledged. On
the same dav, Patterson and Murguiendo, also of
Baltimore. fled a similar notice; Kendall dated
his discovery on the 18th of March, 1860 and Pat
terson and Murgusndo dated theirs on the ed
Of February Nothing farther appears on record
respecting Kendall's claim, but Patterson and
Murguiendo continued to press the department
for recognition Of theirs, but the Secretary,
Mr. Jerry Black, refused to grant it in the alb
scense of proof that the island was not within the
lawful jurisdiction of any other government.
In the meantime, the parties proceeded to work
on the island shipping home the guano, and We're
in possession of it some seven months. At the
end of that time, a war schooner Of the Domin-
lean navy visited it, broke mp the business and
took the occupants to St. Domingo, but subse-
quently relesaed and sent them home
The parties .hersupon made claim for dam
ages laying there entire claim at about $500
They also sought to make contract with the
Dominican, St Domingo, Government for per-
mission to ship guano from the island. Tho
American Secretary Of State, Mr.. Jerry Black, re-
fused to take notice Of any claim for damages
until after the agent of the United States at St.
Domingo should have ascertained and reported
the grounds upon which tho Dominican Govern
nlent had asserted its jurisdiction. Before the
answer was received, Mr. Black had ceased to be
Secretary of State and had been succeeded by Mr..
Seward. The rebellion and the war, various rev.
olutions in the Dominican Republic, and war be-
tween that government and Hayti, the Mexican
occupation, and various other national and in
ternational complications postponed any consid-
GRAFTON of the claims of Patterson and Murgu.
iendo. In February, 1885, one Henry G. Root,
of New York. wrote to the department asking for
Information respecting the rights Of Americans
ia take guano from Alto Velo, and the depart
ment answered that two parties of Americans
had claimed the island as discoveries and that
st Domingo had asserted a title and elected the
claimants. Pending the consideration of the mat
Ter, the department declined giving any encour-
agement to Americans to resort there for guano
without first obtaining the consent of St. Domin-
go. Alto Velo dropped out of notice again until
January, 1867, when Mr.. J. w. Shaffer of Ill
inois who signs himself as attorney. and Messrs
Us. Black and Ward TT. Lamon, who sign them.
selves 'of counsel representing Patterson L. MUIR
guiendo filed paper in the State Department
renewing the claim Tor damages and for rostora-
ton OF the island. The State Department re.
ferred the case to the proper officer for examina
tion, who reported that tho claim of the Domin
lean Government TO the island was clear and un
questionable. He traced its recorded history
from the q; .oovery and found that in all the pc.
liticsl and geographical definitions of the boun.
diaries and divisions OF the mainl and Alto Velo
had been invariably assigned to that portion of
the mainland now included within the Domin.
lean Republic. 1t was an integral part of the
country. The rule of law applicable to the case,
as laid down by Lord Stowell, was that an island
whose occupancy by foreign power would be
inconVenient or dangerous to the government
having jurisdiction Of tho contiguous mainland,
must be held to belong to the mainland, whether
actually occupied or not.
This report was made in June 1867 In July.
Mr.. Black had managed to work the small dam.
ages claimed 10y Patterson & Murguieudo, of
S23,OO0, up to nearly two millions of dollars
lie addressed a furious letter to the President
demanding that naval force be sent to Alto
feIo to put his clients in possession. Black was
allowed to make an elaborate argument, and the
case was ree1amined by the Department
IN the meantime new light appeared on the
case From some caususl reference in the news
papers to Jerry Blacks gigantic claim, Messrs
Thomas Il. Webster " Co., of New York, in Sep.
tember, 1867, informed the Department that az
long ago as April, 1866, they had purchased
frem the Dominican Government the right to
take eu8Ro from the Island OF Alto Velo, and
Chat they had expended large sums of money and
were in regular receipt of cargees from the is
land. Thus it appears that the island is, and ha:
bseA for years, in the possession and occupancy
ot American citizens. Mr.. Seward made report
OF these additional facts, affirming the previous
judgment OF the Department, and calling the at
tentlon OF the President to the fact that Black
clients and the present occupants Of the island
oeing American citizens the remedy for any in
Jury sustained by either should besought by legal
proceedings il the United States Courts Those
courts had full jurisdiction of the matter, and il
was no part Of the Executive duty to interfere
BLACK appealed from this decision of Secretar,
seward made in January, 1853. lie addressed
ms arguments in language of the most vehemen,
character He demanded that the navy be i'm
nealateiy employed to put his clients in posses
ION and to oust everybody else. He denounced
Mr. Seward personally in the most naecoreu
language.
=, letter dated March 9, was signed by Messrs
ba'er' Logan and Stevens, Managers Of the i'm
parchment, requesting the President to send tn,
Fes.el OF war as requested by Black This extra
ordinary letter, bearing date two weeks aftsrim
parchment, was read to the Senate nv .ba pcs
1dents counsel, Mr.. Nelson Mr. Butler dcn;ai
the accuracy OF its date, alleging that it WA
signed before the impeachment took place. Th