New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-19

rulers upon the intelligent and enforced consent
the people, very few foreign governments would
on that score, be entitled to recognition. we
have, therefore, adopted the principle Of looking 70
the fact Of possession, without at all gong oenino
that possession to inquire how it was obtained.
When the Nicarasuan Government de faeto, estao-
lisbed in the name of Rivas, but really that oil
Walker. frat sent Minister to this country, had
President Pierce then received that Minister ana
recognized him and his Government, as matter OF
course it might have been urged with good deal
of plsusibiity that he had but acted in accordance
with the established policy Of the country. But it
is quite too late, after having rejected French and
thereby repudiated his Government to set up that
plea ss an excuse for now recognizing that Gov
eminent BY the reception of Mr. Viii. Why was
French rejectedl 1t is said that bis antecedents
before entering into the Ncarsguan service were
not savory; that his character was bad; that he
was rufian ard q rowdy; that he had not only
swindled individuals, but had also cheated the
United States. But our Government, as il con-
scious of the inconsistency Of rejecting on such
grounds an Envoy from foreign State, when 1t
had in its own employ, both at home and abroad,
90 many persons quite obnoxious perhaps as this
French to the same sort of imputations, brought
forward no such objections. 1t did not object to
the Envoy; it objected to those who sent him; and
those objections, spite Of the Presidents attempts
in his late Message to whitewash Walker, not only
remain in az full force as ever, but in the interval
between the rejection of French and the reception
of Will, their weight has been vastly Increased.
The real reason of the hesitation to recognize the
Walker. Rivss Administration of Nicaragua was
th;s-howeyer this case might seem to come within
the letter. it evidently did not come within the in-
tent and spirit of the rule as to the recognition OF
de facto Governments. The cases contemplatedby
that rule were either, that Of an internal struggle
between two domestic factions for the possession of
a Government and the triumph OF one OF them, or
the case of war between two nations and the con-
quest and occupation Of the territories OF one OF
those nations by the other. But here was third
and entirely anomalous case. Walker and the band
of Adventures who followed him were not native
Nicarsgusn faction, did they represent any such
faction. The pame of Rivas affixed to proclama-
tons everybody understood to be a mere farce.
Riyas and the domestic Nicarsguan faction, with
which he had once been connected, had both ceased
to have any political existence. Rivas was mere
tool in Walkers hands, As to the two factions OF
Chamorro and Castillon both had alike disappeared
from the scene. Neither possessed any political
power, nor any control whatever over Walker.
French represented no party of native Nicaraguans
He represented Walker and his army. and nobody
elpe-and the same s the case with his successor
Will, Just recognized by Mr.. Pierce.
But if Walker had no title Of domestic origin,
still less could he claim to have acted as the mill
tary commander of foreign nation, who, In the
prosecution of lawful war, had invaded and con-
quered Nicaragua, and had thus made himself ruler
de facto. Walker had no authority from any Gov
eminent to invade Nicaragua or to array himself in
arms for any purpose. He was no general no SOL
der, but robber-the head Of band OF robbers,
who, having tried his hand at land piracy with no
great success on the coast Of Mexico, had finally
been tempted, by the weak and divided state of
Nicaragua, to pounce upon that country. Having
induced the Ncaraguans to receive him into the
house in the character of hired servant, he had
tbrottled his credulous employers, and had taken
possession of the country for his own use and
benefit, and for the use and benefit of those whom
he had already admitted or might have occasion
afterward to admit into this partnership of plumber.
Now, had Walker and those concerned with him in
this piece Ofrobbery been entire strangersto us-had
they been French or English-had they derived
their whole means from those countries, and had
they looked exclusively to those countries for men
and money to enable them TO maintain their con-
quest, possibly in that case Walker might have
claimed to have been regarded foreign conquer
or, who being in actual possession of the Govern
ment Of Nicaragua, we were bound TO recognize as
as its ruler. But unfortunately, such are not tho
facts. This late vagabond plunderer, now claiming
to be ruler of Nicaragua, was citizen of the
United States. All his companions were citizens
of the United States, or at least had been picked
up in this country. All the supplies for sustaining
him and bis army except those robbed from Nicar.
aguans or foreign merchants resident in that coun-
try, have been and still are furnished from the
United States by parties resident here, and cooper
ators in this scheme of plumber. The whole
expedition, from its beginning down to the
pref emit time, was fitted out, has been recruited
and ia at this moment sustained, and expects TO be
hereafter sustained by the open violation or under
hand evasion of our neutrality laws. Does such
an enterprise as this unlawful in it's inception, and
thus sustained by reiterated violations from day to
dsy of our laws, acquire by any six months success
or appearance of success, . clam to be regarded
and recognized by us as lawful Government
Can IL be possible that those who, by the act OF