Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-07-03
Correspondence of the Richmond Enquirer.
From Washington City.
The HO1 Cfo~., Eo.o Hill.

10 the Editors Of the Enquirer
GENTLEnEN-Washington was visited Yesterday
with such storm is but rarely seen in this lati
inde. heavy fall of rain. accompanied by rapid
nashcs OF lghtnlI e. ted into terrific
shower of hail. For nearly twenty minutes this
bl n ing shower continued with unabated force -
be hail stones were of the average size of large
walnuts, though many of them would have weighed
as much as six or eight ounces Thousands of win,
dows were broken; gardens completely ruined :;
the largest limbs cut off from the trees, and the
streets were carpeted with leaves. 1t is estimated
that one hunIred thousand dollars would not COM
Pensate for the loss sustained in Washington and The
vacinty.
The past week has been a dearth of news. The
discontented ones instead of bamin the adminstra-
hon which will not act have been quizzng the comet,
which did not come. But, if we have not bad The
comet, we have had parsonage no less conspicuous
the returned chief OF Nicaragua
During the stay Of Gen. VIM Walker in this city,
we, 'nfeced with the mania for sightseeing, Were
among the first to call upon him. Picture to your
selves short compact man, with figure squarey
and firmly built, with muscles almost starring out
from the skin. with deep but wavering eye, and
face, so Drowned by the kisses of a Southern sun,
that its original complexion can scarcely be distn.
guished, and you have full correct, and unmis-
takeable daguerreOtype of Walker. His phQsiqne is
an admirable index of his morale; it impresses one
with an idea of efficiency, rather than CT persever.
ance of energy, rather than of the more lasting
qualities.
He was not received with any very immense en-.
thusasm. His apartments at Browns were, of
course, rendezvous for many warm friends; but
there was no public reception no ho1 orng serenade
no welcoming Grafton. In other cles he has been
met with fatterlug demonstrations; but the heart of
the Metropolis was cold. He held no official COM
municaton with the General Government, unless
letter, intended for newspaper circulation, nomnally
addressed 10 Mr.. Buchanan, may be termed official
If he came among US to lay his case before the ad
ministration, he has left his object unaccompshed
We found him full of hope. He spoke cbeerfuy
OF the future, and traced 10 foreign interference the
failures of the past. He said that history would
avenge him, and that the darkest page in the re.
ord of this century would tell that the government
of the United States stood tamely by, while The secret
influence of France and England were crushing out
American enterprise on Ncaraguan soil"
We could but admire the man, so crushed, vet
clinging so desperately to the last chance
What will this giant, this conqueror Of the impos.
sib'e, this Anaus, gaining fresh strength from every
defeat attempt now !? He says that he will return,
and that " from The burning houses of Punta Arenas,
he will look forth upon vanqushed Costa Rica" A
few months will solve that problem. We have heard
too much of that kind of thing to believe without the
evidence.
Should he succeed in arousing the popular fury,
for even a brief time, his project is far from mprob
able. few hundred Americans in Nicaragua ha, e
Walker expresses his doubts of the present admins
lraon, yet he dec his intention to die, if need
be. in the service of the cause.
Wond 10 G,d that he had died before he covered
the glory of his t'iumphs with the ignominy of de.
defeat Napoleon at St. Helena, and Walker al
Washington, are only differen, in degree; in kind
they are the same objects of pity.
When hllIbuster goes forth to win a country
whether from motives of private ambition or of pub
lie good he must succeed perish He isolates him
self from all ties OF nativity he claim the pro-
lection of no fostering governments he is his own
MONARCH and he should be his own fate. William
Walker, dead beneath the ruins of San Juan del Sur
would have lett his memory as monument of Amer.
ican valor, and his name ra!lying cry for Amer.
! ican progress Nm Wa ker alive amongst u.s. can
claim higher place than kossuth, the beggar, and
Koszta, the refugee. We TO worship the myth
when beg in to criticse the nan.
| We have always sustained the course Of Walker
up to the last cowning act of his career, were
willing 10 believe that be was formed upon the Ce
| sarian model. But we remember now that Caesar
did not recross the Rubicon.
The agony is over; our eyes are no longer dazzled
by the light of rapid victories and we may calmly
and dispassionatey consider the subject, of which
this man is creation. Do such expeditions answer
good and just purpose' They are, to be sure steps
in the proper direction but they are steps made in
the dark, upon slippery and unknown road. He
who falls is a stumbling block to those who may come
after him. Crabbe, in Mexico, has done more towards
breaking the prestige OF the American name, than all
our failures of arms or diplomacy in that region
| He. too, instead of dying with arms in his hands
endered his followers 10 cruel and barbarous
enemy.
The great enI-t!e bringing into this Union OF
Cuba, Mexico and Central Ameriea-is farther than
ever from lis accomplishment. This result alone
will show how han useless, in national point
of view, have been the efforts of the flibusers.-
All This territory must necessarily be ours, whether
by conquest by treaties, or by purchase; and fill
| clustering, unless it aitans this end more quick y
than might be expected in the natural course Of
things, is, instead of being impetus to our pro
gress, positive drag upon ii. Bui, if these advcn
urtTs sick only their private emolument-if in
their expeditions, tn ey wish only open fresh chan
ncls, through which the bad blood of The nation may
run tiot-the are they entirely unworthy of thai
public attention, which they fully engross. Then
indeed, dc they deserve that treatment. which is me
ted out to dsloyal citizens who stand in the way
their country's interests
AS 10 the iuture of Walker, will not attemp
a prophecy. He has done so much, and little
thai he eannot be measured ty any known sandard
AS heroes a-days he has in him many of tht
elements of hero We know that he has met witt
many unforeseen difficulties but men, who set fortf
upon caIeer like his, must expect such difficulties
and be prepared for them 1t Is useless for him tt
complain now his bravery IN the past demands, i
least, fotitude in the present. Should he return II
Ncaragua-should he Americanlze that country, ant
fit it TO associate with American States-then, indeed
may he stand before poserity patriot. As yet
We have been compelled to take his motives on credit
let him not endeavor TO renew the bond, unless b
intends 10 pay it with ultimate triumph
Yours, X.
SANTA ANNA's LEG.-It is stated that a firm O
celebrated manufacturers of artificial legs in Boston
have just received the leg belonging TO Santa Anna
captured at the battle of Cerro GordO The firm ar