Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-05-29
WILLIAM wALKER-HIS HERoIsM, HI

MlSFORTUNES AND HIS FAILURE.
rhsra are fsw usmes in the annals Of adventure,
that elicit greater admiration, or excite stronger emo
,;ops Of amazement at deeds of daring, enterprise
and confidence, than that of William Walker. En-.
,er;ug Nicaragua with handful Of followers, he un-
furled the flag of rational liberty, and pointed out
with bis sword the pathway of progress and prospe
~ TO that people. With bis brave band of adventu'
rous heroes in foreign land under the adversely Of
disease. incident to the climate, and with no nation
a, home to cheer him on, he held his ground against
IN enemy inplacsble, numerous and achVe IN their
operations against him, with philosophlc forhtuoe
ina, brings to mind Massena at the siege OF Gsnca'
ID won battles which placed upon the page of hsto
~ unshaded by that of the tilbuster, which
the convenon.lsies OF nations attach to him, would
enti,s him to higher rank as man OF martial aolll
" thaa some who have been made Immortal by
achievements les, brilliant, but because they were
performed in their oountrys cause, or were trophies
in the train of the riumpha car OF conqueror In
stead of laures whitening under the touch OF mis-
fortune and failure Central America. with its rich
resources aud its dapidaed republics, IA its States
ara called, offers an inviting field to the enterprise
and ,snius of such men Walker aud those who
ware with him. And although the aid OF our gov
ernment would, Of course, have been consistent nei
ther with our national policy nor the conservative
character of our institutions it is to be regretted that
Nicaragua, and all that interesting portion of the
American continent, have been deprived Of the ad-
van,sses which would have accrued to them from an
Infusion of the elements of genuine constitutional lib
er,y into their decayed social and political systems
the Southern section of this confederacy would
Liz of
Our institution. IN that direction, to which they are
pointed by the finger of fate.
While the teegraphic dispatch, which we publish
ed yesterday announcing the capitulation of General
Walker to Capt. Davis, of the United States sloop-o.
war ST. Mays, the Let of May, and the arrival Of
him and his staff at New Orleans, is the sad finale Of
IN enterprise which, at time was promised with
aacosss it is far better than, from last accounts, we
h.i reason 10 expect would DO the fate Of him. whose
altar has aterua.ed from sunshine to shadow, until at
last has sunk to its nadir leaving nothing behind to
race its but heroic dCads isspent, and hard
ships endured in vain. Had he succeeded, the world
would have called him bsnefactor. But he has
called and except, perhaps from few, he will e.
cape censure only when ne passes without observa
,ion" That William Walker is no ordinary man
that he is as ambitious Alexander and brave at
Sr.on-that he u.s. witha strong in intellect as he is
stout in heart, bis career in Nicaragua atess to the
satisfaction of the most preudiced Of his enemies.
Ba; in his invasion Of Nicaragua he seems to have
struck before the iron hot, in undertaking al
enterprise which was in itself not sustained by the
sympathy OF those who would have been benefited
by its results
Ii has been but few days since The rumor reached
a. that Col. Crabb, recently member Of the Cali
forra Legislature and candidate for the United
States Senate, WAS captured and shot, together
with his followers, in his invasion Of Sonora. These
two tragic tales of truth, point moral, from which
the adventurous youth of our Country may lesrr
a lesson. Filpuster"s is full of interest and no
nance to thcse who view it through the medium
OF newspaper reports. But, in Cuba in Sonora, ant
in Nicaragua. it has so far proved bad business
those engaged 10 it. Had Walker been successful il
his enterprise, Central America and the Unite,
States would both have been benefited. But he ha
been driven to capuation at last, and lives have beer
los hardships endured and tens Of thousands ot dol
lars expended in vsn unless, Indeed others profit b,
his experience.