Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-09-02
8di 1EASTAANVILLE,l lAfICHIGAN: bad
WEDNESDAY, EVENING, SEPT TEMBER 2, 1857


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Kinston, N. G. american Advotate. 1t may,
perhaps, present'a different view of the char
acter Of Walker as man and general,
from that given BY general newspaper articles
which we consider as more abusive than
truthful. The following We believe to be
candid: r sdi ~ .0oToi a93 ad bEG
General Walker is not my beau ideal of
military chieftain, yet | will do him the JUS
tice to say, that with the materials he had at
his command, he accomplished more, in my
humble opinion, than any, other living man
could have done. do not believe that any
other man could have kept together so long,
an army composed of such discordant mate
rials That he committed some gross errors
l will not attempt to deny. What great
man that has not committed some errors
His first error was in attempting to harmo-
nize the two contending parties in Nicaragua
by dividing the offices of state between them.
BY this he lessened the confidence and res
pect of the democratic party, without concil-
iating the legitimists. They only acquiesced
in the peace arrangement in order to gain
time to cohsummate Walkers overthrow.---
The democrats submitted lest Walker should
join the opposite party. a'e i asa2
The legitimists remained in office, until
their conspiracy was discovered, and the dem
ocrats began gradually to withdraw their ad-
berence, when one of their leading men was
removed from office and alegitimist appointed
to his place. This was an error of judgment
on the part of Walker, owing to true
knowledge of the people with whom he had
to deal. Had he excluded the legitimists
from Office, and placed the democrats in
power, stipulating for the protection of the
lives and property of the conquered, general
Walker would not now be in the United
States, deposed president, eol de 5la
The second error was in not executing all
who were implicated in the conspiracy against
him. The democrats of the country censure
him for allowing them to leave the country.
To this they attribute the alliance of other
states. But, had Walker executed these
conspirators, the civilized world would have
pronounced him an inhuman murderer. .siau
Another very serious error committed by
Gen. Walker was the sending of an armed
force into territory claimed by Costa Rica.-
This alarmed the other states, and caused
them the more readily to form an alliance.
They became alarmed for their own safety,
and preferred meeting Walker in Nicaragua
rather than on their own territory. Had it
not been for this, l verify believe the other
states would have acknowledged him as the
president of Nicaragua. T. 80 go ',. In, Ill.,
So far as the great mass of people Of Mic
aragua was concerned, honestly believe that
they were anxious that Gen. Walker should
succeed in establishing his government, and
l am satisfied that they are SO disposed, even
now. And if he could have commanded the
means for their payment and support, he
might have had a large native force. But
this he could not do, neither had he a force
sufficient to afford protection to those who
adhered to his cause. This being the case,
his native friends were under the necessity Of
leaving their houses and fleeing to the noun
tains or be forced into the ranks of the. op-
position. And / am confident that if Gen.
Walker returns with force of two or three
thousand, the natives will flock around his
standard by thousands so soon as he lands
upon their shore. That he will return, Ihave
not doubt. The American people have
wiled it, and they are not to be driven from
their position by the freedom, shrieking press
Of the north, or the influence Of wealthy
few of this city. ... -,
But general Walkers failure to establish
a republican government is not wholly attrib-,
utable to these errors. He could have over
come all these, had Vanderbilt not engagde
the Costa Ricans to seize the boats and
steamers on San Juan river and lake Nicara-
qua, and bad not thessteamers between San
Juan del Sur and San Francisco ceased to
bring troops. Here was the true cause of
general Walkers being reduced to the ne
cessity of surrendering. Another cause was
the determination Of Capt. Davis, of the
sloop-of-war st, Mary's, to seize Walkers
schooner, in case itrbecame necessary for him
TO evacuate Rivas. Had Gen. Walker been
assured that no succor could reach him from,
the San Juan river, and that the California,
steamers would draw off from San Juan del
Sur, he would never have been reduced 30
the necessity of surrenderiDg; for he hadrs
force with which he could have marched
wherever he pleased. Il vapdsh---.auol
But he was detained in Rivas by the hope
that he would receive sufficient force to ela-,
bic him to meet the allied powers and defeat