The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-09-25
Gen. William Walker---slavery in NIoara-
qua.

Gen. walker Inns recently addressed lctter
TO Charles J. Jenkins, Esq, Of Augusta On.
concerning the re-introduction Of Slavery into
Central America, and in just feation of his
course in nnuulliny the dccrccs Of the Federal
Constituent Assembly. lie explains the
motives which led to that measure and aiverts
to certain combinations Of the Spanish
American Rcpnbcs, with view to limiting
the extension of negro Slavery on this conti-
ncnt.
lie denies that he aud his comrades, cmiyrn-
ted TO Nicaragua for the purpose Of establishing
Slavery in lis territory; but that i. was only
after residence of fifteen months in the State
after n,tcn,ivcly observing the soil, character
and the products Of the country, the chnract er
of the inhabitants, and the social mud = ,litcal
organization. that he determined to revoke
the Act. nbolishing Slavery.
lie thinks, tint whilst negro slavery on this
continent had its origin in spirit of bcncvo
lcncc and philanthropy, its history here illus.
irutcs the wisdo III and benevolcncc of the pol.
cy which WAS inauyurated by Las C:sas :;
that its abolition has convulscd all Spanish
America, aud is { nst converting Jamaica into
Wilderness; AMI that u comparison Of the ne
gro in Africa, with what he is in the United
States shows the advantage OF Western slavery
lie thinks that The re.introduction Of slavery
int" Central America, constitutes the most ct
irctunl means Of enabling the White race to
establish itself permanently in that country,
and that II consciousness of this fact is now
calling the mixed races of Spanish America to
combine for the purpose Of excluding Slvcrv
f"rcvcl, from the territories now ouccupicd by
them.
In the conclusion of his letter Gen. Walker
thus urges the Importance of his cause to the
people aud Institutions of the South:
''lnlcrcndent, then, Of the Importance 10
! the Whole United States, and to civilization
generally. of Amcrcanis,n in Nicaragua, can
not but regard our Success rs OF more immcdI.
ate anil vital consequence t" the people of the
sru,hcrn States. 1t involves tic uucstio ion
VIII, llcr you will pcrini, yourselves t" hc hem
! mc'l in on the South rs YOU already on the
| North an Wrst--whrihcr You will remain
| quiet nrl idle while impossible barriers are
! being lut the only side left open for your
/ supcIabnndunt energy and enterprise. If the
: South is dcs;rons of initiating the gloomy gran
! .lrur Of the Escl line lrnrmcihcus. she has bnt
! To lie suIiuc little while longer, and Force
| Power will bind her to The rock, and the vu-
| tnrc will descend to tear the liver from her
body. In her agony and grief she may con
! Sole hcrsrf with the idea that she suffers IL will
! ling .criice.
1t is not often that men nre permit cd to en-
! pend their energies in behalf Of n cause whicl,
! embraces the welfare of other nations and of
civilization generally, well the interest of
| their nntivr country. But the Americans who
! engage with their means and their energies in
the reclamation Of Nicaragua can, ] verify
. believe, console themselves with the IDEA that
| they are hcnctiting the people of that land ms
! we'll nS their own. More than this: they NAV
have the gratifying assurance that they are
! red.eming from barbarisin one of the tuircst
! countries Of the earth and comforting on /.
mrrce great highway FOR the trade of the
! world.
| H. is only III III considerations aud reflections
! IA these which console us for much Of the
| c"n.ure passed on us l,v the people of portion
of the United States amd of Europe. But SIT
Isle! -! the ilsiic" anI grandeur Of the calls"
III which We arc engaged. We can well afford
to work on in spite of til: fnlschood and abuse
| h"arc'l Oh us by a c"rrup, nil vcnal press.
! Living, ever in the Great Tuskmnster's Eve "
! our motives and conduct nre to he Judged l.y
oi,c less fab!c than man AMI with all humili.
~ We abide the Judgment Of Him who cannot
err.
The Letter Of Gen. Walker has elected n
reilly from Mr.. Jenkins, in which he iisavows
any concurrence, in the views expressed in the
letter, and expresses surprise that Gen Walk.
! cr, should under the circumstances and without
his consent have connected his name with the
letter in question. The reply thus concludes
"On reading the letter uttcntivcly, pcrcciv-
cd it was not snch IL communication rs Ind
reason to expect. The following conclusions
ito which nothing III our conversation pointed
seemed to me very clear. viz: that the first and
| Inst scnte were calculated to make the i'm.
preston that we had cont fcrrcl freely upon the
merits of his Central American enterprise, and
were nurccd-(lhc correct i,lens concerning
matters in Central America which he hoped
| wonld endcnvor to spread. WILL of course. be
undrrstood to mean his i,l.ns; and his hope of
effort Oh my pnrt 10 spread them, will bc I'm.
| dcrstood 10 rest upon my avowed concurrence
| in thcm.) That the most effective prevention
Of the evils foreshnslowcl, is the project of
/ Amcricanizng-in olhcr words, Of con1uering
Central America lnstly that as nncilary to
the introduction of slavery into that country
the African slave trade should be received. l
Mt once resolved That my name should not 90
to the public in connection will, that letter ;
and little more reflection brought me to the
conclusion that ought not to be, in nny way,
instrumental in giving them publicity. Being
obliged to leave home at very early hour. on
Monday morning, to be absent, rs l then
thought Tor one, perhaps two weeks, ! deter
| mined to take the letter with me- md return it,,
| with n courteous statement Of my reasons for
$" doing, from the place 10 which was going.
| NS'a' pihSs hc"SNC't very uHeNIeCtco!NS tHc
day following, this WINS not done. Judge of
my surprise then, on finding yesterday evening,
that the letter in print had followed so closely
on the heels of its manuscript predecessor-that
Gen. Walker had denied to me the privilege.
expressly reserved. Of determining whether or
not my name should appear in print, in connec-
ton with that letter.
He has driven me to the alternative of sub
mitting 10 inevitable misconstruction, or of
making unfavorable comments upon a letter
addressed to myself 1choosc the latter. de-.
clariug uuequivocally: First, that wholly dis
approved Gen. Wm Walkers contemplated
invasion and conquest Of Nicaragua Secondly.
that the proposed revival Of tho Africnn slave
trade 10 abhorrent to me. I will add that Gen.
walker has taken n very unwarrntnble liberty
with me--a liberty inconsistent with the sense
OF proPriety which should regulate intercourse
between strangers-a liberty expressly inter
deted by my plain declaration. that 'its pub.
iication as o letter addressed to me, must depend
| upon nv conc currerce in his yiews" Very re.