Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1858-01-12

oetan or capture an American vessel whose papers
showed she was engaged in lawful voyage.
Satisfied as we were of the entire legality of our
voyage, we did not hesitate to enter the port of
Ssn Juan de Nicaragua, although we knew that
United States soop-of-war present in the har-
Dor. But we had scarcely landed before
SUBJECTED to series of Illegal and insulting acts
oy the commander Of the Saratoga. These acts
nave been detailed in two letters addressed by me
10 commodore Psvling and now on file, / pre-
sumo, in the Navy Department
me we were being embarrassed by the action
OF the saratoga we had not been idle. Col. An1er-
son."ho had served his native country through
GUY the Mexican war-at the head of 6ftv men. bad
"eoenufn tne river and gained possession of the
strooc hold which in the last century had for DAYS
oened the genius of the proudest naval name in
British annals. Not only this but he had regain.
60 possession of valuable American property un =.
aNlui,y held by Costa Rican soldiers. and I had
gwen the order to restore it to the agent claiin
IL Tor the owners. Permit me TO ask whether it il
such acts as these which authorize your naval of
ncers 10 apply to the vest epithets of the Ian
guage?
Scarcely, however, had the possession of Csstil-
10 Piejo opened to us the way to Lake Nicaragua.
al 10 the regsining of all we had lost by Capt
Da'iS's interference, than a most grevious wrong
was az IN inflicted on US by Commodore Paulding.
on the Sth OF December the latter officer sum-
moned me to surrender Co him. and the Nc ara guam
nag was second time hauled down on Ncaraguan
soil by the orders of the United States Navy.
ltwoud he supererogatory sir, 70: me to say. that
the act OF Capt. Paulding was without warrant of
law. Much, too, we felt the wrong, it was not
the act itself as much as the manner in which it
was done that cut to the quick. We knew that
the act was in violation of the sacred charter-the
Constitution Of the United States. We knew that
an authority higher than that of any Commodore
higher even than the President of the United
States-would vindicate the sanity Of violated law,
aud punish the offenders against the American
Constitution. We felt, too, that the august and
mos potent sovereign-the people of the United
States-would render Justice for the injuri' We
sustained. But far grievous than the surren-
der-far more CALLING than to see our own d az low
cred on our own soii-was it TO be told that we
were there to the dishonor of the United States.
There were men on that s,ndy beach, Mr.. Presi
dent, who had carried your flag aloft amidst the
thckest of the foe, and one had been promoted by
predecessor in your Office for first planting your
colors upon the heights of Cerro Gordo. Others
among them had led your soldiers across the CONT
nent, and always in the path of duty and OF honor.
For such men to be told that they disgraced the
fag they once ha serv. so nob.y and so well was
a pang sharper than that of death. and might nav
wrung tear from men harder and more callous
than he who inflicted the ire parable injury.
need not tell you that was IN BILE to antlci
pate the act OF Capt. Paulding Military necessity
required me to hold Punta Arenas, and the idea
n yer entered my mind that an American ofhcer,
profe sSinT to execute the law would so lar forget
his duty infringe not only well Established in-
ternational law, but also the requirements OF that
instrument with which involved the best hopes
of mankind, the Constitution of the United States.
Even could have foreseen the action OF Capt.
Pauidng, military reasons would have prevented
me from leaving the Point. But it was impossible
to imagine that so violent step-marked a. 1t was
in its details by conduct worthy OF soldiers in the
sack OF a town-would have been taken hy an
officer of the United States navy. And, Mr. Presi-
dent, in the name of the offci ii oath which you
I hov, e II Iaan
upon you to punish the offender and to right the
wrong. j presume not to direct your wisdom in
the course it shall pursue; but in the name OF the
men whose rights your officers have infringed aud
whose honor has been most harshly and heeclessly
trampled in the DUST call for the justice it is your
high prerogative to bestow.
But permit me to conclude by adding that, in all
events and under all circumstances there duties
and responsibilities from which l aud the officers
and men represent will not, dare not shrink. No
extreme of illegal interference, amount of hard
words or unjust epithets deter US from follow
ing the path which is before The functonaries
of the Government may exh Just upon us the ex-
pletives OF the language; they may insult the puo-
lie conscience and degrade their own character by
applying to all the epithets their morbid imagin-
atoms suggest hut, scious OF the right and
tice OF our cause, shall not relax efforts, nor
be driven into violation of the law. As long as
there is Central American exlrd from his native
land, and deprived of his property and civil rights
Tor the services he rendered u.s. III evil as well as
good report so long shall time and our eHer-
gies be devoted to the work of their restoration.
AS long as the bones of our companions in arms,
murdered under a barbarous decree of the Costa
Rican Government, lie bleaching and uuburied on
the hisides OF Nicaragua, so long shall brains
coDtrive aud our hands labor for the Justice which
one Gay we will surely obtain. Permit your officers,
II you can, to trample under foot the constitution
and the laws pass unnoiced, If you will, the most
violent invasious of individual rights and public
duties; treat with scorn and contempt if you choose
the demands for justice which humbly and de-
ferentiay place at your feet, we will not be cast
down or dismayed. We fight for the rights of our
race which have been denied US by an ungrateful
and degraded aristocracy. Westrive to retain I'M
suhed the device some Of our ancestors have borne
on many fell, 'none shall wound with i'm
purity" And as long our faith in right endures,
aud our confidence in the God OF our fathers
mains mistaken, SO long shall all just and
proper means to regain what has been wrongfully
wrested from Us.
have the honor to remain, with high respect,
your obedient servant, WIN. WALKER.
To his Excelency the President of the United
States.