Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-07
Gen, walker 10 the PresidenL

MIA 10 Nicaragua, the erents which followed
nv presence in Central America and the VI
lust and illegal acts by which | was forced
for n tine TO abandon ny adopted country
In that letter ! stated facts which dev my
enemies to contrOgert; and then hoped your
ExcelIeucy would take steps for the punish
ment of rhe greyous offences against mght
Justice, and public law, committed by United
States officers in the seizure OF a Nicaragua
vessel in a Nlcaraguan port. Commander
Davis. has, however, gone unrebuEed, 50 lar
AS am informed, for his gross vlJ!ati n OF
international law and Of the Constitution Of
the United States And it grieyes me to say
that | am again obliged to approach you with
q complaint again-t another aud yet higher
cfiieer of the United States Navy.
In approaching you as SupPiicart Tor
Justice. Eu0w that it is necessary lJr me 10
remove erroneous impressions which have
been made 90 your mind concerning my con
duct 10 connection with NIraTaguau affairs.
Corrupt and malignant persons have suf-
rounded Your ExCellency, aud poured into
your ears false stories concerning events 10
Central America. And now to you, the
President Of the United States, | directly
: ?
that -FOUR officers of the Navy, not OILY by
irresponsible statements through the press,
but also in Official communications, have
misstated facts and falsiiad events. Feeling
aud believing as Do that you would cot VII
lingly wrong any individual, no matter bow
humble, | am satisfied that the summary
Judgment you pass on my conduct IN your
Annual Message = Congress is the result oi
incorrect information; and | trust and conf
deutly expect that when the tru b is placed
before you, your judgment will acquit me OF
the grave charges brought against me.
Permit me then, if you please, before |
proceed to call your attention to the conGuc:
Of Commodore P4uidlDg, to deny most un-
equiyocally that have ever been engaged at
any time or in any manner with any unLaw-
/ ful expedition against Nicaragua. In y"ur
message to Congress you seem TO imply taar
my fret departure from San Francisco was
( illegal; for you say, when II was first rem
dered probable that an attempt would be
made 70 get up another uniawtll expedition
against Nicaragua" With all Difference
be- leave to repeat what / said in previous
letter, and to again inform you that | left
/ San Francisco in May, 1850, with the sane
ton and approval OF the Federal officers Of
the port aud that the captain Of the revenue
cutter sent his sailors to bend the sails which
carried me from California to Central Aner-
ia. Allow me also 10 suggest that the Coz
crnmeut o! tle United States recognised and
. leg Used the immediate results OF tue emf
grafton from California IN the reception q
Padre Vigil as Minister from the Republic
o. Nicaragua.
Not only vas tho FIST expedition, q ~ has
/ beea called, 10 Nicaragua entirely lawful in
7 Its origin, Lur al its gqucnccs were mark
( oi bv STRIFE. odLrrnnca In law ard Justice -
S,r,o L,v. fold Won kpow that lam q man
..,rithnrt fsi,h ,rd ,yiihout nnarcy.u bp, from,
/ -he beoinciur H. the cad If INV career IN Me.
,-.,,," cLoiIor,., tho ,c,rId ~ nrodrcr a
Ill, r;,I,,i,, n ,ullio fat,r a sinplo DC
ri.,.on rra,, ne oreat rr;a,iulcs Of ruh.i:
ri,i, and ounlic Justice. % the contrary,
tho Americans 10 Nicaragua have always
maintained the faith anI honor Of their race.
/ ~ fh,. ,riH.f of Gtlseh3Ud and lrcaCherv 90
,ba ror, ,f thar enemies in the face Of
c,rn,Inss hrs,s arraycd AGAINST them, no less
,bo, IN rho rrespnce of E,miu. and of rc.ti
Iarno nrc,nAuc, in the n,;l.r of trials
and If dappers IS sufficient answer h the
anithets which have been hurled against Us,
,n3 wLao rho r,ssions and tho rrriudjces Of
The present have died away we calmly await
the Indictment If pgSterity on our conduct.
But an offer Of the United States navy
forced rs 10 become cxi,es from Nicaragua:
and let me remind You Of the fact that from
the moment We touched our natal soil We
protested against the illegalil7 and injustice
OF the act, and declared our intention 20 re-
torn 10 the land whence we had been wrong
tuIly hrouclt. Every where, before the fuuc-
tionrrjes OF the Government, 10 the presence
If assembled nultJudes Of tho sovereign
people, we declared that no effort should be
unused 10 order to regain the rights wrested
from US By fraud and IllcgGhty. ID you Sul-
pose that il we bad been conscious OF any Vi
olaton If lax We would thus have proclaim
ell our objects ard lntentllus! Is It the habit
of offenders against public right, or Of cor
sriraturs against public justice, to herald
their acts Gu the corners Of the streets ami
publish thc.r wrong-iolngs in the maTEct-
place? Would We have violated the public
conscience OF this nation By c.ihng on the
people to disregard their own enacted sta
ute? No, Mr.. President; let all your di.-
trict attorneys exhaust their enerEy and their
ingenuity; let them attempt 70 "rest the
law To purposes for which It never was lnlen'
ded, they cannot make good the charges winch
have been made against ". Once the Dis
t~i. Attorney Of the Unit ID States attrMU'.