The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-30
THE WASHINGTON UNION.

quarters, either discerning the respass committed un-
prepared for comprehensive execution of their
ders declined the American papers us 10 rec
ognise the caption. All this charming to the illl-
buster and his friends who have accordingly ..riz
their antagonists TO such excellent purpose that the
last adyices inform US, Walker demands to be- carried
back to the sthmus In national vessel and 10 have his
flag saued by the guns OF the said ship after he has been
rensated in his quarters shore As for poor Commo-
dore Paulding he is ordered home TO take his trial by
court-martial.
These results constitute il will be owned pretty par
ticular fix and though might find a
way out of the difficulty II may not be easy for law to
do the Commodore Paulding, in arrestng Walker,
has done exactly what he ordered to do and after
the very fashion most desirable in far he has utterly
nulliod the expedition, and avoided all boodsIcd to
boot Without firing gun, he has brought Walker from
Nicaragua, and vet him down in the streets of Washing
ton Unfortunately, in doing this he himself commit
ted though with all good intent the offence with which
Walker chargeable II will naturally occur to every
reader that this offence, after ALL against the Mica
rauan rather than the American government that the
work of complaint devolves upon the former power and
that under the circumstances, might be expected to
view the trespass with considerable indulgence 1t is
perhaps however impossible that the government of
State could omit to take cognxance of act oyerty
committed by Of its officers in violation of the
Independence of another State that the court martial
ON Captain Pauldng may be necessity though it would
certainly be hard If his successful zeal should entail
rous The disposal of the fbuster seems to
furnish puzzle in itself That he captured by an
unlawful act is beyond question but it is also beyond
question that he himself had committed similar
act, and with bad motives too. If the American gov
eminent proceeds vigorously against Commodore Pauld
ing for the violation of the Ncaraguan territory how
il leave General Walker scot free, who also vo-
lated the territory with far worse intent If the
legalty of the arrest embodens Walker to demand
oration of the status qo what may not the government of
Nicaragua demand after the self conviction of this gen
era by his late descent their coasts The American
government in whose power and under whose control
the buster has been placed, proclaimed their
innate of his expedition by issuing formal orders for its
stoppage; and 1t would be the extreme of abs,ry to
argue that they should carry him back and place
him in the identical position which they stand bound to
debar him by all means in their power from attain
ing. Possibly the unlawfulness of the procedure by
which he removed may invest him, in the eyes OF
some casuists with certain claim for restitution but it
hardly be carried to such length this If he
not be legally detained prisoner in virtue of his
cent capture, he surely be legally prevented from
again invading Nicaragua and the conformation of his
undoubted offence would be pretty good seto against
his s'false Imprisonment For the rest, the govern
men of Nicaragua is the party chiefly interested, and
that government would probably be exceedingly well
content if Commodore Paulding honorably acquit
ted and General Walker restrained from further acts OF
aggression