Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-01-26

ba marshals everywhere, that he meant to wage war aSaiist Nicaragua or any other nation; and | they would have no right to moest him. If one man has that right. two men or tbroa mon UT hve hundred men, have it. The mistake Was that the administration wera ;nta,d;nc, to punish what the law never meant .bonld bo punlshed-to wit the intent while in fine Uni- i tea otsles to ft out an expedition bevond tho limits of the United States with q hostile r,,r | pose towards nation with which we ,ra ot peace. He illustrated this point by reference | 'o Ia" winch makes 1t penal offence for person 10 go beyond the limits of the District oi Colllmhla with the intention of fghtino duei. Before that law was passed people had right to do this act, and did do it, The law | belng passed, made the intention penal of fence. Now, if there was a similar law nunisb. ing the intention of collecting men and mate. rlals, and going beyond the limits of the United States to Tit out an expedition, then the govern meht might get hold of General Walker: but there Is no such law
 MT. B. proceeded to remark that he had as hlgh regard for the navy as any other citizen. outlf any thing could bring reproach and eternal disgrace upon the navy, it was this precise course oi action. First, Commander Chatard lets Walker pass him, and then, seeming to nave SllmnerlnS Idea that he had mistake en ms duty, he undertakes to cover his neglect bv resorting to mean and dirty attempts to insult Gen. Walker in his camp, evidently with the intention of provoking him to some act so that ne might have an excuse to fire upon him Then Commodore Paulding comes. man of ripe years, doing what every one knows he has done, and what it is unnecessary to recaptulate and writing just such letter as ought to af6x the seal of eternal disgrace upon him. It was d disgrace to the very epauletts which he wears upon his shoulders. It was high time that our naval oilcers should be confined to the dis charge oi thelrdutleS according to law, for there was too much disposition to exceed the law bv one and all Of them. And he could not for pear saying that he thought the President would netter have discharged his duty to the laws and pest interests of the country by pointedly re. buklng the lawless act of Commodore Pauldno han by excusing it. It would not do for the President to say that Paulding's act was in violation of law, and then wink at it. No matter II Nicaragua does not complain its not Tor us to violate our laws when Nicaragua does not complain, and execute them when she does complain Our duty Is to go accordin. to law. II Commodore Paulding has conformed to law let nm be applauded; and if not, let him be condemned. MT. 5. said he might 70 into a history of the matter, and show that in the first instance Walker was invited to 20 to Nicaragua; that he accepted the invitation, became citizen ol that country, and was lawfully elected Presi- dent; that he Was taken out of the country by one of our naval officers, and that patriotic men In the different States had volunteered to % and assist him to snatch back the rights which had been wrested from him. But he would not go into that now. For the reasons above ated, and others which he might hereafter have occasion to mention, he could not endorse the document that had just been read He was exceedingly reluctant to dissent from the Pres- dent, especially Ill the present condition of our talrs; but he felt bound to express the con- victlonS oi his own mind He admired the speech ot the senator from Illinois Mr. Dou- Sias Tn bolily expressing his views, although ne differed from every sentiment uttered by that gentleman on the Kansas question.
 MT Houston was anxious to have the docu- ments printed because he wanted information on the subject. He would not make any remarks upon the question now, but should avail him. self of a future occasion to do so when the in- formation should all be made public.
 Mr. Seward would not speak on this occasion but for the fact that other senators had seen fit to express their views in advance, and he wish ed to say few words in reply. He adverted to the fact that the President announced in his message that the arrest of Gen. Walker was without the authority of law; but the question then came up whether the officer who did this act should be censured or punished in any way for 1t. On that point the President makes an excuse for Commodore Pauldiug. which is. that the parties who had been arrested had been in- dicted in the United States for an offence against orr laws, and, failing to arrest them upon the hlsh seas, the naval officer had arrested them m the performance of the very act they had nedItated. Here were two parties who were delinquent In the first place, there was band nl iawiesS men who had escaped the vigilance o1 the pohce, and 9one abroad to levy war; in violation ot the laws of the United States, with naon with whom we were al amitv. On the other han |, there was an officer N ho, though excess of vigilance, had surpassed his instruc- ions, and had himself committed d violation of law. MT. $. thought the President had balanc. cd this case with exact justice He had cen sured the fugltives, and while admitting the 5oad lntentlous of the officer had also ceusured him for violating the law What more could he asked? Suppose a punishment more or less severe should be passed upon this officer what shall be done with the chief offender who has been brought back? Nothing has been done towards bringing him to trial for the offence for which he stands indicted; and the President is defrd to his teeth by Gen. Walker in his late letter, Ill which he states that no matter who may interpose, at home or abroad, he is deter mined to proceed in the prosecution of his de- sign. II honorable senators insisted upon it, he was quite willing that censure should be passed upon Com. Padding; but he must ask them in justice to mete out some punishment for this greater crime. Suppose the government should punish Paulding, and leave the others to go un- punished, what is the lesson which will be learn ed from this affair? It is that you may % out of the jurisdiction of the United States and levy war against any nation with whom we are at peace, provided you can only escape the vigi- lance of the police on land; and if you shall be arrested alter you commence your acts, although the State shall be grateful for the protection they receive, still the officer who makes the ar- rest shall be punished and you shall be applaud ed! To be consistent, they should go further, and porpose 10 restore Gen. Walker to the place from which he was taken. And if it was right to invade Nicaragua, 1t was equally right to in- wade New Granada, or Brazil, or any other South American S,ate. Why should we pun ish the Pawnees or the Apaches for committing depredations upon our citizens, and claim that our citizens shall ge abroad with mpunily and commit depreda,ions upon the people of other States? Ii gentlemen think the principle is right let them introduce a bill to repeal the neutrality laws
 Mr. Davis. To what principle does the sena- tor allude?
 Mir. Seward. It is this: that the crime is altogether in the offenders being cought; but if he can escape from the United States and reach the country against which the war is to be made, then the act is innocent and right.
 Mr. Davis. Nobody on this side of the chamber asserts such principle as that.
 Mir. Seward called the attention of the sena- tor to what had been said by his colleague, Mr. Brown,l that General Walker had violated no law; but the President, the other hand, thought that he had not only violated the law of the land, but had also violated the higher law. Laughter.
 MT. Davis replled that it was the sacred pri- vilege of an Americas citizen to bear arms; and ,,,hn hn .ln