Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-08


true policy to remove this apprehension, and to
convince them that intend TO do them good,
and not evil. We desire, the leading Power
on this Continent, to open and, If need be, to
protect every transit route across the Isthmus
not only for own benefit, but that Of the world
and thus open free access to Central America
and through IL to our Pacific possessions This
policy was commenced under favorable auspices.
when the expedition, under the command Of Gen.
Walker, escaped from orr territories and pro
ceeded TO Punta Arenas. Should another expedi-
ton OF a similar character again evade the vigil
lance Of our officers and proceed to Nicaragua.
this would be fatal, at least for a season, to the
peaceful settlement Of these countries and to the
policy OF American progress. The truth is, that
foreign affairs of the country in Central America,
or any where else If il is to be interfered with at
every step by lawless military expeditions "set
on foot" in the United States.
.---z-- JAMES BUCHANAN
Washington, January :, 1858. .
The VIRGINIA FILIBUsTER RESOLUTIONS
The distant public have been duly informed
that flibusterism has recently been very ram
pant in the Legislature of Virginia; manifest
ing itself in the way of the introduction of
resolutions strongly sympathetic with Walker
and his schemes, condemnatory in very severe
language of the motives of the gallant veteran,
Paulding, and squirting threats, as it were,
against the policy of the President on the ques-
ton Of flibustering as enunciated in the mes
sage, but protesting that in that respect the
said resolutions did not mean what they said
as it were. The introduction Of these resolves
was accompanied by choice pro- flibuster lead
ers in nearly all the Richmond dailies, from
which the distant public were to have under
stood that the said resolves were to have been
adopted in avery great hurry, amid an astound-
ing demonstration of enthusiasm for the cause
of murder, arson and robbery in Central Amer
lea in the name Of that ever glorious spread
eagle Of ours. which can no more do wrong
under any circumstances, in the belief of the
unthinking, than kings" under the law Of
despotism on the other side of the Atlantic
But no news has yet arrived of the adoption of
those blood and thunder resolves. And, between
You and ourself, reader, no such news will ever
arrive. No man of common sense in Richmond
has ever dreamed that it was designed to do
more with them in the Virginia Legislative
Halls, than simply tointroduce and "blow over
them awhile, to the end of affecting the action of
the Government here upon the act Of Commo-
dore Paulding, and on the demand of Walker
that he be renstated with a flourish of trum-
pets and salvos of cannon on the sands of San
Juan del Norte.
We happen to know that the idea of procur-
planned above, originated in flibustering cir
cles in this city. All know the activity of the
flibuster sentiment makers cOngregated at this
point to manage the Government if possible, on
all points affecting the interests Of their cause
They originate all the wonderful Washington
letters, treating of the subject, and are the au-
thors, in short, of nearly everything going to
show what is wholly destitute of foundatiOn)
that the spiSt Of the country lives, moves and
cause. But long since we explained all this
long since.
The aforesaid Washington ilibusters con-
ceiyed the notion of essay ng to influence the
Government after the fashion described above.
and forthwith Virginia sympathiser, j" as ar
dent as Southern sun can make him, - was com
missiOned to lobby the resolves into the legisIa-
tive chambers at Richmond, to get up respon-
sive popular meetings here and there-and all
that sort of thing. He Is a cute and indus
trious un in such matters, and has succeeded
so far to a charm.
However, we judge that hs mission will
prove Of no more avail than a certain other
mission, somewhat similar, to Richmond, ar
ranged in this city some years ago by other
parties, which, by the by, succeeded in - taking
in the Legislature Of the Old Dominion far
more extensively. 1t will be recollected that
a few years ago the Virginia Legislature passed
res al ipS ha nf ba tat
and requesting the Virginia members of Con-
gress to vote for repeal of the duty On rail-
road iron-which Legislation was duly Cracked
up as a step forward in the march of free
trade. Now, it was conceived and prepared
by certain Republican-party members of Con-
gres5 interested in Northern and Northwestern
railroad speculations, and duly sent to Rich
mond by the hands Of another Virginian . ~
ardent as Southern sun can make him." with
instructions to put it through" lie accom-
plished his purpose which, however, in turn,
accomplished nothing here.
Happening to know the facts Of these two
cases well, we publish them for the benefit of
those who might otherwise be Z" taken in to
the extent of fancying that the introduction of
the resolves in question into the Virginia Leg
islature and the more recent Petersburg meet
ing mean a substantial Virginia demonstration
rather than what they really are Viz: A
Washington city flibuster demonstration, in
the hope Of influencing the Governments ac-
ton with reference to Commodore Pauldng and
the ilibuster Walker.
We may not inappropriately add that the
distant public seem inclined to bite at the bait
Of virtual false pretence involved in the intro
ducton of the filibuster resolves before the Viz
ginia Legislature, as is evinced in the following
brief extract from the Washington correspond
ence of the New York Commercial Adrertiser:
WAsHINGToN, January5.
IL is very apparent that the new excitement in
regard to hlibustersm counteracts, in a great
measure, the Kansas irritation. The South Is I'm
an enervescence on the subject, if we may Judge
from the tone of Southern members and the
press, and of public meetings in the south Even
the grave and generally dignifed Assembly of
Virginia has taken up the matter, and are about
to launch forth fierce denunciations against Com.
Pauldings interfering to break up the Walker
expedition, whether with or without orders from