Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-01-23
PIcKENS COURT HOUSE. s. C. SATURDAY JANUARY 2s 1853.
Letter from Gen. Walker to President
Buchanan.

Buchanan.
WASHINGTON, JAN i, 195S.-Sir -
On the 18th of June last had the honor
to address you letter relating to the manner
III which emigratcd from California to
Nicaragua, the events which followed my
presence i'll Central America, and the un-
Just and illegal acts by which | was forced
Tor time to abandon my adopted country.
In that letter [ stated facts which defy
my enomics to controvert; and [ then
hoped your EXccllency would take steps for
the punishment of the grievous offences
against right, justice and public law, com
mltted by United States officers, in the
seizure of Nicaraguan vessel in a Nicara-
guam port. Commander Davis has, howey-
er, gone unrebuked, so far as | am informed
for his violation of international law, and of
the Constitution Of the United States and
| 1T gricves me to say that / am again OBJ
fgcd to approach you with complaint
| against another and yet higher officer of
the United States Navy.
In approaching you as a applicant for
justice know that it is necessary for me
to remove erroneous impressions which have
been made on your mind concerning my
conduct in como ion with Nicalaguan af-
fairs. Corrupt and malignant persons have
surrounded your Exccllency and poured
into your ears false stories concerninr events
in Central America.
And now, to you, the President of the
United States, ] directly charge, and stand
ready to prove what [ say, that your officers
of the Navy, not only by irresponsible state
ments through tho press, but also in official
communications, iruyc nIsrerresentcd facts
and tNlsficd events. Feeling and believing
as | do, that you would not willingly wrong
any individual, no matter how humble, [
am satisfied that the summary Judgment
you pass on my conduct in your Annual
Message to Congress, is the result of incor-
rect information and trust and conf
IDENTIFY expect, that when the truth is placed
before you, your Judgment will acquit me
of the grave charges brought against me-
Permit me, then, if you please, before I
proceed to call your attention to the con
ductof Commodore Paulding, to deny most
unequivocally, that / have ever been en-
gagged at any time or in any manner with
any unlawful expedition against Nicaragua.
In your message to Congress you seem to
imply that my first departure from San
Francisco was illegal, for you say: "whcn
it was first rendered probable that an, at.
tempt would bc-made to get up another un-
lawful expedition against Nicaragua" -
With all Difference | beg leave to repeat
what said in a previous letter and to again
inform you that | left San Francisco in
May, 1853, with the sanction and approval
of the Federal officers of the port, and that
the Captain Of the revenue cutter sent his
| sailors to bend the sails which carried us
| from California to Central America. AL
low me, also, to suggest that the Govern
ment of the United States recognized and
lcgalizcd the immediate results of the emf
grafton from California, in the reception of
Padre Vigilas Minister from the Republic
| of Nicaragua. Not only was the first ex-
peditlon, as it has been called, to Nicaragua
entirely lawful in its origin, but all its con-
sequences were marked by strict adherence
to law and justice. Some have told you,
| know, that | man "witbout faith and
without money" but from the beginning
to the end of my career in Nicaragua, |
challenge the world toproduce single vio-
lation of public faith-a single deviation
from the great principles of public right
and public justice. On the contrary, the
Americans in Nicaragua have always man.
tanned the faith and honor of their race, in
the midst of falsehood and treachery on the
part of their cnemies-int the face of count
! less hosts arrayed against them-no less
than in the presence of famine and of pes
thence. Our conduct in the midst of traits
and of dangers is sufficient answer to the
epithcts which have been hurled against
-us and when the passions and prejudices
OF the present have died away we calmly
await the Judgment of posterity on our con-
duet. ~
But an officer of the United States Ma
Vyforced us to become eyiles from Nicara-
qua; and let nle remind you of the fact
that from the moment we touched our natal
soil We protested against the illogality and
Injustice of the act, anddecIared our inten.
tion TO return to the land whence we had
been wrongfully brought.
Eyerywhore~-before the functionaries Of
the Goyernment--in the presence of assem-.
bled multitudes Of the sovereign people,,
we declared thatno effort should be unused
insarder to regain the rights wrested from
us by fraud aud illegality. sa8t ~
Do you suppose that if we had been con-
scious Of any violation, orinteudcdxiolation
Of law, we would thus have proclaimed our
object and intertions2 Is it the habit Of
Offenders against pnblic right, or of con
spirators against public Justice, to herald
their acts on the corners Of the streets aud
pi'bbiliiiis ssl,eit tiwgong doinss in the market
place r. ~ 4f.ias <i,.l{ -
Would we have violated the public con-,
90 Al. 4.