The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1858-01-27
Volume XVI.

tlOn OF The United States. Iney were
not iugitiyes from Justice. They were
only men suspected Of mlsdemeanor
If we mad passed an ehtradition trea
ty that enabled US to call oil the Gov
ernment of Nicaragua for the return
Of a fugitive from justice, it would nol
have justified the course which has
been pursued in this case. If we
possess no such treaty-and such Ii
my impression--th then, though they had
been lugitives from justice, they were
safe from our reach as soon as they
touched the soil Of Nicaragua.
| cannot consent, even by my 81
lence, to give my appreciation to thi'
extension of the power of the Federal
Government by the use OF the army
and navy to perform acts the perform
ance of which has not been deyo.Ned
b. law OH the President, lhe i,csi-
denT has no more right 20 make an ar
rest than any of those members OF the
Senate who are now listening to me.
He has no more power to issue pro
cess, and his navy have no more pow
er to serve it. A,most this was bat
the case of an individual, in violation
of the laws Of the United States, de-
parting from the United States to en-
ter into the controversies OF another
country. Whatever may be his char
acter, whatever may be his purpose
is subject into which | do not choose
to inquire. know nothing Of him.
have no sympathy with such eXpedi-
tons. think we shouli execute our
neutrality law within our limits, bnt |
hold that the difficulty which ha. so
often occurred, and which has so Of
ten permitted expeditions Of this kind
to leave the United States, is inhe-
rent in the nature OF the case. Oar
neighbors are too weak to require that
regular armament should be fitted
ont, that An army should be organized
for their invasion. It's not according
to the theory Of our Government that
we should establish a system of es-
ponage in order that we may stop
auy six, twenty, one hundred or two
hundred men who may choose to
leave the United States, cast off their
obligations to our Government, and
enter into revolutionary movements
elsewhere. If they claim to be emf
grants, what right have we to inquire
luto their motives? lfthey claim the
right to cross Central America, what
authority have we to inquire whether
they may not stop upon the lsthmus?
| They are not, in the sense in which
the term wa. used in 1918, military
expedition, but a mere handful Of ad
venturers upon tranSport-b boat gong
down TO a landing on the coast OF
Central America. Suoh an oxrodi
ton as need be fitted out to go into
the harbor OF Liverpool, and there
make an assault, could not leave our
coast without every man knowing ii.
Such an expedition it would be per-
feclly within the power Of the United
States to suppress. But, sir, when
my attention was directed to this same
subject years ago, at the time OF the
invasion of Lower California, when
we received intelligence Of a handful
Of men, Il believe it WAS bat a dozen,)
with side arms going and capturing
the Governor and proclaiming them
selves conquerors of a State, felt how
utterly idle ii was for this Government,
with our right of expatri alton, with
the right of each and every citizen to
go where he pleases, and to bear arms
to attempt TO suppress such eXpedi-
tons as might be made use Of against
the Southern and Central American
States.
think, sir, we are making great
departure from those principles which
have heretofore controlled our Gov
ernment. We are attempting to en-
large jurisdiction TO suit the cxigcncy
of the case, instead of turning back TO
the authority which has been confer
red. lfit be the will Of Congress and
of the country to confer on the Execu
tive the power Of keeping the police
of the high seas; to give him the army
and navy As a constsbulary force to
stand at foreign ports and arrest per
sons suspected of misdemeanor, let
it be conferred before he attempts to
exercise it, That power has not been
given, and have felt it necessary thus
to express my entire dissent from it.
Mr.. BROWN. Thi, question, Mr..
President, stands where have appre
hended for the last three or four days
it would stand The President Of the
United States dieopP7pves of the ar
rest Of Walker, and excuses it. He
disapproves of it On the ground that
The arrest wS. in violation Of law; sad
if it was, hold tha. he hss no right
10 excuse it. Ii Commodore Pauliing
had the right to arrest w alker in Mica
ragua, his conduct ought not only to
be excused, but it ought to be ap-
plauded If, however, he had no le-
gal right to do that act, the President
of the Republic owes it to the people
whose President he is. 10 condemn it.
If Walker has been guilty of any
of law, and has been arrested
and brought back to our shores as
fugitive from justice, why is he not
put in the clutches of the law2 Why
is he bought to New. York. placed in
the hands of the marshal, brought
here, and offered to the Government,
and then set at liberty? Why is he
not carried to Louisiana by the same
which arrested him, and
there put upon his trial on this charge
of violating the law? Sir, thi. is
farce being PLAYED out before the