The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-22

republic Nicaragua with which the United States are al
peace.
Mr. CLAY suggested that joint resolution ought TO
be referred to the Committee Foreign Relations and
il would be premature discuss it at this time Ii would
like preudging the question now before that com
itee the reference OF the President message on the
subject of the arrest of Gen. Walker.
Mr. DoOLrITIE spoke in advocacy of the joint resou-
ton He said he could not oresee what might be the
final disposition of this proposition but he desired 70
state the grounds upon which he had deemed it his duty
to move the resolution In stating these grounds, 1t
would be his endeavor to address himself calmly and ds
passionatey the judgment of the Senate BY appeal
ing any partisan prejudice passion he would not ad
vance the object which had in view and yet he might
speak earnestly for he would confess that he felt deeply
the importance of the proposition in the present juno
ture of affairs involving, as It does not only the
character and conduct of high gallant and veteran OH
Ger in our navy involving Also the policy of the
ent administration, neutrality laws, the laws OF ma
TONS relations TO the feeble republics OF Central Amer
ca and perhaps than all other things the honor
and integrity and good faith of the government OF the
United States In stating the history OF this case, he
should rely mainly upon the messages Of the Executive
and other public official documents Of Gen. Walker,
as military adventurer, he should have but little to
say and in what he might have to say it would not be
his purpose to deal in the language OF denunciaon We
first hear of Gen Walker military adventurer IN his
expedition Sonora where with handful OF misguided
followers he completely repused and defeated Of
his second military expedition from the United States
against republic with which at peace the history
is but too well known to the country lie entered INTO
Nicaragua where for time he more successful For
time he held seemed to hold the power OF the gov
eminent there but by the same means by which he
quired 1.-THE of the swordhe lost 1t again AT
Rvas he rescued from inevitable destruction by the
officers of the United States government For proof OF
this statement Mr. ID. proceeded to quote from the re-
port of the Secretary of the Navy Whatever power Gen
Walker had in Nicaragua ended upon his surrender
at Rvas, whether it was de jure or dc fdoo
Mr. d. read several extracts of letters from Seniors
Yrisari and Molina to the Secretary of State showing
that they felt grateful to this government for the act OF
Com Pauldng in arresting Walker He also argued at
length the question to whether that act JUS
tiabe or not quoting Puendorf and Vattel to sustain
position that there when it is the duty OF
officer to exceed the letter of his instructions for the pur
pose of more fully carrying out their spirit II Com
Pauidng had quietly looked and made no attempt to
interfere with the awess proceedings of Gen. Walker,
it might have been justly inferred that this government
collision with him. and not acting in good faith
towards Nicaragua But he repudiated any such idea
He thought that all the power which the government
possessed in the premises conferred upon Commodore
Paudng in good faith and it would have been crime
for that officer to have neglected upon mere technical
objection to carry out the cearyexpressed wishes OF his
government
Mr. d. further contended that governments might
Justly be held responsible not only for what they do but
for what they do not do not only for what is done by
the government ITSELF but for what is done by its cit
zens with the knowledge of the government when they
had the power Therefore the neglect of this
government to prevent the expedition against Nicaragua
being organized and ''set foot within its limits,
when that notorious and the government
had full power to hinder it, would have been just cause
for declaration OF by Nicaragua against this coun
try had it not been intercepted before the consumIna-
ton of its objects. She might complain that the tiger
had been let loose but she could complain that we
chained him up again. She might indeed complain
that General Walker had been suffered to violate her
territory but not that officers had entered her terri
tory to remove him.
Mr. d. also drew parallel between the conduct of
Commodore Paulding in this and that of General
jackson under the administration of Mr.. Monroe. In
that the administration not only refused to punish
General jackson, but also to censre him and Mr. ID.
remarked that the only regret he had to express IN the
present was that instead of sending in message
half of and half of apology the present admin
sraon had not fully and frankly avowed and justified
the act Of its officer. When he had concluded his re-
marks,
Mr. BROWN moved to amend the joint resolution by
striking all after the enacting clause and inserting
that Congress has heard with surprise of the arrest of
William Walker and about $50 other persons at Punta
Arenas in Nicaragua, by Hiram Paulding, commanding
United States naval squadron, the sth day of De-
cember 1851 and seeing that said act in violation of
the territorial sovereignty of friendly power and not
sanctioned by any existing law Congress dsayows it, and
being officially notified that said Paudng acted without
instructions from the President the Secretary Of the
Navy Congress expresses its condemnation of his conduct
in this regard.
Mr. b. remarked that he had no speech to make.
What he had to say might well be said in five ten
minutes in many hours 1t would be noticed that
in his amendment he spoke of General Walker without
the of any title, and of the persons with him
persons without assigning them amy nationality what
ever Then lie asserted what simply trusm, that
Congress surprised receiving the intelligence that
this arrest had been made Was there any senator who
surprised at it The amendment goes to say
that this act in violation OF the territorial sovereignty
of friendly power.
The territory certainly did not belong to the United
States and as not at with Nicaragua any
the Central American States it violation of ter
rtoal sovereignty because it unquetionablc that
foreign territory invaded by Commodore Paulding.
The proposition that the act not sanctioned
10y any existing law He had listened very attentivey
the remarks of the senator from Wisconsin to hear by
what law the act of Commodore Paulding be jus
titled The President had said that it grave error,
an although he palated it, he did not pretend to justify
it upon any legal ground Mr. B. believed that, if there
fair election in Nicaragua, it was when Gen.
Walker elected and yet he had been called pirate
What right had the Executive to turn pirate loose in
the streets of Washington But he regarded this as
only miserable prctext Then these facts being with
regard to the act of Commodore Pauldng all he asked
was that Congress should dsavow it and condemn it;
and the condemnation was placed upon the express
ground that the act dsavowed by the admin
istraton If the act had been avowed by the Ex-
ecutivc, he should have asked Congress to pass
vote of against the President Secretary
of the Navy, whoever gave the order. We had
fallen upon strange times, and had sadly departed from
the taught the earlier and better days of the
republic He proceeded to audc to the of Commo
dore Porter who had been sent against the pirates in the
West India islands during Mr. Monroes administration
and because that officer had violated the sovereignty of
Spain although acting against the enemies of all nations,
he tiled and punished for the offence Yet it is
proposed to reward Commodore Pauldipg with medal
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