The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-18
The Walker Banquet at Richmond.

orEECd W GENERAL WALkkk-THk ENHANCEMENT
OF T1HH SOUTH.
From the Richmond CVa) ~Despatch.l
A number OF prominent gentlemen OF the city having
W Wss acesa q pd1 sSa d nams o % e. Genera ass aw w,,as% r sS,si i.s y
thursday night. Among the gentlemen present were
Hon James A. Seldom, VIM. NJ. Amber, Esq, Speaker Of
Of Delegates, Messrs. Douglas, Claiborne, Deneale, aud
others N the Senate, and Messrs. Seldom, Claybrook,
hassie and others Of the House, r. A. Pryor, Esq, and
others.
After an hour spent In con versation In the parl0r during
which General Walker was informed Of the destruction OF
Fort Castillo by Col. Anderson, the company repaired 70
the supper room, where a repast, never before surpassed
LOT taste and elegance In this city, was prepared. The
nrst table was presided over BY w: Amber, Esq sup
ported on his right by General Walker, and on his let by
R. A. Pryor, ESD, o. M. CrutchHeld Esq being At the
foot The second table was presided over by II. B.
Douglas, Esq, Mr.. Chapman being at the foot. Tho sup
Mr.. AMBixR rose and said Gentlemen, when the star
under whose guidance our race was led In lie march from
jamestown to the golden shores Of California, seemed u
hover for q momeny over those shores, those who had
watched il with eagerness and anxiety toknew which way
IL would next turn. hesra sounds which came from another
shore, telling OF deeds ofAmerican valOr-teling us that q
band, governed by q love Of the just, and tho right and the
true,-by the Angio-Saxon spirit, sought to implant in far
that did not beat quicker-what heart that did not rise In
pride when II heard OF deeds Of valor which rivaled those
recorded in the page Of history Need ! say where those hose
give you an answer in tho sentiment 70 the progress o
free Institutions and William Walker. -
Gen. WALKER rose and said It rs dihcult for me to
express the gratitude | feel at the least sign Of ap-
provsl by the public men Of Virginia, Of tho course
pursued BY the Americans IN Nicaragua The sent.
appreciation Of his teacher for tits from Virginia and
her sons that ! have learned all I know Of polhcol
ethics, and by her lessons I have directed my course.
Early taught 70 investigate the principles Of political phi.
losopby, ! have thought that l saw moro in the teachings
OF her statesmen OF the principles which guided our
fathers. If we go back 70 the cradleof the race Of men
who founded our nstitutions-which Virginia especially
has perfected-we find Them standing out boldly as the
advocates Of the principles Of liberty and law, in their
most essential fOrma III thara ia ono aAntimQnt more
than another which lies al tho basis Of the grandeur Of
our race, 1t Is that of Respect to law. Look at the revolu.
tons Of our race in earliest times; hsw ontradistipguished
from those Of all other people do gu find theml In other
countries they are marked by new principles of mota-
physics or philosophy; but where you see the Anglo
revolution, il is not for the overthrow, but for the
maintenance Of law. We come from men who
never have been slaves, and who, TO maintain their
freedom in the future, have only to look to the past.
What said our ancestors when, on the plains Of
Runpymede, they resisted the mailed cohorts of the
Englishf They said, GO o are unwilling that the
laws Of England shall not be maintained - and
when in later years our more immediate ancestors met
their foe on a still grander field, still they asse rted they
had come forth to vindcste the laws they had enjoyed in
the past, and not TO battle for new principles. And II is,
gentlemen, by this principle that the Americans in Mica
Tagua have been guided. II is by this same Difference TO
law, by the assertion Of NO wild scheme, but the mainte.
nance Of law-long established international law-that
we have endeavored to carry out the revolution inaugu-
rated in Central America. II is asserted that the Amer.
cans in Nicaragua have been law,ees in their proceedings;
but ! challenge the world to produce the first instance of
VIA VI ithto ~ sNt III titu Y
we left San Francisco, was that Illegal We sailed in
broad day, with none 10 contradict 1t or oppose us. In
deed, SO far from meeting with opposition from the gov
They knew that we left California under grants from au-
thorities then existing In Nicaragua. They themselves
had seen the title deeds given. They had seen that
! rejected the first contract from Don Castig-
lone, the Director Of Nicaragua, because 1t
was opposed to the letter Of the law; the con;
was TO have q Coonel's commission, and the men to have
land and money. He sent IL to San Francisco, but as it
was In opposition 10 the federal law I rejected II, and re-
CURED from him q grant OF colonization. Months elapsed
ere the grant came, but we did not sail; we had consider
ed the matter, and determined TO be like Casar's' wife,
"above all suspicion" The grant came, and IL was only
after II had been submitted 70 the federal authorities and
approved, that We ier. (Applause.) We went TO Nicara-
qua, and soon after landing letters Of naturalization were
issued to all. In a few days IL was proposed 10 US 10 as
sst the democrats, who were struggling with the legiti-
mists for supremacy in the country; Atthe time the con
possessed the entire State, except the city OF Granada,
but so much time was lost in the negotiations that the
their enemies. II was then they asked our assistance. 1t
was from them we had received kindness, and graft
tudc prompted US 10 their rescue. was offered q Colo
nel's command, but a Jealousy sprung up in the breast
OF their commander in chief, who feared that the Ameri.
cans would rob him OF the credit OF the war. I went to
the Director, and telling him Of this, informed him that If
our presence were TO prove a cause Of dissension, we were
ready 10 leave the country and go elsewhere, for We had
received from the Stale OF Honduras assurances similar
10 those received from Nicaragua. The Director refused
the proposition, aud came down 10 the port OF Realjo on
board the vessel which contained US, and besought US not
to leave the country, telling Us we were the only hope 9,
Nicaragua; indeed, OF Central America We undertook
the campaign which ended in the capture Of the city O.
Granada. AT the taking Of the city, the Americans mum.
bered one hundVs, and the native democrats three hun
dred. when ~ entered II, October, 1850 the native
soldiers insisted on the right to sack and piiage II, and 1t
was then that the existence of Granada wa due TO tho
Americans under my command. The town was deserted,
the men had fed, leaving their women and children and
household goods, with meme 10 protect them but those
americans who had been declared their bitter enemies.
We saved them, giving victory 10 the democrats and safety
10 the l~egitmists. II was after this that both parties came
forward and hailed us ms their deliverow. On the Esd
orsSSes, ,e r %Ssay ~@ 's OF R Snser w Mas on, o9'
ganized. Fy that treaty, tho rights OF Americans In
Nicaragua we're recognized by the ~lcgitimists thcmselyos,
and We were on the soil by the consent OF all parties. We
were there by the prayers and entresiies Of both parties,
for the protection OF both. The treaty was made between
General Corral and myself, and afterwards ratified by the
democratic government at Leon. The concluding clause
Of the treaty made General Corral and myself sponsors
that President Rivas should faithfully perform the duties
OF his Office. let us see who violated tho treaty. We
had just kissed the holy crucifx, and we're hardly out o
sight OF the house of God, when the very man who signed
violated Il, by sending letters into Honduras and othcr
pei the Americans from the country. Three days had
hardly elapsed before the letters were written. Tho prof
was plain. He did not deny his guilt, AM only asked for
mercy. Was the exercise of mercy wise or justf Was
wise or just that ! should pardon the first offender, and
that offender the very man who had signed the treaty.
IL would have been the blindest folly and whatever
of Almighty God and say I did my duty. Applause
This act checked the conspiracy In its FIRST flush
Anu N was DOT lOr SIX mOutus IA tut COuhplrttoIh
commenced their work. II was only amer the United
States government refused 20 recognise the government
OF Rivas that the Central American states undertook 70
drive US out. Now. who were the aggressors In that WAR
Soon after the government Of Rivas WAS inaugurafcd, II
my instance letters were sent 10 the Central American
States, telling them that tho Americans came 70 Nicar-
qua not for violence and b~loodshcd, but for the regenera-
ton OF the land. They were entreated even beyond the
bounds Of Diplomacy TO send ministers, that they migai
safety themselves OF the fact. They rejected these offers
with scorn and disdain. On the LIST OF March, 1856,
Costa Rica declared war, not against Nicaragua, bat
against the Americans within her borders-a portion,
no the whole OF her population. II ws not q war
in accordance with the Law OF civilized countries,
but q war OF determination; declaring that every
prisoner taken was 70 be shot We had entreated
for peace; they dared and dened us 10 war. We should
have been unworthy Of our fathers n we had shrunk from
II. Continued applause) The war wa carried on with
varied successes, and finally ended by the interference Of
an officer OF the United States Navy. The allies had
attempted toinvest Rivas, but found n impossible, from the
large force required 70 accomplish II. They attacked us
IN March and April, and were repulsed. But in the mean.
time negotiations had been going on between the allies
and the commander OF the United states sloop Of war ~.
Mary's, In which be had undertaken 10 extort from us a
promise 10 leave the country. Capt Davis came 70 Riva,
- l.