The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-13

This, fhch is the chosen instrument for the Americanz-
ton OF these bcnghted regions will not recapulate
his various atrocities Suffice ii to say, that he who was
at first hailed dcvcrcr by portion or The people
Nicaragua, was regarded by its entire population
with deestiton whilst having, by his own folly cut
of all available of support from the United States
he but too happy 10 his safety and that
OF the miserable remnant of his followers under tho as
of the country whose citizenship he had reudiaed We
have the most conclusive evidence of not only the uni
vcrsst hofior in which Walker himself but also of the
appalling dread in which his very name is held by the
whole population of Central America This evidence we
find amply revealed in the fact that the nternccno war
between Costa Rca and Nicaragua which had been waged
with 30 much bitterness for the last years was i'm
medate brought to close by his advent on their shores
and all their differences adjusted by treaty of boundary
and alliance and yet this man claims to be their liberia
tor and regenerator
AS a soldier believe that those who have served with
him. and have seeii and conversed with many of them
claim for him other qualities thar Personal bravery
This Is the almost universal attribute Of people its
absence is the very exception to general rule but
IN the higher acccptaon OF soldcrship foresight
bnation, distribution and of his troo4 e had with
him many supcrior In times OF difficulty and danger
all looked to Eeningsen for the head to pan while
walker was only the hand to execute SO his
cape was effected with the duplicy and heartIe
that has characterized all his actions hc the
OF injured innocence and revilcs the man who had
ed him from certain captivity, and probably from g-
nominous death We hsve no authentic record of the
number of American citizens who peshed by the sword
disease, and famine, in this second expedition But
have it estimated at between two and three thou
sand IL one may believe his boasts thrice that number
of Central Americans may be counted his victims No
sooner has he set foot his native land thar he
his Vaccinations but in til. Hope of lullng the vigil
ancc of the national authorities the 10Th day Of Sep
te.btf 1857, he addresses to the Secretary of State
letter, of which will read the concluding portion
SO far any violation my part Cnnress con
received In the United s's'e when
ragua have IN all respects been obent to its laws And permit
me 10 assure you that shall not 80 far forget duty officer OF
Nicaragua as TO violate the laws United while
the rights OF hospitality within its limits" N
do not choose to stamp this declaration with the only
epthct it deserves but it entirely in keeping with the
assertion contained in his letter of 3eth November to
Commodore Paulding, Tint he engaged IN what
your government admits tn bc lawful undertaking -
Immediately after giving this solemn assurance to the
Secretary of State he proceeded to New Orleans and there
commenced his preparations for his third expedition
can add nothing to the lucid exposition of this part OF
the case by the senator from Maryland The publication
In the New Orleans papers the av after lis departure of
the and rank OF his officers and the objects of
Ills expedition the false invoices and manifest of the
lading of the Fashion his detachment of fifty men ut
the mouth of the Colorado for the capture by that de-
tachment OF Fort Castillo the immediate establishment
OF his camp on his landing at Pnnta Arenas the arms
ammunition and stores found there the assumption Of
the pompous title of commanderin of the army Of
Nicaragua forgetting for the moment the pretenson
which he has since renewed of being The lawful President
of that republic oil show conclusvcy the object and
character Of his expedition that it idle waste of
words to dwell upon them. hg
But not left to mere inference or newspaper
statements to establish the fact of military expedition
having been set foot within the territory and iuYsdc-
ton OF the United States and of its having been carried
under the flag of the United States Anderson and his
men having abandoned Fort Castillo surrendered them
selves to squadron and conveyed to Key West
in the lag-ship Eight ten of the men who were
there examined witnesses declared that they were e-
listed at New Orleans to under Walker that they
all understood that there be some ghtng that
all their expenses paid from the time of their enlist
ment until they put board of TIL. Fashion, in Mo-
bile bay that after they had been at three four
days battalion of four companies, composed of about
forty men each, formed with captains, lieutenants
and scrgcants and from that time the roll regularly
called morning and evening, and rifles and bayonets,
taken from the hold of the steamer were distributed
The United States district judge before whom the
examined, thought it unnecessary to inquire into
the question Of jurisdiction to what had occurred
the high seas there sufficient testimony to show
the setting on foot of military expedition at New Or
leans and directed them to be conveyed thither for trial
SHALL in the of my argument show that in the
absence of all proof of violation of the statute at New
Orleans Mobile bay the organization the high seas,
board OF \ vessel carrying the American flag, was
within the jurisdiction of the United States.
concur entirely with that portion of the report Of the
Committee Foreign Relations which s,stains the views
of tho President in his message of 7th of January of his
rights and duties under the act of 10th April ISIS and
asserts the legality the instructions given Commo-
dorc Pauldng and Lieut. Almy but go further, and
maintain that the power to seize the Fashion and arrest
Walker was not confined to the high seas but might be
lawfully exercised in the waters of Nicaragua and this
position Is think essential to the full vndcation of the
course of the Executive Captain Chatard deprived
Of his command for having failed to prevent the landing
of Walker who passed under the stern of the Saratoga
while that ship at anchor in the harbor of San Juan
Pauldng is declared to have committed grave in
having captured him on the soil of Nicaragua Some
thing has been said Of the inconsistency of censung Cha
ta for having done too lttle and pauldng for having
done too much. can see no ground for the charge
while am free to confess thai think the President
language too exculpatory of Pauding and would have
preferred to him at directing his recall Al
though i have good opinion of his ability and cf.
cency officer under ordinary circumstances he has
shown himself unequal to the delicate aud responsible
duties of his late compand say his late command for
understand that he, having been ordered home, has
been relieved by Commodore Mcintosh,
| will now proceed to show, as i hope, conclusively,
that the Fashion might have been lawfully seized by Capt
Chatard and carried with Walker and his armed follow
ers to Mobile. She sailed from Mobile with American
papers and under the American flag, Illicit voy-
age The public and private vessels Of the United States
carry their nationality with them wherever they go
they carry with them also their jursdction and many
of the most esteemed writers national law consider
them as extension Of the territory Aunt says
Finding Of armed vessels exercise tho
rights sovereignty, 10 tho nlcton Of tho penalty OF
tho ports and harbors Of another soecs many authors
them maintain that these vessels are TO be considered
foreign territory
The penalty of DEATH under the sentence of courts mar
tal held on board of ships of in foreign ports
has believe been more than inflicted in those
norris and doubt not that the from Texas will
eoollect that the waters of the United States and if
mistake not in the river Mississippi, several men were
hanged on board of Texan shipof-war. The maritime
high court of France in the of the Sarnan steam
A. tu., Il held