Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-08
oct without leaving the bar. Again like effor

I
would be crowned with like result
| After long effort and much patient endrr.-on y,
at length sailed from Mobile iur San Juan o. h.rara
qua ON the l4th day of November last. The vesse
10 which We sailed was regularly cleared by the Col
lecor of the Port, and special Inspector WAS sen,
| aboard to examine the cargo and the passengers
| Our rights too, Nicareguans were acknowledged
or the Collector refused to clear the Fashion with
Capt Fayssoux commanding, on the ground that he
was q citizen Of the United Staes.
With regular register and clearance we supposed
when once on the high seas we we're beyond the pos
| sbe interference Of any United States authority;
for even if we we're admitted bellgerents against
power with which the United States was at peace
the owners of the neutral vessel had clear right to
carry warlke persons as we'll az contrabsnd of war
subject only to the rsls Of capture by the enemy's
cruisers. We did not for moment imagine that
naval officers would undertake TO place restraints on
American commerce in the absence Of Federal law
and OF Congressional authority. The Difference, too
We know your EIcellency has for the Constitution
the United States precluded the supposon that any
orders had been issued 10 detain capture an Anne
rican vessel whose papers showed she was engaged
in lawful voyage.
Satiefed as We were of the entire legality of our
voyage We did not hesitate TO enter the port of San
Juan de Nicaragua. although we knew U. s. sloop
of war was present in theh hsrbOr. But we had scarce
y landed before We were subjected to series of lille
gal and insulting acts Of the commander Of the Sara
toga. These acts have been detailed in two letters
on file, presume, in the Navy Department.
While We were being embarrassed by the action OF
the Saratoga we had not been idle. Col. Anderson
who mad served his naive uOuE:ry throughout the
Mexican war, at the head Of fifty men had ascended
the river and gained possession of the stronghold,
which in the last century had for days deied the ge-
MUS Of the proudest naval name in British annals
Not only this but he had regained possession of vau
able American property unlawfully held by Costs
Ricsn soders and bad given the order to restore il
the apgnt claiming thp perlnik mi
to ask whether it is such acts as these which
thorze your naval officers 10 apply to us the vilest
epithets Of the language
Scarcely, however, had the possession of Castillo
Yiego opened to US the way to Lake Nicaragua, and
to the regsinng of all We had lost by Capt Davis
interference, than a most grevous wrong was again
inflicted on US by Commodore Pnuldng. On the 9Th
Of December the latter officer summoned me to sur
render to him, and the Nicaraguan flag was secoud
time hauled down on Noaraguan coil by the orders of
the United States Navy.
II would be supererogatory, SIR for me to say that
the act of Com. PauldDg without warrant Of law.
Much, too we felt the wrong, it was not the act
ITSELF as much as the manner in which it was done
that cut US to the quick We knew that the act was
in violation of the eacred charter-the Constitution
of the United States. We knew that authority
higher than that of any Commodore-higher even
than the President Of the United States-would win.
dcate the sanctty of violated law and punish the OF
tenders against the American Constitution. We felt
too that the august and most potent sovereign-the
people of tho United Ststes-would render justice for
the injuries sustained But far more grevous than
the surrender more CALLING than to see our OWL
flag lowered on our own soll-was il to be told that
we were there to the dshonor Of the United Sates.-
There were men on that sandy beach, MIR. President
who had carried your flag soit amidst the thickest o
the foe and one had been promoted by predecessor
in your office for first planting your colors upon the
heights of Cerro Gordo. Others among them had led
your soldiers the continent, and always in the
path of duty and of honor. Forsuch men to be told
that they dsgraced the country they once had served
20 noby and well, was panS sharper than that o
death, and might have wrung tear from men hard z
and more Gallon. than he who inflicted the irrepara
BILE injury
need not tell you that was unable to anticipate
the act of Commodore Pauding Military necessity re
auired me to hold Punta Arenas, and the idea never
entered my mind that an American officer, protesting
to execute the law, would far forget bis duty az tC
infringe, not only we'll established international law
but also, the requirements of that instrument with
| which are involved the best hopes of mankind-the
Constitution of the United States Even could have
foreseen the action of Com. Pauldng military
would have prevented me from leaving the Point
But it was impossible to imagine that 80 violent STEP
marked as it was in ts details by conduct worthy
| Of soldiers in the sack of town-would have beer
taken by an officer OF the United States Navy and
Mr. President in the name of the official oath which
| you have taken in the presence OF Almighty God,
call upon you to punish the offender and to right the
wrong. / presume not to direct your wisdom IN the
| course it shall pursuei but i'll the name OF the mer
whose rights your officers have inrlnged and whose
honor has heen most harshly and heedlessly rampec
in the dust Call Tor the justice 1t is your high pre-
rogative TO bestow.
But permit me to conclude by adding that in al
events and under all circumstances there are duties
and responsibilities from which and the officers an6
men represent, will not, dare not shrink. No ex
treme OF illegal interfereLce-no amount of hare
words and unjust epihets can deter us from follow
| ing the path which ia bef5re us. The functionarei
k,n -f,ll
tives of the language-they may insult the public
conscience and degrade their own characters by ap
| plying to us all the epihets their morbid magina
tions suggest: but of the right and justice
of our cause We shall not relax our efforts nor be
driven into violation oi the law. As long ss there
is Central American sxiled from his native land
and deprived Of his property and civil rights, for the
services he rendered ns, in evil as well as good re-
port, go long shall time and our energies be de
voted to the work o. their restoration. AS long as
| the bones OF our companions IN arms, murdered un
der barbarous decree of the Costa Rican Govern
| mept lie bleaching and unbured on the hillsides o
Nicaragua, 80 long shall our brains contrive, and oul
hands labor for the justice which one day We vii
eurely obtain.
Permit your Officers, if you can, to trample under
foot the Constitution and the laws; pass unnotced,
you will the most vident nvasons of Individual rght'
and public duties; treat with scorn and contempt, i
you choose, the demands for justice which we humbly
and deferentislly p.ce at your feet-we will not bt
cast down or dismaJed. We fight for the rights o
our race, which have been denied us by all migrate
fni and degraded gistocracy. We strive to retalr
unsulled the device of ancestors have borne
OH many ield-"None shall wound US with impu
nifty" And go long faith in right endures goot
our confidence in the God of our fathers reman'
unshsken-so long shall we use all just and props
means to regain what has been wrongfuly wreate'
| from
| have the honor to remain.
With high respect,
| Your obedent servant,
VIM. WALKER.