The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-17


for il No nation ever throws the shield OF protection
overa who CONES TO attack and destroy it,
Let illustrate further. Tho law Of nations makes
duty TO prsr onsns from oomInitting acts OF
hostility against nations With which ut peace We
bound to perform that duty, wherever the offenders
may be found The arrest must be made, the warfare
must be stopped whether those who engage in il be
found on the high sees in ouI own country ol IN the
country against which the Is being carried on We
bound To do it or Ii is duty Let illustrate
by tnilar example i passing BY the house OF a
neighbor when hear the cry Of murder and help from
within / TO the door and find Ii locked seize "A
sledge and break in the door and arrive just in time
clutch the assassins lac is about TO strike my
neighbor To the heart ask you II there Is here
who would contend that have violated the right OF
ereignty OF my neghbor by entering his castle for his
protection that he would sustain suit against
for the act Sir, broke into his castle for the pur
pose rendering him the assistance which he requested
by his cries for lSelp t'
But sir our duty under the law Of nations is stronger
even than that not bound to break into my neigh
boris house to his life. IT. my duty to do IT,
but il was moral duty which l not bound TO per
form but, under the laws Of nations, it is not only
proper that should arrest expedition fitted from
our shores to invade the territories OF nation with
which we at peace but it is duty which
bound TO perform Under the law of nations and under
our own laws we have option in the performance of
this duty We bound matter of necessity, to
rest the man. and prevent our people from committing
outrage upon neghborng nation 1t is duty of which
cannot dvest ourselves unless violate the laws
ragua would shield Gen Walker whilst he attacked
that we have invaded that sovereignty In aresng him
Sir it would be anomalous, monstrous proposition,
precisely par with that of the who, because
entered his house when heard the cry Of murder would
attempt to make me amenable to the civil law
say sir, that had duty to perform under the
law of nations and under the law of 1918 and that In
the discharge of that duty we must prevent the carry
ina on" of the expedition of General Walker In the
discharge of this duty we were bound to follow that
expedition and break it up wherever found and
can set up claim upon the part Of Nicaragua for an in
vasion of her soil II such claim were presented in
this House, il would be Secuted by every upon this
floor, because all know that such claim would be
groundless,
maintain sir that Commodore Paulding has violated
no law committed offence, but that he simply per-
formed his duty And honor him for it respect his
intentions admire his boldness and firmness and
approve of his conduct and fearlessy his in
tepretaon Of the law under which he acted unques
tionaby correct love the noble tar who braved the
consequences and took the responsibility OF doing his
duty.
Sir, gentlemen, to defend Gen Walker, have dragged
in the invasion of the soil of Nicaragua outrage
committed by country. To hear them, would
suppose they were Nicarag,sns and not citizens of
glorious land From their representations would be
led to believe that the poor people OF Central America
in tears because rescued them from the ravages
of a merciless invader,
But, sir did Commodore Pauldng, by the arrest of
Gen. Walker violate the law Of nations Isay that he
did simply his Duty and nothing than his duty and
that If he had done less he would have been censuabe
II is the duty of government to restrain and prevent
its citizens wherever found in the language of the act Of
1878 from carrying such expeditions Suppose
army of people should be organized to the i'm
aginay line the northwestern boundary of our coun-
try and attack the people Of Nova Scotia suppose
send army to arrest the expedition, but just it
reached the boundary line, the expedition ten thousand
strong crossed over and In full sight of army
menced the work Of burning houses and robbing and
Strengthening the citizens Of that country ask if there
is any man here who would justify commander in chief
If he would not pass the line and put stop to this
work Of murder and arson i think there is no
here who would say he right in crossing the line
Yet If the Interpretation of the act of 1918 is to be inter
preed contended for by the honorable gentleman from
Georgia he should have allowed the slaughter to have
proceeded without interruption, because the act of 1918
although II required to prevent the carrying of
such expeditions from shores, did not permit
enter the jurisdiction of another power for that purpose
Indeed not allowed to go beyond the marine
league.
tely right in the construction which he gave to the act
of 1918 and think he is entitled to much credit for the
Interpretation he gave to that act of Congress think
the Congress of the United States should in that
interpretation for is the correct 1t is safe doc
tne and the only doctrine under which it is practicable
restrain such expeditions Under any other construc
ton It would be almost impossible to arrest expedition
fitted out southern borders to attack neghboring
country because you never find the ship, in
time out of a thousand until the men and munitions Of
war are landed 1t so in the of the expedition
fitted out against Cuba a short time since. We had
line of ships upon coast and Spain had almost
ed the ocean with her ships war Yet the expedition
was not cyertaken until it had landed and the army had
gone into the interior and there fought Americans will
fight until the last man died taken prisoner.
Under such Interpretation You render your act inn
potent You can neither enforce the laws of nation
carry out the provisions of the act Of 1913 unless you
tain the very which has been taken by Commodore
Paulding We should not give it the cold support that
says You ought not perhaps to have passed the Dor
ders that technically wrong but you have acted
under All honest mistake, and will excuse you Let
us the contrary, say, tQommodore, you have done
your duty aud will sustain you At the time OF the
Canadian difficulties the authorities there gave this inter-
probation to the law Of nations General Brady took his
position upon the waters which divide the United States
and Canada and there prevented the expedition from
country from going Why did not the United States
which is SO jealous of her rght-why did not these gen.
emen who stand up in this hall in defence Of the
eregnty of Nicaragua call upon England to redress this
grievous invasion of waters? This sir, is novel
Walker such doctrine has had recognition in the
practice Of nations has found place in the
pages of the learned writers international laws.
1t is contendcd gravely that should send Walker
back that have committed gross outrage upon his
rights and that ought put him board of the
vessels of navy, with his and munitions of war;
send him back and put him precisely where Commodore
Pauldng found him Yet the men who contend thus in
the breath allege that when Commodore Pauding
landed upon the shores of Nicaragua he committed
outrage upon the sovereignty of that State and yet they
would send him back, with his and his arms, and
thus commit another outrage upon the sovereignty Of
that nation This to be done and upon the principle
it is to be supposed that two wrongs make one right If
- IT. II