St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-01-14
Caplure of FiIlibuster Walker.


board. On the next day, Paulding
despatched 400 men on shore, in com
nand of Capt. Englc, and demanded
Walkers surrender, who at once gave
up his arms and surrendered. Com
modorc Paulding took him on board,
brought him to New York, gave him
in charge of Marshal Ryndcrs, who
took him as a sort of prisoner OF war
to Washington. Gen. Cass, it is said,
denied any jurisdiction over him
stating that he was amenablc only to
the Courts. The papers, it is under
stood, are being prepared to indict
him in the Courts and bring him to
trial. OF course his trial will be a
mere farce, and no person expects that
any punishment will ever be meted
out to him. The Cabinet held COLI
sultation with regard to the conduct
of Com Padding, in Selling Walker
and his men, at which the Commodorc's
dispatches were read. lie says:
a could not regard Walker and his
followers in any other light than as
outlaws, who had escaped from the
vigilance of the officers of the govern
mcnt, and left our shores for the pur-
pose of rapinc and murder, and | saw
no other way to vindicatc the law and
redeem the honor of our country, than
by disarming and sending them home.
In SO doing, am sensible of the re-
sponsibility have incurred, and con-
fidcntly look to the government for my
justification"
At the time of Walkers capture, the
prospects of the expedition were en-
couraging, Col. Anderson having gone
up the river and captured several river
boats and the Fort of Castillo. 1t is
generally conceded that Walkers
capture by the American Commodore
was Illegal; and Walker already
talks Of compelling our government to
restore him to the beach at Nicaragua
in as good condition for warlikc pur-
poses as it found him.
Commodore Hiram Paulding is a
son Of the celebrated John Paulding,
the Pcckskill farmer, who was one of
the three captors of Major Andre. Al
though the arrest of Gen. Walker is
not strictly justified by the instructions
to Com. Paulding, it is conceived that
the case is very much palliatcd by the
circumstances under which, as eX-
planned by him, it was effected. The
following were the circular instruc-
tons sent to him:
WASHINGTON, Sept. Is, 1851.
SIR: From information received al
: this department, there is reason to be
lcvc that lawless persons are nov
engaged within the limits of tn
United States in setting on foot ant
| preparing the means for military eX
petitions to be carried on against tn
territories of Mexico, Nicaragua aut
Costa Rica-rcpublics with whom thu
United States are at pcacc-in dlrcc
. violation of the 9th section of the salt
: act of Congress approved goth April
1918. And, under the eighth section
of the said act it is made lawful fo
the President, OF such person as h
shall empower, to employ the land ant
! naval forces of the United States, AM
the militia thereof, /" for the purpose o
I preventing the carrying on of an.
such expedition or enterprise from tn
territories or jurisdiction of the Unite
, States" | am, therefore. directed b.
, the President to call your attention t
5 the subject, and to urge You to use al
due diligence and to avail yourself G
all legitimate means at your conman
to enforce these and other provision
; of the said act of Goth April, 1918
, against those who may be found to b.
engaged in setting ON foot or prcpaI
ing military expeditions against TIN
territories of Mexico, Costa Rica anC
Nicaragua, so maniicstly prejudicia
to the national character and so inju
rious to the national interest. Ant
) you are hereby instructed promptly t.
communicate to this department thu
earliest information you may receive
relative TO such expeditions.
am, sir, your obedicnt servant,
LEWIS CASS.
The Commodore was directed to con
slider these instructions as addressed
to himself, and to act accordingly, as
he has done. The point of objection is
that Commodore PauldinG, in hi
prompt and decisive measures to en-
force the neutrality laws, invaded thu
soil of friendly nation in making thu
arrest. But this appears to be an oh
lection which either Nicaragua cal
make as owner of the soil, or Grca
, Britain, on the ground of treaty viola
ton. 1t would then seem to be tim
enough for our government to take
decisive step III the matter after con
plant shall have been made by citlle
Of those powers. If it takes the init
ativc itself, it will at once, and justly
be ascribed to secret sympathy wit
the unlawful schemes of the fillibu:
tiers. The following is Commodor
Walker, summoning him to surrcndcl
The bluff Commodore gives expressio
L to his thoughts with true Anglo-Saxo
, energy and plainncss. 1t is refrcsI
j.. ing to read such an epistle:
L. S. FLAG-Sn,r WABASH, |
: on San Juan del Norte, Dec. Z, 1857. (
SIR: Your letter of Nov. 80 wa
k received at Aspinwall, and sent wit
| Il Il. 4