Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-01-20
LETTER FROM GEN. STALKER TO PRESIDENT
BUCHANAN.
WAsHISGToN, January 4, 1858.

Sir !: On theti 18th: h:tet June last | hal the
honor to address you aiqtterrclating to the man
! ner in which emigrated from California to
. Nicaragua, the eventssathich followed my pres
ence in Central Amerisa, and the unjllSt and
illegal acts by which Twas forced for time to
abandon my adopted cssntry.
II In that letter I stataif facts which defy my
enemies TO controvert;; sand / then hoped your
!. .Exceilency would taks &fsps for the punishment
tssff sSHencss against Fight, justice
and putlic law, comutled by United States
officers, irf the seizure dfia Nicaraguan vessel in
a Nicaraguan port. sgnnMnander Davis has,
however, gone unrebuEss1, so far as am inform
ed for his violation 4ofs}hterna. onal law, and
of tile CONSTITUTION Of the United States and
it grieycs to say that I!hm again obliged to ap-
proach you with COMPLAINT against another
and yet higher offcerSof the United Safes
navy. e
In approaching youEas supplicant for JUS
tice know that it is2Aeccssary for me to re-
move erroneous impre4iunS which have been
made on your mind coScernng my conduct in
connection with Nica,hguan affairs Corrupt
and malignant persons shave surrounded your
l,Exeellency and pouredynto your ears false sto
'rieS concerning events . Central America.
And now, to you, TIE President Of the Uni
ted Suites; I,directly charge, and stand ready
! to prove what say, taat your officers of the
Navy, not only by irresponsible statements
through the press, but also in official commune
cations, have niisrepres1nted facts and falsitied
events. Feeling and believing as do that You
would not willingly wEhng any individual, no
matter how humble, am satisfied that the
summary judgment yoa pass Oh my conduct in
your Annual Message Il, Congress, is the r. suit
of incorrect inforlnatioT5 and trust and con-
iidently expect, that wnen the truth is placed
before you, your Judgment will acquit me OF
the grave. charges brought against me.
Permit ME, then, if you please, before pro-
ceed 10 call.fyour attelfHon to the condact OF
Commodore Pallding, 20 deny most unequivo-
cally, tlat.I have eveE been engaged at any
time Or in any manner with any unlawful eX-
pcdtion against Nicaragua. In Your message
to Congress you seemto imply that my first
departure from San Francisco was illegal, for
vuu saw: a:when, it was first rendered probable
i that an attempt would DE made to get up, an
other unlawful expedition against Nicaragua
with all Difference beg leave to repeat what |
said In a previous letter, and to again inform
you that letSan Francisco in May, 1855, with
/ the sanction and approvalof the Federal officers
!. of the port, and that the Captain ul the reve-
i,nue cutter sent his sailors to bend the sails
| which carried us FROM California to Central
America. Allow ME, also, to suggest that the
/ Government of the United Sta'es recognized
and lGg,,lzed tile immediate results Of the cmi-
grafton from California; in the reception OF Pa
4 dire Vigil as Minister S5siii the Republic Of Mic
aragrll Not only was the first expedition, as
it has been called, to Nicaragua entirely lawful
in It's origin, but all its consequences were mark
ed by strict adherence 10 law and justice. Some
have told you, know, that am aman "wit'l-
ont faith and without money!" but from the
beginning to the end of my career III Nicaragua,
| cI. 'leuge the world to pr lnce 4 single viola
! ton of public iaith-a single deviation from the
great principles of public right .and public JUS
tice On the contrary, the Americans in Mica
rarua have always maintained the faith and
honor of their race, in the midst of ftisehood
and treachcry OH The part Of their cncmics-in
the face of countless hosts arrayed against them
-uu less than in the presence vi famine and
Of testilence. Our conduct in tie midst OF
trials an,l of dangers, is sufficient answer to the
cpithets which have bean hurled against us;
and when the passions and prcjudiceS OF the
present have died away, we will calmly await
/ the Judgment OF pu5telity on our conduct
, Bus am officer Of the inted States Navy
forced us to becnme exes rom Nicaragua and
let me rcmn yull Of the Fact, that from the
moment we touched pur native soil we protested
against the illcgality and Injustice OF the act,
and declared our intention tu return to the land
whence we had bcen wrongrully brought
Everywhere-befure the funcionarcs of the
! Government-in the presence Of assembled
multitudes Of the sovereign pcoplc-we de-
clarcd that no effort shoul1 he unused in order
to regain the rights wrested from Us by fraud
and illegality.
Do YOU suppose that if We hal been con
scius of any violation or intended violation oT
law, we would thus have proclaimed our Objects
and intentions? Is it the habit pG offenders
aeail,St pahlic right, or OF con,piIaor against
public Justice, to hearald tEcir acls Oh the cor
ners Of the streets and publish their wrong do
ings in the market place
Would we have violated the public con-
science of this nation by calling OH he penlLc to
! disregard their own enacted statutes? No, Mr..
President, let all your District Attornies en-
llau>t their energy and their ingenuity let
them attempt to pervcrt the law To purposes Tor
which it never was intende.l-they cannot make
good the charges which have been made against
lis.
Once the District Attorney attempted to con-
vct me of breach of the neutrality laws but
Jury Of the country rendered q verdict OF
"not euty,n almost without leaving the bar
Again q like effort would be crowned with
like result,
After long effort and much patient endurance,
we at length sailed from Mobile for San Juan
dc Nicaragua on the 18th day Of November
last. The vessel in which We sailed was rcsu-
larly cleared by the collector Of the port, and
special Inspector was sent aboard to examine
the cargo and the passengers. Our rights, too,
as Sicarasuan4 were acknowledged, ECr the COLI
Icctor refused to clear the Fashion with Captain
|! Fayssox commanding, on the ground that he
was citizen of the United States.
With regular register and clearance we sup
posed when once on the high seas We were be-
yond the possible interference Of any United
States authority; for even if we were admitted
belligercnts against power with which the
United, States was at peace, the owners OF the
neutral vessel had Il clear right to carry walllkc
persons as well Us contraband Cf war; subject
only to the risk Of capture by the cncniy's
cruisers. We did not for moment imagine
that naval officers would undertake to place
restraints on American commerce in the alb
sencc of Federal law and Of Congressional a'l-
thority. The Difference, too, We know your
Excelicncy has for the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States precluded the supposition TINT any
orders had been issued to detain or capture al
American vessel whose papers showed she was
engaged in lawful voyage
Satisfied as we were Of the entire legality of
our voyage, we did not hesitate TO enter the