The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-01-13
sympathy for Walker.

seems TO be considerable in several of the
Southern cities, and the arrest which is so
much complained of, will doubtless con-
duce to his ultimate advantage. He was
looked upon as "A reckless adveDturer, and
was possessed TO Il very limited extent of
the confidence and sympathy OF the mass
OF the peopio but, since the flair of his
arrest, he has jumped 10 q position in the
| estimation Of the people Of the United
States, which he never held before. Whcth.
eE reason or impmlsi,encas, has had the
greater share in bringing this abont, does
not matter. The 'man Of destiny sees his
prospects growing brighter and brighter, as
public meetings continue 10 be held, raising
men aud means TO assist in carrying out his
purposes.
For all this hc has TO thank Pauldinp-
Pau'ding has, unintcntionally, though it be,
done him II Valuable service, and the Gene
raj could not acknowledge his gratitude in
more becoming manner than 10 step be.
tween him u"nIding) and the storm of III
dignalion that is hanging over his head -
This would be an net of genuine magma
nmi'y or perhaps Of ecccu:rici,y. The
latter feature, we believe, is more in con-
sonancc with the character Of great mcn.
The Cummodorc's sin, seems TO lay in
the fact that he waited too long. The time
that he would have been justified, by his
instructions, in nrrcsling Walker. had pass
ed. His Instructions were of Il general
charactcr-to prevent armed expeditions
from .caying the United : St:,tcs for the pur.
pose Of interfering in the rirs of other
nations, and 10 enforce. it necessary, n due
observance of the Neutrality laws, to " hich
the good faith of the United States is pied
gcd. Had Paulding arrested him upon the
eve Of his departure from our shores, or in
his passage 10 Nicaragua, lie would have
done no more than his duty but Walker
had already landed on foreign soi!--had
planted his flag, and IL WAS not for the
United States To say whether he was an i'm
| poster, or entitled 10 the prcrogativc which
he claimed. and whi h it seems tie NicarI.
guanS repudatc. This, however, is Il mat
ter with them.
To justify Pauldiug, Walkers proceed
ings must be held rs piraticaI, and whether
they are so, depends upon the legality of
his claims 10 the soil which he seeks To
govern. Our Government does not consid-
er his course piracy and he is forthwith dis
charged from custody. The Commodore
will probably bc rebuked for not being aLlc
to discern between flibustering and piracy,
| and thus the affair viii end so far rs he is
concerned.
Walker, however, is not so caSay dspos,
| cd Of His friends contend that he should
| be sent back, in Government vessels. to the
point from which he w"s forcibly brought,
and that he and his men should b. indrm.
niird for time lost and indgniiy sustained
This may be just, but unfortunately il is
rather degrading, ard would be paying too
dear for the mistake Of II Government ofii.
cial. We have not yet seen il suggested
that it is the duty of President Buchanan
t" conduct the reinstatilg expedition in per-
| sOn.
In the event that Anderson il not REIN
forced, or is incapable of exir:caliug him
self from the position of peril incurred
through Pauldng's arrest of Walker, We
believe it the duty Of the Government to
release him. Humanity demands this.
We see it stated that Walker has written
an able letter to the President, demonstrate
! ing the legality Of his expedition and the
! liIcgrlIty of the acts of Davis and PauId-
ing, and demanding reparation from the
Government. lie rcpudiates the name of
| pirate, and declares emphaticrIy that he
viii not relax his efforts, and that while his
faith in right and confidence endure, he will
cndearor To regain what has been wrong.
fully wrested from hini.
Walker acknowledges no allegiance TO
/ onr government his relation, therefore, 10
us, is thnt Of foreigner-an cxi'e and
| yet he is quietly permitted to iruverse our
country with the aVOwcd purpose of rais-
! ing mcu and munitions of war To smstaiu
| him in ln>tilnting some real or imaginary
claims against foreign power. This ap.
! pears To be IN unhealthy state Of affairs il
KOssu'h had presumed MS much, his con.
duct would have been considered Outr,-
gcous.
II Walker has legal rights 10 Nicaragua
and his object is to establish there a repub-
lcan Government on the plan Of our own,
We heartily wish him success 10 toe employ.