Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1858-01-20
The Capture OF Gen. Walker.
Remarks of Hon. r. K. ZoLLICoFTER, In the house
! of Renresentatiyes on the 18th Inst.

of Representatives, on the 18th inst
nR. ZoLLICoFER. This discussion has had
wide range and the points involved in IL have
been slaborately discussed. cannot hope to win /
and hold the attention of the House under sach
and will be brief and TO the points
propose to make. ~ ~
There are reasons why I wish to make record
of nv position upon some of the points involved
in this discussion. In the outset, sm opposed to
r, peal OF the neutrality laws. believe that ~
il our duty to ourselves an the world, and our
best policy if would perpetuate our poEer, and
preserve the respect and amicabls feelings of for
eign Powers to leave the act of 1878, guarding
our neutrality upon the sstatute-book. am not
flbuster. and do not rise for the purpose Of de-
fending a violation of the neutrality laws OF the
United States. Bat have been made to feel du-
ring this debate that justice has not been done to
General Walker, and that it is my duty to give
briefly my view of his public careers career
which has been SO violently denounced here and
elsewha re. Epithets of the most exceptionable
character have been applied to General Walker by
members of this House. He has been denounced
by Commodore Paul.ilg, by the President, and
through the presses of the country, as pirate, a
robber. msrauder and as one who has ruthlessly
violated the law OF nations.
Nr. Chairman, | do not believe that General
Walker has violated the neutrality act OF 1918. L
know he is rot pirate, or robber. Such epl-
thets are urjust, and discreditable to gentlemen
who employ them upon The floor of the House.
May | be INDUCED in briefly recurring to that
ection of General Walker which has called upon
him such Incorporate epithets as thesef In 1884,
civil war, is usual in the, Central American
States, was raging in Nicaragua. Gen. Castellon,
the leader of one OF those parties, and the one
which had taken possession of nearly all the strong
points in the country, sent TO General Walker, then
IN California, military commission to raise three
hundred men and join him in the coutict. what
did Walker cor He declined this commission, but
al IS r.r4a lI
Government will place in my hands commission
for colonization, I will accept it," Such COM
mission having been forwarded to him, land call
the attention of gentlemen to such facts as these,
"a commissioner from Castellon, the provisional
director of the party which had taken possession
of the whole country, with the exception of New
Granada, and one two other unimportant parts
in the country-what did Waller do? He proceed
ed at once to lay this PIPER before the Federal Of
cers of the United States in California; and TO ask
their opinion of it. He showed this commission to
the district attorney of the United States for the
northern district of C4lifornia and to the officer OF
the port of San Francisco. -s..-...
They informed him that they regarded 1t as Lee
climate; that they old not see in it violation OF
the neutrality laws OF the United States and that
they would not interfere with him, but wished sue
GEES to his enterprise. is strckipg fact that the
captain of the revenue cutter lying in the port of
San Francisco actually sent his sailors to bend the
sails OF the ship which carried Walker from Cafor-
MIA to the shores of Nicaragua.
When Walker landed some complaint was made
that American citizens were interfering in the local
disputes of Nicaragua. When he learned this, he
proposed that be would return to the United
States. The spirit which he eVinced on this occa-
sion seems to have satisfied those who had given
him the grant, and be was induced TO join the pro-
vsional dire ctor. The first step taken by him and
his followers, to take the oath of allegiance to
the Nicaraguan Government. he took the oath,
and so did the ffty-six men who went with him,
and they thereupOn became citizens OF the Repub-
lie of Nicaragua.
The first result of Walkers emigration land in
terpositon il you please) Was the reconciliation OF
the two parties which had divided the country. 1t
is true, he had first captured Granada, but that
achievement led to the happy result Of bringing
about a reconciliation of the two parties, and in
establishing Government which was more perma-
nent than any Government that has existed il Mic
aTagua for many past years.
1t will be recollected that, by the arrangement
agreed upon, Rivas, the leader of the Legitimist
faction, made president and General Walker,
the leading spirit OF the Liberal party, was m ide
general in-chief of the Nicarnguan army. The
Leeitimists themselves asked that General Walker
SHOULD hold this position, that he might restrain his
own followers The Government TINS organized
sent minister to the United States and that minis
lister recognized by the United States. It is
not un worthy OF note that the Governments result
ing from this interpostion OF General Walker has
Detn recognized by our own UOserDmeDt. Inere
are number OF facts which, in this cursory view
must pass But it will be recoIlected that
this was stable Government; that the neghbor-
ing Power of Costa RIGA made war upon it, invad-
ing the territory, but was expelled with great
slau ghter.
There were followers OF General Walker who
proposed TO GO the relief of faction in Hondu-
ras, which attempting to gein power; for it will
be borne in mind that the people who inhabit the
Central American States are mongrei breed of
negroes, Indians, and few Spanisrds, who al
ways at war With each other. Walker was opposed
to int rfere in the affairs of Honduras. This pro-
duced discomfort among some of his supporters,
and league was formed with the other four Gen.
trail American States to overthrow the Government
Of Nicaragua. Mean time Walker made Pres
ident, and it was in the progress Of the struggle
which ensued that United States naval officer
landed on the coast of Mic iragua and informed GEN
eral Henningsen that it was the purpose of the ma
val power OF the United States to seize the schoon
er Granada, belonging to the Nicaraguan Govern
ment, and under the control OF General Walker.
By that and other representations calculated to de-
ter, Captsin Davis, the commander of the St.
Mary's, influenced General Walker to make capt.
ulation. He soon after seized this schooner, aud
thus deprivng him of all means of maintaiuug
himself he detained Walker as prisoner, and
brought him to the United States against his earn
est remonstrances. Gentlemen have said that this
was a mercy to him. lie did not so regard 10. Gen.
tlemen have said that when he reached the United
States he gave the President pledge that he
would never return to Nicaragua, or that he would
not again violate the neutrality laws OF the United
States. deny the truth of such statement. /
deny that he gave such pledge. On the con-
trary, affirm that he made il known in the face
of the whole country that he meant to reinstate
himself soon he could; that he every where
serted that be was a citizen of Nicaragua, and had
been upjustly forced awsy from the country of his
adoption; that he had been detained against his
will aud against his interest, and he loudly com
plined OF this Interference with him.
When Walker was thus removed from Nicaragua
Rivas, who bad headed the movement ia Nicara-
qua against him, was himself almost Immediately
expelled from tho country by Martinez, who
made President by military force, with scarcely
the form of election; and Rivas is now a iugi-
tive in England, distrusting all parties at home,
and afraid to return to the country OF bis nativity
Almost simultaneously with this usurpatiou on
the part of Martinez the Costa Rican Government
attempted to seize the transit ronte, getting pos
session OF the boats on Lake Nicaragua, all the
river boats, aud every fort and strong position on
the whole line, except the single fort of San Carlos
and from that day to this war has ragged between
Nicaragus and Costa Rcs.
In the mean time, Walker frankly said to the
President of the United State: AZ have not viola
ted the neutrality laws of the United States; |
have wrougfully been forced from the country of
my sdoplion and il il my purpose TO reinstate my
self soon as can" He arraigned before
court Of justice upon charge OF violating the neu-
trality laws, and was honoraby acquitted.
After struggling long and patiently against ad-
verse circumstances, he at length succeeded In
by the naval forces OF the United States and forced
from m. rountry n his adoDtion---fhat cam