The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-01-06

is the official letters from com. Paulding,
detailing the circumstances of the arrest
of Gen. Walker
Fac SHIP WABASH,
OfAspinwall, Dec l5,I857.
SIR-My letter of the 18th instant in
formed the Department that I had broken
up the camp of Gen. Walker, at Punta
Arenas, disarmed his lawless followers,
and sent them to Norfolk in the Saratoga.
The General came here with me and will
take passage in one Of the steamers for
New York, where he will present himself
to the Marshal of the District.
The Department being in possession of
all the facts in relation to Walkers escape
with his followers from the United States,
as well as the letters of Capt. Chatard
and General Walker to me, after he landed
at Punta Arenas, the merits of the whole
question will, I presume, be fully compre-
hended. / could not regard Walker and
his followers in any other light than as
outlaws, who had escaped from the vigi-
/ lance of the officers of the Government,
and LETT our shores for the purpose ofrHR:
inc and murder, and / saw no other way
to vindicate the laws and redeem the hon.
or of our country than by disarming them
and sending them home. -
In doing SO, I am sensible of the re-
sponsibility / have incurred, and conf
IDENTIFY look to the Government for my
justification. Regarded in its true light,
the case appears to me a clear one, the
points being few and strong. General
Walker came to Point Arenas from the
United States, having. in violation of the
laws, set on foot a military organization
to make war upon a people with whom
we are at peace. He landed there with
armed men and munitions of war, in def
ance of the guns of a ship-of-war, placed
there to prevent his landing. With moth
ing to show that he acted by authority,
he formed a camp, hoisted the Niearaguan
flag, called it the Headquarters of the
Army of Nicaragua" and signed himself
the Commander-in-Ch
With this pretension he claimed the
right of a lawful Government over all the
persons and things within sight of his flag,
Without right or without authority he
landed forty men at the mouth of the riv-
er Colorado, seized the fort of Castillo on
the San Juan, captured the steamers and
goods of merchants in transit to the inte-
rior, killed men and made prisoners of
the peaceful inhabitants, sending to the
barber of San Juan delnorte some thirty
or fifty men, women aud children, in the
steamer Morgan. In doing these things
without the show of authority they we're
guilty of rapine and murder, aud must be
regarded as outlaws and pirates. They
can have no claim to be regarded in any
other light. Hun anity, as we'll as law,
justice, and the national honor demand
ed the dispersion of these laWless meu.-.
The remnant of the miserable beings who
surrendered at Rivas were conveyed in
this ship last summer to New York, and
their sufferings are yet fresh in the mem
DRY of all on board. Besides the suffer
ings that must necessarily be inflicted
upon an innocent and unoffendiDs peorl-,
these lawless followers of Gen. Walker,
misguided and deceived into o career of
crime, would doubtless have perishndin-
Central America, or their mutilated- and
restoring bodies have been brought back
to their friends at the expense of their
country.
For the above reasons, which appear
to my mind quite sufficient, l have dis.
armed and sent to the United States,
General William Walker and his outlawed
and piratical followers, for trial, or for
whatever action the Government, in its
HlSuOn, may tuIuh piOpOi " puISuOs Il
Captain Oinmany, of H. b. NJ. ship
Brunswick, offered to cooperate with me
in removing the party from Point Arenas,
but, as they were my countrymen, l deeni-
ed it proper to decline the participation
of a foreign flag"
Ia q letter of December 18th Com.
Paulding gives the particulars of the land
ing of the marines and seamen at Point
Arenas, uuder circumstances of great diff
Guilty yet everything was done in so sea-
manlike and skillful,a manner, that it was
accomplished in the shortest possible
time, and without loss or accident. To
the excellent discil line and fine bearing Of
the officers and men he say he is indebted
in the performance of this NEST uRpleas-
ant service, for the exemption of all casu-
atty or accident. There was no one in
jured, and no loss of any kind was sus
tanned. No commanding officer was so
supported by q body of officers and men
in a name more highly to command his
admiration and respect.
The Cabinet had the matter before
them to-day. Although the arrest of
Gen. Walker is not strictly justified by
the instructions to commodore Paulding,
it is conceived the case is very much palli-
ated by the circumstance under which,
as explained by him, it was effected.
Gen. Walker will be released from his
present arrest, aud it is probable a process
will be commenced TO bring him to trial
for a violation of the neutrality laws.
-CaptaiR -Engle had a long interview
With thaIrasidanto-dny5 ind detailed
to him all the circumstances connected
with the arrest of General Walker.
General Walker arrived in this city
this evening, accompanied by Marshal
Rynders, and I. F. Meagher and NAL
colin Campbell, his at'ornics. He was
rec, lived with cheers by q large copcourse
of people as he entered his quarters at
Browns Hotel.
Shortly after Marshal Rynders with
General Walker repaired to the State
Department, when the former stated to
General Class that he had received a COM