The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-08-12
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
How a Vast Southern Empire Was
StrangIed.-Gen. William Walker
as the Modern Caesar.


Gen. William Walker was man
of extraordinary purposes, and the
South never appreciated his grand
designs because she was cheated IN
to indifference to his fate by such
men as JEFF. Davis. a piece of poe
try which we publish in another col
umn recalls the memory of the great
tilibuster; and some knowledge OF
his brilliant designs, which have
never before been given to the pub
lie, invests him with the character
of a far-reaching and distinctive rev
olutionist, such as this century has
not given to this continent i'll the
person of any other man.
William Walker was invited to
Nicaragua as an American colonist
in the double capacity of soldier and
citizen. He received a grant Of
900 acres of land, and was invest
ed with a military command. I'm
der the local law he was natllralizcd
as fully as if he had been born in
the country. A civil war prevailed
in the State, and Walker was order
ed under arms, with command OF
fifty four men who had accompanied
him from California, and who had
been adopted as citizens of Nicara-
qua as fully as the United States
ever adopted Gen. Shields, Senator
Schrlrz, or John Mitchell. 1t was
his duty to defend the Government,
and he did not hesitate to perform
| it. Castillion was the president, un-
der whose orders Walker acted, and
when he died, President Rivas, who
succeeded him, confirmed Walkers
grant and commission, and repeated
| the orders to him that he should at
once move against the rebels at
Granada. How he won a victory by
stubborn bravery and daring gene
ralship it is unnecessary to detail III
this place, for that he did accomplish
the triumph Of President Rivas and
the republic of Nicaragua is a part
of the undisputed history of the
times. How he afterward became
President Of the State which he had
saved from civil war, and restored
it to peace, which continues even to
this day, and how he was betrayed
by Charles Morgan, and was desert
ed by the United States, and was
baseiy given up to be murdered by
Great Britain, are also written in
the records of the day to the shame
of two great nations.
What Walker proposed to do has
never been fully understood, be-
cause his plans were too important
to be imperiled by an untimely reve-
lation. He did not dare to think of
them himself in their full extent, for,
to the practical eye, they were mere
conjurations of fancy, when consid-
cred in connection with the strug-
Cling hero of small army in an in
significant State. Walkers situa-
ton never, looked hopeful to the
mere observer Of passing events, for
he seemed to be holding his position
with a few hundred men against five
States and two millions and a. half
of people. This was the apparent
situation, but it was only apparent.
The full grown success was merely
hidden from sight by thin crust,
which, IL it had succeeded in break
inc, would have developed an easy
road to triumph which would have
surprised the world at large. Even
Walkers nearest friends did not
comprehend the magnificent plane
of advancement that their leader
| proposed to occupy, because, as we
said before, he did not dare to re-
veal his aspirations even to himself,
much less to his associates, for to
none but an enthusiast were the OBJ
iects reconcilable with the means
| that were relied upon to accomplish
| them.
Walkers government in Nicara-
qua was an aggressive one, being at
war with Costa Rica, in order to re-
cover certain territory which the lat.
ter State had conquered from the
former. It was an offensive one, be-
cause it was at war with Honduras,
San Salvador and Guatemala. The
design of all these engagements was
to open the way to suhlugatlon OF
the FIVE Central American States in
to confederation similar to that OF
the United States. Emigration from
the United States and Europe was
to be the main reliance of this plan,
and this strength was certain OF ac-
auisition, because Walker had the
means to command settlers. The
magnificent domain Of Nicaragua
was free to be given to men from
abroad; and contracts had already
been entered into with Oaksmith,
of New York, to fortify Chontales
with an immense colony Of Ameri-
cans. AZ similar use would have
| been made OF the lands in Honduras
and Costa Rica,. until the new peo-
pie would have largely outnumbered
the old ones. And, as all these set
tiers would have held their posses
sions from Walker, they would have
been pledged to his support, iHst as
the settlers of Normandy were pledg-
ed to uphold William the Conqueror
This was q programme which was
to feed itself. The more powerful
Walker became the more munifcent
1 he could have been to his friends,
4 AZ he conquered territory his ability