The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-22
LETTER FROM AN ANCIENT FILIBUs.
TER
Cause of walkers Failure-The Nicara.
guam President Reviewed.

cause OF Walkers Faflure-Thc Ntcara-
guam President Reviewed.
Editor Demovat-I have read two articles
in the DEMOCRAT in relation to Nicaragua in
which the actions of Gen. Henningsen and
Capt. Thomas are mentioned.
In the article on Henningsen mention is
made of the causes which led to Walkers
failure. The statement is entirely incorrect
for Walker was himself the real cause of his
failure in Nicaragua. I will explain The
Nicaraguan government previous to Wal
ker's advent had made an agreement with
Vanderbilt, Of New York, for the transporta-
ton of passengers from Greytown, on the
Caribbean Sea, to the Pacific Ocean, by
way Of the San Juan river, the Lake
Nicaragua. Virgin Bay and San Juan
del Sur. This treaty or agreement, which is
regarded by dejure and de facto governments
as being sacred, was violated by Walker when
elected to the presidency of Nicaragua, for he
seized the steamers and appropriated to him
self the money which should have gone to
the pocket of Vanderbilt This unjustifiable
overthrow OF the Walker government To
effect this ne sent a man named Spencer to
Central America, with instructions to incte
Costa Rica, San. Salvador, Guatemala and
pulsion of Walker His mission being sue
cessful, Gen. Mora, the President of Costa
Rica, invaded Nicaragua with the allied
troops, surrounded Walker and would have
captured him, but Capt. Davis, of the United
States navy, who was on the Pacific coast in
the vicinity of Walker, visited him, took him
prisoner and sent him to the United States by
way Of the Isthmus Of Panama.
This Is a brief statement of what did really
occur. Walker had Nicaragua in his hand,
but his own bad conduct was the cause of his
ruin, for it should be mentioned that the
Nicaraguans were quiescent, making no re-
sStance to his government. | was i'm the
campaign on the San Juan river under Col
Lockridge, having q company which l took
from Mobile, and shall state that, had the
Costa Ricans not recaptured one of the Lake
Nicaragua steamers. by means of which they
took San Carlos, at the head of the San Juan
river and the Lake Nicaragua, the river
and which tho FGt t Sew SseTspqo oh ahs
IN December, 1856, and arrived at the harbor
of Greytown on the I'd Of january, 1857,
would have proceeded up the river San Juan
at the instant OF its arrival, and relieved
Walker from the peril which environed him
and driven the Central American forces out
OF Nicaragua But the river was blocked, and
we We're compelled to remain at Punta Arenas
until the old steamer Bolivia could be repair
ed for our troops; This delay was inevitable,
pu1 M even with this delay we took Serapiqui
able conduct of Col. Titus paralyzed our
efforts, and the expedition was broken up.
A great deal has been said and written
ABOUT a this expedition on the San Juan, but all
sie ig statements are false and most of them
rldlculous. In the book he published after
returning to the United States, Walker pre-
sented every fact, and was guilty of much
P1reyarficatlon: 1a fe His object was to shift the
parties, but he first violated the freatv be-
tween Vanderbilt and the Nicaraguan 'i gov o
and then he suffered his little force
to be surrounded by the Costa Ricans. who
would q nave 1i' butehered him and his men but
Tor the timely interference of Capt Davis.
R