Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-20
\ m(MALKER, THE WEE r1AN
VlTM WHO STARTLED THE WORLD
YagSSE9KY HIS AMAZING SUCCESS
AS A FILIBUSTER AMI
BECArTE PRESIDENT OF NICARAGUA

nIInHfII W. ON NlNf flNfNNh vi ANI' INhNh'H
but DO was useless. lie was condemned
&, dia los the fusladc. The leading
citizens pleaded FOR clcmency but
walker. who was the government. re-
fused. corral died aud Nicaragua
uept.
I'm the four months following the for
nation of tho Now government Walk
'rs force OF Americans and other for
eiguers Increased to 1900 They came
from all parts OF the Union. but priu-
C'rlllv California and the southern
states. Among tnC adventures were
many Idle and desperate characters who
looked for booty and tho utmost license
ion living. They had % shocking sur
prise. Instead OF dchaUchCry and free
living they found the most rigid OF
military discipline. Any one caught
selling liquor To- "a soldier was subjcc.
o. $3.50 6nc a soldier caught iutoXi-
Gated was put D. jail for 10 days
Never before were nlibusters held So
strongly i'm leash as by this little man
crimes against the natives ne punished
with % severity that was appalling
There was TO forgiveness FOR am Of
fender When the class Of men he
had 10 deal with is considered there
can he mo- doubt OF his ability 10 con-
troll mon.
But while Walker was master Of ar
fairs ln Nicaragua and the whole re-
public Was enjoying a peace and CON
tentmvnt such as IL had not known for
several years. troubles were develop
ing uu The outside for the nlbustar
leader England was alarmed. n Che
United states got control of Nicaragua
aud built a Nicaragua canal Great
BrItaiu's commercial supremacy was
endangered. England had held pos
session of various places ON the gulf
coast of Nicaragua for a century or
more 4ul saw or pretended 90 see
their safety threatened by the Walker
Influence iu Nicaragua If Walker
rulcd in Nicaragua 10 was inevitable
that bis power would extend further.
" might embrace am Central America
Neither England. France nor Spain
wanted any extension OF American in
hucnce in Central American countries
MARCYs OPPOSITION.
Walker might have handled tho Euro
pcan opposition without much trouble.
but he had more serious antagonists I'm
the United States He was avowedly
an advocate OF slavery, and ne had the
support Of people of the slave states
William l.. Marcy secretary OF state.
| had no sympathy with Walker or his
| project. He looked upon him as little
less than an outlaw and his plans as
/ criminal He saw. too. that II Walk
er's undertaking succeeded there would
be stimulus to flibustering and free
| booting such as would stir the world.
| There were some men I'm Wall street,
| too connected with the Transit com
| pany who saw no good for their inter-
| ests IN Nicaragua IL a martinez such as
| Walker controlled the government
They preferred 10 deal with Nicara-
! guans.
The minister Walkers provisional
| government sent 20 the United States
was not received and Spanish Ameri-
ca gave evidence OF its feelings to-
| ward the hlibusters by two acts.
| Costa Rica declared war against Nj
caragua and Peru subscribed $780,
| 600 20 aid Costa Rica. Honduras. too.
| was on the eve Of taking up arms.
! Both Honduras and Costa Rica got war
supplies If not financial support from
| the British.
Walker was down with fever when
| the costa Ricans crossed the border.
! ana Colonel Schlessinger had COM
| mand OF the hlibuster force. He was
| utterly Incompetent, and his little
| force was routed being surprised
| through gross carelessness. The Costa
! kican army was commanded by the
4 frussian general. Won BulOW.
The uneXI ected defeat of the hlibus-
tcrs stirred the opposition In the north
| into revolt. Guardiola raising a mixed
! force Of LcOnese and Hondurans What
| was more serious. the Transit conn
| pany suspended business. This cut off
| Walkers supplies and reinforcement
from the east Walker retalisted by
| appointing a committee To- audit the
! Transit companys books. The COM
| mission reported that the government
| had been defrauded for years and
| that S25O.OO0 was due 90 g.. Commo-
| dOre Vanderbilt refused 10 acknowl.
edge or lquidate the debt Walker
! thereupon seized the Transit company.
property as security. revoked Wander
bits charter ana granted "a new ono
to "a rival company.
ELECTED PRESIDENT
on April @. 1856 walker rode on
| OF Granada with 500 men, four-ufth'
OF them Americans. TO give battle O.
the Costa Ricaus. who had captured
Elyas. The Costa Eic8u army Wai
$500 strong and had some English
! German and French mcrcenarics 90
81. In "a general assault Walker practi
| Cally was defeated. but hc inflicted
such loss ON the Costa Ricans that the'
were glad 90 SEQ him withdraw. Th,
cholera breaking ont among the costa
| RlJaus. only remnant of the army
survived. This rid walker of ou'
trouble. but the Invasion from tnl
north sull menaced him. By quIcl
work he oNcrcumo this and then h'
turned Co new field of activity H'
became "a candidate for the presidency
and Boo the june election he receive,
twice as many votes as 8ll hih rivals
on July 10. 1896, he was iuauguratet
president 10 o. noteworthy tina
cast for candidate in the repuhli
up Go that time aud that his admins
| tratiOu lasted longer than amy othe
{ ! president with but two except lons
/ But although Walker was elected a.
/ gaIy the nations Ot the earth refuse,
u.