The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-28 00:00:00

THE SAN DOMINGO ANNEXATION

TREATY.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
For some time past a frequent report from the
London Stock Exchange has been " San Domingo
Loan firm." The history of that loan has been
fully told in the American papers, and, if untruth-
fully, still without Contradiction. We do not an-
ticipate many more reports about the San Do-
mingo Loan from the London Stock Exchange.
Whatever may have been the connection between
BAEZ, and those who floated these bonis,we feel some
confidence in asserting that the transaction as de-
tailed by the press of New York weighed with
the senate Committee on Foreign Relations to re-
commend the rejection of the San Domingo An-
nexation Treaty. Congress has to fight (and still
more has the Executive) gigantic combinations,
which strive to use the nation as a tool ; and invari-
ably the views of the " rings" are put forward un-
der the guise of patriotism. There are no railways
projected which it is not for the vital interest of
the country to construct ; there are no steam lines
propostd, except with the object of reviving the
ocean-carrying trade of America; no Atlantic Cable
can be devised but with the design of placing the
Republic on a level with the foreigner ; still the
eyes of all, even while they talk, are fixed on the
money-bags in the Treasury. Any bill which has
"money in it" has always a suspicious appear-
ance to an American statesman, whether he be in
the Executive or in the Legislature, and know-
ing that a triple wall of brass cannot fence the
Treasury from I ankee ingenuity, he feels, while
compelledtogrin and bear that, that at any rate uncle
SAM'S pockets shall be closed against foreigners.
The extraordinary story narrated of the San Domingo
Loan probably told against a measure commend-
ing itself to American spread-eagleism, which,
too, was earnestly pressed by the Executive, whose
pet scheme it appeared to be, for annexation would
fix that doubtful debt on the shoulders of the Repub-
lic. There was much in the proposal to annex what
is certainly the West. Indian island second only to
Cuba (if it be second) that was peculiarly fascinating
to Americans. Many leading men, prominently Mr.
SEWARD and General GRANT, favoured the scheme.
BAEZ pressed it, and the majority of the islanders
voted for it. Flanked by such a possession- to the
East, with Florida closing down to the North, Cuba
would then have been hemmed in by U.S. territory,
and with such a discontented population, whatever
thepresent success of Spanish arms, the days of Spa-
nish rule in that colony would thenceforth be num-
bered. One of the broad principles of American
politics is to sever all political connection between
that continent and Europe. In furtherance of this,
(a policy dictated by common sense), the annexation
recommended itself to such minds as that of SEW-
ARD, and doubtless struck a chord in the national
heart. Yet, with so much to recommend it, the Senate
Committee has brought forward a report against the
annexation, and it is not believed that the treaty
can command the necessary two-thirds majority in
the Chamber. According to a telegram, despatched
from America last Tuesday, " The objections to it
are that money is to be paid ; that the annexation
of Hayti must follow ; that possession of a. West
India island facilitates smuggling; and that it is
impolitic to annex any country occupied by the
Latin race." It will be seen that the leading ob-
jection is the money. First, there is the San Do-
mingo ring, whose demands will expand with the
success of their scheme ; next, there is the San
Domingo London Loan, which is a peculiarly dis-
tasteful morsel to the U.S. Senate, and President
BAEZ has probably defeated his object by attempt-
ing to kill these two birds with one stone. The
second objection has been with us the fatal one.
So surely as the Unite I States garrisons occupy the
chief towns of San Domingo, as certainly will fol-
low a war lasting over years, costing millions upon
•olious of dollars, the lives of many American cit

zens, the extermination of no small number of the
Senate's pets, the " full-blooded negro,'' and that
detestable and unsatisfactory work which lowers
instead of enhances the military reputation of a
nation—a guerilla mountain warfare in an unhealthy
clime, against barbarians. Contempt for, and dis-
like of, the negro is more strongly imbued in the
American than in any other nationality. It would be
Impossible for all U.S. soldiers to refrain from show-
ing this feeling. When the conflict burst forth,
which must surely follow annexation, it would take
its most dreadful form, a war of races ; and what
would be the difference between the position then
held towards San Domingo and that now held by
Spain towards Cuba ? The very thought of occu-
pying such a position, when fully realized by a
Senator, would make him throw a dozen votes—if
he had them—against the treaty ; and we feel "con-
vinced that whatever might be the political and ma-
terial gains to be derived therefrom,that so probable
an evil overshadows all. The third objection is per-
haps of greater moment than may, on this side the
water, be at a single glance apparent. Ports of entry
in the United States can be guarded, but who can
guard the ports of San Domingo unless an elaborate
and expensive Custom-house organization be main-
tained for an island which could not afford and cer-
tainly will not pay the expenses of a U.S. regiment.
Shippers would send produce to the new Territory,
which would be entitled to transfer its produce to any
other part of the United States, as the commercial in-
terchange of a Territzry. Thus a ready means
for evading the tariff would be supplied; and the
United States might find that they had bought
another white elephant " much more costly than
the "bear garden" of Alaska. The fourth objec-
tion we hold to be equally well grounded. Not only
is the Union for the present large enough, but its
citizens are sufficiently diverse in race, creating al- ,

ready numerous difficulties in the way of Govern-
ment. There has been anlndian difficulty—a negro
difficulty—an Irish difficulty—and there is growing
up a Chinese difficulty—without the addition of a
Latin difficulty. Whether the term " Latin "is
applicable to San Domingo we do not here discuss.
Doubtless the French have left some of their blood,
if it be Latin, in Hayti, and the Spaniards in San Do-
mingo ; though the island is African in nationality.
But whether Latin or Negro matters little in view
of the fact that half the population would have to be
exterminated, and the other half swamped before it
became a peaceful possession of the United States.
iVhat does, however, matter is, the statement of the
Senate's policy made in the objection. The fears ex-
pressel by some Mexicans will now be allayed and
the hopes of others damped. The fact, if the treaty
be rejected, will stand on record that the States
have refused to admit into the Union two islands not-
withstanding the vote of their people for annexation.
This is the position which the Republic ought to
assume, for it is nothing less than preposterous that
everypaltry community of savages are to be eagerly
picked up as citizens by what many believe to be
the first nation on earth (and still more are inclin-
ing to that opinion), and be paid for doing the
Union the honour of entering it. When the world
knows that a people must be on their good behaviour
for a long time before they can aspire to secure a
place in the Union, there will be a rapid appre:lia-
tion of that stock, and the honour, and material ad-
vantage will then be eagerly sought. On the whole,
we consider the Foreign Affairs Committee to be
giving sound advice, which we hope may not have
been influenced by any feeling of opposition to the
Executive.