Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-12-29
IMPORTANT FKoM SAN DOMINGO.

The t,coiy ulM tic LInird S.uas OPposci by France
ana En-aai-ProT.t ofkhe .Amcrica" Comm"SSio"'
or.
The treaty Of friendship. Commerce am! hhTi""''""'
Recently concluded hy ". J.. Cnznrau, E>'l., on HE
mart Of the United Sta!cf, with tie Republic ut DO
minica, has terribly rScitri thu English and French
co,suls there. md il is said they have made II strong
verbal, .~otrst against it. 1t is further stated that
fine British Consul has ud.lra;scd the Dominion GOV
eminent AN insolent nrrc. in which he state" that the
said government cannot negotiate 'nch i treaty Will
mn, ,I. cons,u, Of En.!ani AMI France. Tw" Do.
ninical Journals hal also been suppressed, at the IN
stauce of IN. French Consul, for expressing senti-
n.n;s favorable to the United States. The American
Commissioner has mad. the following protest against
tn, action of the French aud English Consuls:
Sr.noMISGo. Nov. II, 1854.
The unlcr.isnod,, Conn" m"I ,i" mnsr r PIE. pnxaTnmyu Of
having GOOD reason To know that the agents "i
France and England. hnrc, by various means, aided
by n mcnacing display OF an armed force before THIS
rapitnI, ovcrawcd and controlled the free notion of the
Dominican Republic III liz relations with the United
States, hereby protests, in the name of hs country,
uruinst this breuch of honorable fifth towards his
Government, aud ucaIiist this unwnrrnntnble en-
crouchmciit upon the sovereign rights OF M indepcn-
dent American power.
Every cIllSNltIcu s'''' Iili'l III u'ii's "ih iS
United States il perfectly informed Of their deter
mined purpose, as Il nation, 10 oppose whatever nca-
.urc NAV be- intended to subject tho independent; Mt
tionaitv of III American people 10 the arbitrary will
of a foreign power. or make its artiuu, and even eX-
is,ence, dependent on the dictn Of Il foreign policy
and none Of those nations have tnken exceptions 10
this imuurable principle "t the American system.
The Cuitcd Suites mako no difference in the appli-
cation OF this rule between tn" strong and weak ofthcir
sister republics, aud they hnvc Il just right 10 expect
the powerful and magnaniinGus nations Of Europe will
follow their example.
These iucts being 50 we'll understood, l must call
Your particular attention, sir, In this lncOnsidcrnte vi
nlutiou of the relations Of unity and commerce now
subsisting between our respective countries, in the
trust that Won, ~ the responsible representative Of
your government at tlis cnpiial, will Use the neccssa-
~ precautions 10 guard those relations from further
Disturbance.
and people of the United StntcS may conceive they
have just cause toIistrust the sincerity md good faith
of any government whose agents in these waters arc
permitted 10 interfere in ninirs and negotiations be-
longing entirely and exclusively TO the interests of the
United States aud the Dominican Republic; and ] am
confident that you, sir, would regret equally with my
stlf the consequences which might result from this
unauthorized intrrmcddlin- with the snnctity amd
freedom of inter-Ancrican relations.
Yours, respectfully, WV. l.. CAzNEhu.
The action of the two consuls has, 80 far, prevented
the ratification of the treaty by the Dominican legis-
laturc. The treaty cIubraccs thirty articles, aud IL
merely one of alnlty, commerce aud navi-atiOn;
guarantees freedom Ui conscience; provides for the
rendition uf .tu.itives from Justice; recognizes the
principle that in time of war the alag covers the
goods" declares that citizens Of tho one republic, re-
siding in the other, shall not he subject To military
service; allows the citizens ut the one to pass through
or reside and do business within tho territory of the
other; and in case of war between the two Repub-
lies, tbs temporary residents to have SIX months with
in which 10 return to their own country, with their
goods and merchandise; gives free access 10 our YES
sells OF war and mail steamers in the ports of Dolnini-
ca: couccdes the right 10 appoint con-uls, &C., ut al
ports except where their admission und residence may
not appear convenient; and guarantees to citizens of
Dominica tuearly all OF them mulattorsI The legal
mot politically rights of citizens; but this clnuse the
Dominican Legislature deems too vague and cquivo-
cal To secuEc the end it mcditatcs, and proposes an
amendment, accordin. to mulattoes expressly the
rights thus assured in general termS. This our COM
| missioner will not agree Ia. We see it stated there
are now four French vcsScll at wGr in the port of st.
Domingo, and an English fleet is shortly expected
there, with the view, it is supposed, Of preventing the
final ratification of the treaty.