The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-08
From the New York Evening Post.
The DOMINICAN INTRIGUE AND THE D0MINI-
CAN COMMISSIONER

Mr.. William L. Cazneau has published a
letter in the Herald of this city, in which he
admits the material portions of our statement.
made few days since, in reference to the IN
trigue on foot for the recognition of the negro
republic of Dominica. Hsadmits that he was
sent to ST. Domingo by the Administration, and
that his object was, and is, to assist the Domin-
lean republic in obtaining ats deserved and
honored place in the family of free American
States.o
We have now the authority Of the Commits
sioner himself for saying that the acquisition
of Dominica was the object Of his mission last
winter, and is q part Of the avowed policy of
the present Administration the resolution OF
which Mr.. Douglas gave notice few days since
in the Senate being the most recent stage in
the proceedings.
We are glad to have this admission from so
competent witness rs Mr.. Cazneau, for it re-
lieves the press and public men from the tedious
task of disputing about the truth of our state
men!s, and puts them at once TO the considera-
ton and discussion of the proposed policy of
the Government.
Now, we repeat what we believe we have al
ready stated, that we have no objection what
ever to the recognition of Dominica, provided
it be made upon a principle and under gen.
eral law covering all similar applications. We
do object to her admission upon any other
terms, and especially upon the terms which,
we perceive, are to DC set up as a ground for
excepting Dominica from rule of legislation
which is vigorously enforced against the neigh
boring Empire of Hayti Spd the more distan;
Colony of Liberia. Ii tHtPresident and Sen
ate of the United States are prepared to rec
ognise the independence of all Governments de
fdcto, without inquiring into pending interns-
1 -, mall. ff thoxy
are disposed to except from the operation OF
the rule those Governments which are under
the rule of Africans or the descendants Of AT
ricane why, the rule is liberal and impolitic
| but sti, it is consistent and perhaps the coun-
try might sustain them; bat the country will
| not sustain them in recognising one negro Gov
eminent, and refus;n the like courtesy TO anoth-
er which has ten times the population, and
with which the United States has more than
twenty times the commerce
| We infer from Mr.. Cazneau's letter, that il
is the intention of the Dominican party to
claim that Dominica and Hayti are under the
control of different races and that it Is the in
terests of whites for which they are 50 much
concerned In reply to our statement that
the Dominican is not less negro Government
than the Haytiep, he says:
"It the EUeaing POST ought to know, thai
|
or Congress. and that in meme of the Spanish
American States is smaller number of color.
ed officials
Mr.. Cazneau and ourselves may differ about
the use of the word NEGRO" We used it in
| its common acceptation IN the United States
| as applying to all vino are under civil disabili
ties of any kind from their African blood. II
| is not customary among those whom We ad
| dressed, to distinguish so nicely between the
negroes and the coiored classes, because they
all stand on par before the law, and have
felt with equal rigor the pressure of that inter
national policy of our Government in reference
to Africans, to which we have referred.
We presume MIR. Cszneau will not pretend
that President Santana is a white man, or thai
President Baez, whom Santana succeeded wa:
white man. We presume no one understood
us as saving that the President of Dominica, OF
his Cabinet, were aboriginal or pure blooded
Africans: neither do we understand MIR. Caz
neau to say or believe that there is a full-blood
ed white man holding any post of political re
sponsibilty about the Dominican Government
| He knows if he has been there, as we'll as we
that its affairs are az much-quite as much
under the control Of men of color, as the AID
ministration at Washington is under the con
troll of whites.
Mr.. Cazneau also knows-or if he does not
we know what is equally material to this ques
tion-that in all Dominica, with a population
of from seventy-fve to hundred thousand
there are not two hundred and fifty whites al
told sailors and diplomatists included. Whai
folly to talk Of white Republic IN such q
country 1t would be a far more Legitimate
use of language to call the United States
black Republic.
No. it is well known that Dominica is in
habited, so far as it is inhabited at all, by col
ored people, without industry, enterprise, char
acter, or courage; that few emigrants from
the United States could easily, and without
resisting struggle, change the constitution, ant
convert the country into market for Amer
can slaves. Mr. Calhoun had these facts dis
tinctly in view when he cent Hogan GOVT
there on q secret mission, during the admins
tration of Mr.. Tyler and the flag ends OF TIT
old Notification party, of which he was tner
the head, are now using the present Admins
tration as their instruments in carrying on
his schemes, then formed, but not fully devei
oped-schemes which contemplated the multi
piication of slave States, and slave representa-
ton in Congress, until that interest shall b
strong enough either to universaiize Slavery II
the United States by laws and judicial decis
ions or force the North TO take the place o
the old Nulliiers and become secessionists