The national Republican., 1861-04-05
DOMINICA.

Mr.. James Redpath, in a communication
published in the N. Y. Tribune of last Wednes
day, makes statements which throw light upon
the probable cause of the recent Spanish ex.
pedition to Dominica.
Santana, the President of Dominica has al
ways favored reunion with Spain, while his
competitor for political power, Gen. Baez, who
is now in exile, has stood upon what in this
country we should call "pla!form of ma.
tional independence.
Mr.. Redpath says:
"Since the independence of the Dominican
Republic, established in 1874, two parties have
divided and alternately governed it, whose rep.
resentative men are Santana and Baez, and
the words reunion and independence indicate
their respective policies.
"Unlike Caesar, Santana would rather be a
little man in great country than great man
in little country. Twice he has formally Of
fered to place the Dominican Republic under
the Spanish Crown, and, failing in these at
tempts, he coquetted for similar purpose with
| France, and then for o confederate union with
Venezuela. But none of these Powers would
accept his proposals. France and Spain had
been bitten once, and were satisfied with that
experience, and Venezuela did not want to be
| bitten at all.
Some years ago-what say now is drawn
from Haytien ofhcal sources-Santana borrow.
ed million of dollars from Spain. Failing to
repay it according to the terms Of the loan, he
offered to give q mortgage on the custom.
houses. Last summer, accordingly, small
band of Spanards-not more than eighty in
all-arrived at St. Domingo, and the three off.
cials among them Immediately entered on their
duties as collectors at the ports. The rest were
mechanics. That is all the emigration that
has been sent to the Dominican Republic by
Spain. There has been q small emigration
from South America, but this tide, with its flux
and reaux, is as old as the independence OF the
Spanish Colonies for, whenever there is \
revolution in Venezuela or the ad dining coun.
tries, numbers of the banished seek a home in
the Dominican Republic
This policy of Santana furnished the ma.
terial for creating an effective union among the
opposition to his Government. See he is sell.
ing the country to the whiteS!' Even az early
as last December, revolutionary circulars and
proclamations were in type in St. Domingo
and copy of the proofs know, were shown
to distinguished ambassador at Paris, But
this project was npped in the bud and Baez
is still in exile. The intrigues of the opposi.
ton continuing and increasing, Santana has
called for ad-6rst, in order to secure the per.
petuity of his own Government, and secondly,
to enable him to repay the loan.
"This, l venture to say, is the sum total Of
the whole hubbub that we hear from Havana "
Mr.. Redpath also notices the suggestion,
that France designs to reconquer Hayti. That
suggestion is, in itself, absurd, but may do mis-
chief to the work of colonizing Hayti with
colored people from this country, We there
fore copy below a part Of what Mr.. Redpath
says upon this subject
"There are various reasons why France will
never threaten Hayti-among them, these
"She has recognised the independence oI
Hayti;
"She draws large revenue from Hayti,
payment for recognising that independence;
" She is bound by treaty to defend Hayti
against all foreign attaeks and lastly
" She could not attack Hayti without first
declaring war against England.
81 might add to these reasons two others
First, that the experience of Napoleon, called
the Great, conclusively proves that France
could not conquer Hayti if she were to try
and, secondly, that Napoleon, called the Little