The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-07

ThuS, In IacC, u00er previous auIuI HIS
trations, the slaveholding power largely
and long determined the policy of the
country at home aud abroad. Thus 1t
happened that when Hayti established
a republic upon the basis of universal
emancipation, and constituted In all its
forms after our own, the United States
did not recognize Hayti, and throughout
all her existence, now not short one, OF
near fifty years, that sister republic was
never recognized by the United States.
1t was SO with Dominica, in 1924,
| when she separated herself from Hayti
and established an American sister re-
public, the United States did not ac-
knowledge Dominica as State, and she
has remained out of relations with us
until the present time. Our own anti
slavery people, of all classes, with great
labor and great cost, many years ago
established a republic on the coast of
Africa, Liberia, intended to operate sue
cessfully for the suppression of the
African slave trade. The founders of
Liberia were American citizens the
settlers of Liberia were a portion of the
American people but the slaveholding
policy prevailed in the councils of the
| United Estates, and the United States
did not recognize Liberia, though vir-
| tually a creation of its own.
| All this continued until 1861, when
the slaveholding policy of the United
States was for the first time effectually
reversed, not without the necessary cost
of suppressing the attempted dismem-
berment, so long menaced. How great
| that cost has been l am not now to
speak. but it is source of satisfaction
| that the reversal of the Objectionable
| policy is complete and radical. We have
| now no slaves in the United States
With declaring the doom of slavery at
home, the President recommended to
| Congress recognition of the Republics
of Hayti aud Liberia, and Congress
promptly and with great unanimity ex-
pressed its concurrence.
This hand, which by direction of the
| President wrote those acts, was at that
moment equally prepared and anxious
| TO recognize the Republic of Dominica
| But, unfortunately, just at that moment
the republic had gone down in Domin-
lea, and this fair and beautiful land had
become. with the apparent consent Of
| its people, portion of the Kingdom of
Spain. We could not deny to the peo-
pie of<Domnica the right to be subjects
| of Spain, if such was their choice. We
could not intervene by force to prevent
their exercising that choice, or 10 COM
pei them to reconsider it,.
We nowhere intervene to establish
republican institutions by force. We
deny the right of any state to intervene
| by force to establish monarchical, impe-
rial or any other form of government in
our own country. Foreign Intervention
by force is always ruinOus to u state, no
matter under what pretenoe it is effected
or by what agency it is invoked. No
foreign state can establish or guaran tee
republican institutions in any other
state by force. A state that will always
permit and endure successful interven-
| ton i'm its political affairs il unworthy,
and therefore incapable of being one
| A brave people needs no Intervention.
TO timid or cowardly nation foreign
intervention though in friendly guise,
is no blessing.
President Baez. That is true; but
the people of Dominica have a right
that, when they have re-established
their republican system, they shall be
acknowledged, and If | could only give
to our Congress, when it comes together,
the assurance that we should be recog-
nized by the United States, all our trou-
bles would be passed.
Mr.. Seward. President, out of the
capital, out of my country, without the
authority of Congress or President, !
ean say nsth Ina official aaa thsEEefp g
the American Republic.
President Baez. Certainly, under.
stand that your visit is personal and
unofficial. s.a
ur. Seward. Yes, il is so. Neverthe-
less feel assured that / shall speak in
harmony with the sentiments of the
entire American Government and peQ-
ole when say all that the condition of
Dominica, as you have explained It,
seems to ME to require. We nave built
up i'm the northern part of the American
continent republic. We have laid for
it a broad foundation. 1t has grown
upon our hands to be an imposing, pos
sibly majestic empire. It's stability
and permanence are essential to pros
perty, liberty, peace and happiness.
Like every other structure Of large pro-
portions, it requires outward buttresses.
Those buttresses can only arise in the
development of civilization in this
hemisphere.
They will consist of republics, founded
like our own, in adjacent countries and
islands, upon the principle of the equal
rights of men. TO us it matters not of
what race or lineage those republics
shall be. They are necessary for our
security against aggression, external
| forces, and perhaps for the security of
our internal peace. We desire those
buttresses to be multiplied and strength
ened as fast as it can be done without
the exercise of fraud or force upon our
own part.
You are quick to perceive the use of
the main ediiice in providing the but,
| tress YOU have established here; ana
thus it happens that the republics around
us only impart to us the strength which
| we in return extend to them. We have
no choice, therefore, but to recognize
the Republic of Dominica so soon as 1T
shall afford to US the necessary guaran-
tees of its own stability. We have only
been waiting at Washington for the re-
port of our consul here, giving us salts.
| factory evidence of its stability and
| permanence.
President Baez. 1t is desirable for
| Dominica that the United States should
enter into a commercial treaty with us,
but it is question whether we should
now send a minister by executive au-
thorty alone, or wait until the assem-
bling of our National Congress to give
the necessary authority. | should ike
to know if you are at liberty TO give me
your opinion on that question
Mr.. Seward 1t is not competent for
me to advise in regard to your country.
can only say that when minister
l. M .rx,Tf d.