The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The San Domingo Ring Minister
Washburne and his Petty Cash-The
Legal Tender LAVA Revelation
about Gr-eley-Washington Gossip.
rrRox ORR OWN CORRESPONDENT ]

There must be something suspicious I'D Tie
nronosition TO annex San Domingo to the United
States, because some Of the worst men known
| to the Washington lobby are engaged IN pressing
| il most earnestly. Yesterday they importuned
the President to fail not to indorse the scheme
in his annual message; but they found the admin
stration fully advised Of theyiews Of the hafbar-
baric population Of that island on this question,
| and possessed OF a knowledge Of the advantages
| which would accrue to the United States by an
nexation. Tie government has report from its
own special ambassador who was sent out IN Au-
gust last to investigate this scheme, and the re-
sult in brief is, that the United States can have
San Domingo almost on its own terms.
Beyond its use as a naval station for the gulf
squadron and its salt deposits, 1t does not
appear that the island is Of very great value; and
what is more Objectionable to its annexation Is
that feature Of the plan which proposes that Con
gress shall give it a State government. In THIS
respect the lobby interest here founds its Claims
1t wants TO establish national bank, TO elect lts
members to Congress- to control the salt deposits
| and otherwise make money oat OF the new state.
| 1t is well understood that San Domingo mas nt-
tie pride In the matter, and will not be annexed
to the United States unless she can become Tree
and equal State in the Union. Congress may ne
induced to get fOothold in the West Indies oy
going so fur as to admit another negro govern
ment within the Federal confines but !, ought to
be cautious enough to inquire why these Wsshing-
ton lobbyists have such an interest In tnC Matter
There is no doubt whatever in spite Of all the
denials that have been made, that Minister WASH
burne has asked the State Department for a large
appropriation Of coin to meet, what he calls, the
| contingent expenses Of his legation. This comes
| from o man who has been notorious In Congress
| for years in cutting down the salaries and ex
| penses Of every department OF our foreign and
civil service, and resisting with narrow spirit
| OF meanness every extra dollar for widowed
pensioner, or MANNED soldier. But Washing
tonians returned from Paris say that Washburne
lives In cheap quarters and will be able to s"ve at
| least twelve thousand OF his seventeen thousand
dollars worth OF salary, and that his call Tor more
funds is to help out his two Secretaries OF Lega
tion-one Of whom, Frank Moore, OF New York,
| has been absent from his duties all summer, en-
gagged in writing book, or compiling one, per-
| haps. out Of guide-book, after the manner in
which he made up the "Rebelon Record" viz,
| out of newspaper extracts. The washburne fam
| lily has always been known as great humbug,
L ----
the enc who misrepresented us in Paraguay, and
the one who now misrepresents us In France, are
exhibiting themselves In their true colors.
| There is great anxiety felt in financial
| quarters to learn the decision Of the Supreme
Court on the constitutionality OF the legal tender
law. The long delay, for the cases were argued
last term leads many to believe that the decision
is adverse to the consttutionality OF the law. MI
| Spalding, of New York, who drafted and pressed
| through, while in Congress, the legal tender act
has written an elaborate letter claiming that the
law was war measure solely, and that he makes
no pretensions that the act is constitutional
Careful judges say that an adverse decision will
not interrupt business matters materially. Fu-
| ture contracts can be made on coin basis, and
greenbacks viii be quoted at discount, as they
are now in California instead Of gold being called
at premium II Is not unlikely to hasten the day
| for specie payments
I It is q fact not known outside OF one or two
persons In Washington that Horace Greeley was
President Grants original choice for minister to
England, and that he was about to send his name
| to the Senate when washburne, who was then
Secretary Of State, advised Grant very warmly
against any such step, and, Of course, prevented
siders to Mr.. Greeley that he would receive the
appointment and, had 1t been made, he was
| ready to accept II. In the meantime, Washourne
was always protesting the warmest friendship
for Greeley, and was very active in spurring up
| the latter to sustain the proposed impeachment
of Andrew JohnsoE-a proceeding that Greeley
| for a while was very 10th to enter upon. The
gratitude which the notorious Washburne family
usually manifest for those who have done their
best to elevate them is thus illustrated. 1t may
be pleasing to the old Tribune philosopher to know
that Washburne informed Grant that the admin
istration needed MI. Greeley more in this country
than It did in England.
There is a bill pending in tAe House. which the
Radicals intend to pass this session, providing
for the division OF the State Of Texas, so as to
carve ont another State OF that portion lying
west and south of the Colorado River to be called
the State Of Lincoln. This was old Thad. stevens
original BILL but !. was reintroduced in April last
The senatorial elections Of 1871 and 1873 VIII, Tor
the most part result in the choice OF Democratic
| or Conservative senators, and this is part OF
plan to steadily maintain the balance OF Radical
power in the Senate by cutting up the Southern
States and securing additional Radical senator's
In the division of Texas it is quite likely to sue
ceed but If proposed for Virginia or Mississippi,
as limited, 1t will probably fail.
For three years past one OF the New York pa
pers-the World-nas published in full, or sy-
nopsls, the Presidents animal message, while
the important reporNof the Secretary Of the Trea-
sury was teegraphed prematurely to two West
ern papers last year and the year before. Grant
and Boutwell, have determined that this shall not
happen this time, for they are going to send the
message and report to Congress in the original
manuscript It is only when these important do
cuments are printed confdentally in pamphlet
form that they get out prematurely.
Senators and members arc coming in unusually
early for the meeting OF Congress The coming
session is the long one and will probably last un-
til July next 1t is therefore matter Of some in
terest for congressman to be on hand to be COM
fortably located.
The quarres OF the negroes and carpet-baggers
in our municipal government here are producing
good results in exposing plunder and corruption.
The principal administration organ here, the Re-
publican, comes out this morning and announces
that Mayor Bowen has stopped his subscription to
tina: paper, and has notified the publisher that
che has no further use for him." People arc de-
lighted at the prospect for a complete expose
An old story is revamped here again that new
party is about to be started to place Chief Justice