The New Orleans crescent., 1869-02-09
WEST INDIAN ANNEXATION.

D 1t is evident from the indications of tn
, Northern votes in Congress, on the question o
4 acquiring West Indian territories, that tn
Radical reconstructors regard the job whiri
they now have on hand as quite big enough
And, indeed, it is, judging from the patter1
on which they are working it out These
:. philosophers, statesmen, reformers, regene
rators, having undertaken to annex the Ameri.
can Union to a confederation of carpet-bae
colonies and negro communities in territory
once occupied by the Southern portion of the
United States, have no room in their spacious
intellects for the entertainment of any other
schemes of annexation while this one is
pending. And this one is in its ma
ture endless; or, at least, we shall see
water flowing up hill to find its level, and a
pyramid immovably balanced on its apex,
just about as soon as shall see the Radicals
complete to their own satisfaction the work
of identifying republican government with
despotism, and freedom with compulsion.
But it is also indicated in various ways that
the people of this country begin to tire of
paying for the prosecution of this little Job,
which consumes all their resources in the
impossible problem of undoing the dispensa-
tons of the Almighty and establishing the
identity of contradictions. They are at
length becoming aware that the Radical idea
OF annexation is, first to break the constitu-
tional bonds of the Union, then to desolate the
falrest portions of its territory then to erect
on the ruins spurious States composed of
mixture of prowling white adventurers and
the most vicious elements of the native blacks,
: and finally to bind the rest of the country to
this infectious mass of political and social
rottenness. They perceive that, while Radi-
cal policy is detrimental to all the producing
interests within the present limits of the
United States, it has not acquired one foot of
new productive territory or extended in anv
direc tlon the area of American commerce.
The shrewder men of the Republican party
are warned by this complexion of the popular
mind that the party cannot be saved if thew
allow 1t to be dragged henceforth in the rut of |
radical policy. And it would seem that one |
OF the expedients by which they hope to oct |
out OF this rut is the Inauguration of some pro-
cess of West Indian annexation. The SUBJ
joined resolution, introduced into Congress by
Mr. Orth, of Indiana, from the committee of |
foreign affairs, is regarded at Washington as
an experimental move in this direction
Resolued By 1te Senate and House of Repre.
Sefudttoes, That the territory belonging 70 the |
Dio dominican Republic shall, on the application of
hs ;a gOvetnmen. and the people Of said republic
= United states, to be called the Territory of ST.
Ipomngo, on the conditions and in the manner fol.
First, The people Of said republic shall adopt
republican form OF territorial government, BY de.
puties In convention assembled for that pur.
:, Second, The action by the people shall be- with
nf sad anc operation Of the existing govern
Third, Such form Of government shall tbereaf.
eI oe suomtted to Congress for its approval
.Eourtn: The admission of said territory shall be
Rith q view to the ultimate establishment NJ
'tate government, republican In form. in and over
slo Ierritory. In conformity to the Constitution of
ress. " o'n'
Ihe motion to lay this resolution on the
able was carried by ITO ayes to 90 noes. Mr..
'rth was not dissatisfied with the result of
he vote. He said that the proposition re.
eiVed larger support than he expected, and
nnounced that 1t would be brought up again K
different form, accompanied by impor- tn
mt information which, aided by more mature =
'nectlon on the part of members, would. he ST
oped, determine majority of the House in Of
favor The information to which he refers | ST,
presumed to consist of official proofs of :,
'ertures from the Dominican government II
the annexation of its territory TO the an
nited States, and of statistical exhibits of wi
richness of this territory in mineral and
rlcultural resources. And still more is
nted at 1t is intimated that evidence NAV ,
produced to show that the populations of
most desirable of the West India islands. ,
,luding Cuba and Porto Rico, are eager TO bo. boz
I've the troublous and, at present gloomy. Er EES
obiem OF their destiny, by annexation to the the
lited States.
L. is not to be supposed that, if the Domi- u,,
ian republic were annexed, Hayti would be :
,tent to remain, or would, in any case, long
main outside of American jurisdiction.
minica occupies the larger part of the ter sr,
'ry, and contains the greater portion of the "a,
'ulation, of.the island of St Domingo. of m
lch the whole area is 2S, 900 square miles.
the whole population 1850, 900. Next NJ
VI PoPuihtlon, TINS island is purc
;, next to Cuba, the most beautiful and s'''
ductlye OF the West Indies. And the value
American commerce of the trade which dee,
I'D be developed by the opening of this =
nd to American enterprise by annexation.
nly less than that which would result from
annexation OF Cuba. We have no idea that w.
definite programme for these ends will be
led IN the present Congress, but we do ex-
that it will be subject of increasing agi.
IN during the incoming administration.
commercial interests of the great
are waking up to the large benefits
Ii they would realize from West Indian furei
xation, and public opinion in general is
ing itself in favor of comprehensive =
y looking to the ultimate and not dis
acquisition OF all the groups in the -;
IIlufxLII N, 4