Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-12-02
SAN DOMINGO.
History of the Negotiations for Its An
p.xation to the United states.


The President was induced to believe that
the acquisition of San Domingo would be
valuable to the United States. Judge OSul-
Ivan, gentleman conversant with the
country and with President BaeZ, and who
had lately negotiated concession from the
Dominican government to an American
steamship company, assisted to convince
Mr.. Grant, and confirm his intention.
On the oath of July, Hon. Cornelius
Cole, Senator from California, and a men,
Der of the Senate Committee on Foreign
Affairs; General o. E. Babcock, of General
Grants staff, and Judge O'Sullivan, sailed
for San Domingo from New York-General
Babcock carrying credentials from the
President and Secretary Fish to General
Buenaventura Baez, President of the DOM
inican republic. The reception they met
with from Baez and the members of his
administration, their conversations with
the people, and their travel and researches
through the Island and around the coast,
satisfied Senator Cole and Genera. Bab-
cock, as well as Judge O'Sulliyan, that the
government and Inhabitants were. on the
whole, not only willing, but anxious for
annexation to the United States, and that
the country was decidedly worth annexing.
Senator Cole left San Domingo on the
lst Of September. Gen. Babcoek mained
until later in October. pursuing his re-
searches and holding frequent conferences
with President BaeZ. Judge O'Sulliyan
came on soon after Gen. Babcock, and ar
rived in New York before the first of the.
present month. In the meantime, memo
randum submitted to Gen. Babcock by
President Baez, had been sent on to Wash
ington. This was followed by two addi-
tional memorandums or propositions, the
last of which, tits understood, was brought
on by Gen. Babcock in person, and en-
bodied the main terms of the proposed an
nexation-upon which. after certain ques-
tons had been asked by this government
and replied to-Baez and his Cabinet were
agreed.
This latest proposition was, in brief,
that the United States shall assume possess
sion of San Domingo, granting it a terri.
torial government identical with the other
territorial governments within the juris-
diction of the United States, with the same
right with other territories to elect in the
future to become State; the conditions
being that the Dominican people shall first
decide by vote 10 allow such possession,
and that the United States shall assume
the debt and other public obligations of
the Dominican government, amounting to
something more than 81, 600, 600.
President Grant, Secretary Fish, and the
Cabinet generally discussed the PROPOSE
ton and accepted tiff the statistics of
the resources of San Domingo which ac-
companied it were correct-as fair basis
of negotiation
The administration took immediate
measures to push the negotiation, pending
the meeting of Congress. AS the tenure of
Hacz and his administration-the only au-
thorities with which the treaty could be
cor.tinued-has all along been rendered
somewhat insecure by the revolutionary
troubles on the island, it was of the first
importance that that tenure should not be
destroyed Therefore confidential under
standing had been entered into, that this
government should Sustain" Baez until
the negotiation proceeded to its conclusion
With this understanding the United States
steamer A bany was got IN readiness at the
Brooklyn Navy-yard, and laden heavily with
warlike nis .erial; and on that vessel Gen.
eral Babcock and the new commissioners,
General English and another. sailed for
San DoniL go last Wednesday. The Severn
and the Swatara have since sailed to join
the United States squadron in the West
Indies. Special instructions have been
sent to the commander of that squadron in
view OF the supposed exigenoies of this
case.
The intention is, % that the three COM
mis- sioners who go out from this govern
me II shall come to O more definite under
sta iding, in detail, with Baez and his cab
met, and other representative Dominicans,
upon the subject; (2) that to secure that
understanding the Dominican govern
ment so elects commissioners shall be ap-
pointed by Baez to come on to Washington
and make their own representations di-
rectly to our government; (3) that after the
understanding, or basis, In detail is arrived
at, the Dominican people shall vote upon
it, and that In the meantime any disturb
ance of the proceeding on the island, If
outside of it, shall be restrained, oyer-awed
or put down by the power of the United
States; that if by that vote they decide for
annexation, tho agreement should be SUBJ
mitted to the United States Senate for rati-
fication; and that then, and not till then,
formal possession of the island shall be
taken by the United States. This govern
ment had hoped of course, to keep the ne
gotiation quite secret until after the ex-
pected ratification by the Senate; but that
was impossible.
The extraordinary naval force now sta
toned in those waters, and the instructions
given, shows that the administration has
anticipated some possible objection, or in
reference by Spain. San Domingo is only
forty miles from the coast of Cuba. The
hoisting of the United States flag over the
former island, might be regarded Tin view of
the known sympathies of this government
and its supposed "designs in Cuba") as 3
menace
AS to the acquisition of San Domingo, it
is to be understood that only a part of the
island is proposed to be surrendered to us.
San Domingo and Hayti are one and the
same island; but the eastern or northeast
ern part is under the dominion of Salnave,
and the western or southwestern part is un-
der the government of Baez. The French
language is spoken by the eastern popula-
ton. the Spanish language on that part of
the island nearest Cuba The area of the
territory proposed to be ceded to the Uni
ted States is between fifteen and twenty
thousand square miles, or about one half
the island. The population of this terri
tory numbers about 160, 900. The revenue
last year was, in round numbers, $500, ,OOO
Can't You LET HIM SrARE.-Not a hun
dred miles from Chicago in the rural burg
of Dundee lives an ancient widow lady
who has a lout of a son, about twenty-four
years old who like the mans son, sis a
/ udtuth binuit DOlf OAt WI hhc" my
thing" Not long since the old lady was
taken sick and lay at the point Of death.
Feeling her end approaching she called her
son to her bedside to give him her parting
counsel. Abe stood with open mouth, sp-
parently swallowing every word, the old
lady words seeming to have a good effect
upon him.
"Abrsm, said she, ''here / lie with death
staring me in the face"
At this moment a knowing expression
passed over Abe's features and he broke
out, "Cssa't you let him stare ?"
the cid dame thought it no use, and
speedily recovered.
THE English brig Roma, Captain w. 81
Hayes, bound from Huaheine, Society Isl.
ands, for San Francisco, foundered at ses
on the 2d of May. The crew, eighteen IN
number, took to the boat, and landed al
Persons Island the next day. On gettinf
ashore they cheered loudly, to the grea