The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1870-12-14
John c. 4 EDWARD BAILEY, PRVRS.

tno entrance 10 the Caribbean Sea.
and Isthmus transit of commerce.
liz possesses the richest soil, best
and most capacious harbors, most
salubrious climate, and valuable
products of the forest, mino and
soil OF any of the West India Is.
lands. Its possession by us will,
i'm few years, build up a coast.
wise commerce of immense mag
tnitude, which will go far towards
restoring to us our lost merchant
marine. 1t will give to us those
articles which we consume so large.
Ily, and do not produce; thus
equalizing our exports ind imports.
In case of a foreign war, it will
give us command OF all the islands
referred to, and thus prevent an
enemy from ever again possessing
himself of rendezvous upon our
very coast.
AT present, our coast trade be-
tween the States bordering on the
Atlantic, and those bordering ON
the Gulf OF Mexico. is cut in two
by the Bahama and the Antilles.
Twice we must, as it were, pass
through foreign countries to get
by sea from Georgia tc the west
coast of Florida. San Domingo,
with stable government, under
which her immense resources can
be developed, will give reinunera-
tive wages to tens of thousands of
!aborers not now upon the island.
This labor will take advantage of
every available means of transpor-
tation to abandon the adjacent is.
lands and seek the blessings of
freedom and its sequence, each in.
habitant receiving the reward of
his own labor. Porto Rico and
Cuba will have to abolish slay cry
as measure of self.preeervation
to retain their laborers. San Do.
tningo will become a large con
sumner of the products of north.
ern farmers and manufacturers
The cheap rate at which her citi-
zens can be furnished with food
tools and machinery, will make it
necessary that contiguous islands
should have the same advantages,
in order to compete in the produc-
tion of sugar, coffee, tobacco. trop
ical fruits, &c. This will open to
us a still wider market for our
products. The production of our
own supply of these articles will
cut off more than one hundred
millions of our annual imports.
besides largely increasing our ex.
ports. With such a picture it is
easy TO see how our large debt
abroad is ultimately to be extin-
guished. With a balance of trade
against ns, including interest on
bonds held by foreigners, and
money spent BY our citizens travel
ing in foreign lands, equal to the
entire yield of the precious metals
in this country, it lie not easy to
see how this result is to be other
wise accomplished.
The acquisition of San Domingo
is an adherence to the Monroe
doctrine. 1t is measure of ma.
tional protection. 1t is asserting
our just claim to a controlling in
fluence over the great commercial
traffic soon t, flow from West to
East by way of the Isthmus of
Darien; it is to bnild mp our mer-
chant marine; it is to furnish new
markets for the products of our
farms, shops, and manufactures !;
it is to make slavery insupportable
in Cnba and Porto Rico, at once,
and ultimately 80 in Brazil; it is
to settle the unhappy condition Of
Cuba, and end exterminating con-
fl Ct; it is to provide honest means
OF paying our honest debts, with
out overtaxing the people; it is to
furnish our citizens with the neces
saries of every day lite, at cheap.
er rates than ever before and it
is, in fine, rapid stride towards
that greatness which the intelli-
gence, Industry and enterprise of
the citizens Of the United States
this country to assume
among nations. In view of the
Importance fthis question, earn.
estIy urge upon Congress early ac-
ton, expressive of its views as to
the best means of acquiring San
Domingo. My suggestion is, that by
joint resolution of the two Houses
of Congress, the Executive be au
thorized to appoint commission
to negotiate q treaty with the au.
thorities Of San Domingo for the
acquisition of that Island, and that
an appropriation be made to de-
fray the expenses of such com.
mission. The question may then
be determined, either by the &C.
ton OF the Senate upon the treaty,
or the joint action OF the two
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