The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-02-17

ldANIYU voc, WISCONSIN.
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY II. 1870.
Our West India Treaties,

OO- ~ E-S-L --1---Lt = -LL---.
The proceedings If he sena'e during the
pas. week are decidedly unlavorabie to he
ratification Of the treaties for he acqulsl
ton Of ST. Thomas and San Domingo. -
The Treaty with Denmark for the cessiou
of the island OF St Thomas has now been
pending for neatly tao years. The Danish
government complied with all he require
ment, o: our state department, and rested
in the assurance that oar government would
redeem il pledges The ra;ifsa;i2n Of this
treaty is therefore question of honor We
can refuse to complete the purchase ana
appear before the word a, having violated
an agreement entered into by the head Of
our foreign bureau
The conditions Of the San Domingo
Treaty is not as generally understood. Ar
tce 5 Of the annexation treaty provides
that the United States shall pay to the
Dominican government, Tor the property,
81 500 90 in gold coin Of the United States
toward the redemption Of the public Debt. Z
Article 6 also stipr4tes that, this having
been done, the United States are, in no
event, to be liable for the payment OF any
part OF such debt or Ct the interest thereon,
or Of any obligation Of the Dominican re
public but the Question arises whether
as article Of the treaty specifies thaE
the Dominican republic shall rouOunce it,
rights and sovereignty, but as an ndepen
dent sovereign nation cedc those rights to
the United States and be Incorporated by
them an iuternal portion OF the union
that republic would not, IN such case,
also renouncei, obligations, pecuniary and
otherwise, which the United States would
be compelled to assume, n0tw tbstandng
the last spcci cation in Gticic O. This
being supposed il seems very important to
learn what the debt Of the Domnicen re
public actually is. Though this has been
currently STATED at from 81 900 900 to
$l,5OO,OOO, no one seems to have any def
ME iniorma'atoH a out it 10 more definite
Information than president Grant or his
confidential commissioner had when the
slip shod compact was made. The debt
may te one million OF five million, for all
the evidence that has been furnished either
way. As for the population, no recent
census has been taken and the uncertainty
on that point is III keeping With the un
certainty in regard to everything apper
tanning to the island There is not stuff
cicnt evidence that president Baez and his
government represent the viii and wishes
of the people, nor explicit evidence as to
the intrinsic value Of the Territory and its
probable worth to til" United States. The
lease OF SANTANA bay, the cost of construct,
lng buildings for iortifcatio Is, &C., and OF
establishing yards and stores are matters
that should be considered apart from the
mere wish of the president and admiral
Porter, who look to the acquisition merely
as military and naval advantage But
even II all these treaties should be confirm
ed by the senate, it mist be remcu bered
that the appropriations are yet TO be voted
by the house before the bargain is rerfect>
ed aud the territories are possessed by the
United States. Tie probabilities are there
fore, that they will be eventually defeated
In some way or other = Kii,runiec Ners.