Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-12-15

all the pre-eminence, and all The
advantages which Messrs Monroe
Adams and Clay contemplated al
the time they proposed joining the
Congress of Panama.
THE ACQUISITION OF SAN DOMINGO.
During the last session Of Con
gress, a treaty for the annexation
Of the Republic Of San Domingo 10
the United States, failed to receive
the requisite two thirds vote Of the
Senate. ! was throughly convinced
then that the best interests of the
country, commercially and materi-
ally, demanded its ratification.
Time has only confined me in this
view. Inow firmly believe that the
moment it is known that the Uni
ted States have entirely abandoned
the project of accepting as part
of its territory, the Island of San
Domingo, the establishment Of a
free port will be negotiated by Eu-
ropean nations, in the Bay of Sama-
ma, and a large commercial city
will spring up, to which we will be
tributary without corresponding
benefits. The national folly of our
rejection is apparent. The Gov
ernment Of San Domingo has vol
unfairly sought this annexation. 1t
is a weak power, numbering proba-
bly, less than one hundred and
twenty thousand souls, and yet pos
sessing one Of the richest terrific,
ries under the sun, capable Of sup
porting a population of ten mil
lions of people in luxury. The
people Of San Domingo are not
capable of maintaining themselves
in their present condition, and
must look for outside support.
They yearn for the protection of
our Institutions; our progress, and
our civilization. Shall we refuse
them ?
The acquisition of San Domingo
is desirable because of its geo
graphical position. 1t commands
the entrance of the caribbean sea,
and the Isthmns transit Of com
merce, 1t possesses the richest
soil, the best and most capacious
harbors, and most salubrious eli
mate, and the most valuable pro-
ducts Of the forest, mine and soil,
of any of the West India Islands.
Its possession BY the United States
will, in few years, build up a
coastwise commerce of immense
magnitude, which will go far to-
wardsrestoring to us our merchant
marines. 1t will give us those ar
ticles which we consider Of great
value, and do not produce; thus
equalizing our exports and imports
In case Of foreign war 1T will give
us command of all the West India
Islands, and thus prevent an enc
nv from again possessing himself
of a rendezvous upon our coast. AT
present, our coast trade between
the States bordering upon the At
lantic and those bordering on the
Gulf Of Mexico is ly the BAHIA
mas and Antilles. Twice we must
as it were, pass through foreign
countries to get by sea from Geor-
gia to the east coast Of Florida.
San Domingo with a stable gov
ernment, under which her immense
resources can be developed, will
give remuI erative wages to tens OF
thousands of laborers not now up
on the Island. This labor will take
advantage Of every available means
Of transportation to abandon the
adjacent islands and seek the bless
ings Of freedom and its sequence,
each inhabitant receiving the re-
wards Of his own labor, Porto
Rico and Cuba viii have to abolish
slavery as a measure of self-preser-
vation to retain theirlaborers. San
| Domingo will become large con
sumer of the products of North
farmers and manufacturers. The
cheap rate at which her citizens
can be furnished with food, will
make it necessary that contiguous
islands should have the same ad-
vantages, il order to compete in
the production of sugar, coffee, TO-
bacco, tropical fruits, &c This
will open to us y wider market fol
our products. The production in
San Domingo, chiefly of these ar
ticles, will cutkoff more than one
hundred millions of our annual
imports, besides increasing our ex-
ports. .sl
With such O. picture it is easy to
see how our large debt abroad is
ultimately to be extinguished. With
a balance Of trade against us, in
GLIDING interest on bonds held by
foreigners, and the money ship
ments Of our citizens travelling in
foreign lands, equal to the entire
yield Of precious metals in this
country, it is not so easy to see
how this result is to be otherwise
accomplished. The acquisition OF
San Domingo is an adhesion to the
Monroe doctrine; is a measure OF
national protection it is an asser-
ton Of our just claim to a control
ling influence over the great COM
mercial traffic soon to flow from
west to east by way Of the Istllmus
of Darien 1t is 10 build up our
former merchant marine; is to
furnish new market for the pro-