The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-12-30

moves Lhat, ii we ABANDON Tho pro-
ject of accepting as a part of our
territory the Island of San Domin-
90, a-free port will be negotiated for
by European nations" What If it
should ? A free port cannot be DIS
astrUus TO the interests of a free
'eople, however detrimental 1t may
prove to selfish monopoly.
Next, we havo admonition and
warning, in The shape of a propbe-
cy, that ION the Bay OF SANTANA a
large commercial city will spring
up, to which we will be tributary,
without receiving corresponding
benefits ; and then will be seen the
folly ofrejeeting so great n prize"
But this Is mere assumption. No
such city can spring up in that
quarter without beIng advantageous
to ourselves in the mRtter OF COM
mercIai exchanges ; and we shall
no more be tributary to it than we
now are to London or ST. Peters
burg.
The President argues that the ac-
QUESTION of San Domingo Is desira-
bic because of its geographical pUs-
ition. This is an old plea for every
coveted territorial Enlargement
"And it came to pass that Naboth,
the Jczreelite, had a vineyard,
which was in Jezreel, hard by the
palace Of Ahab, king Of Samaria.-
And Ahab spake unto Naboth, say
ing, Give me thy vineyard, that l
may have it for a garden of herbs,
because it Is neIr unto my house. And
L will give thee for 1t a better n
yard than 1t ; or, Ifit seemeth good
to thee, [ will give thee the worth
of il in money. Ant Naboth said
to Ahab The Lord forbid 1t me
that l should give the inheritance
of my fathers unto thee"
1t is true the President repre-
sents Naboth TO be not only wiling
but DESTROYS to sell out for q consiG-
Grafton. He AYERS that "the people
of San Domingo yearn for the pro-
lection of our free Institutions and
laws, u progress and civilization"
Where is tho proof2 Is it to be
found IN the fact that the people of
that island r preparing q costly
testimonial to be presented to Sen>
ator Sumner, as a token of their
gratitude for having successfully
resisted the proposition for annexa-
ton? For myself, L do not believe
they have any such yearning /; and
L feel very confident that the whole
project is a mercenary speculation
On the part of certain rings" IN
this country and in San Domingo,
the President lending himself TO it
i'm good faith, it may be, but none
the less ill-advised and deceived on
that account. If, however, 1T a
be indlsputably shown, by a full
and legal expression of their views
on the subject, that they desire TO
forego their independence as q re.
public, and TO constitute an lnslg-
nificant . fractional portion of our
own ; and If the terms shall be re-
cognized by them as satisfactory,
then, indeed, my impressions will
be seen to be groundless. Still, v
en- in that case, l should doubt the
wisdom or desirableness Of an early
annexation ; for we are not, as a
people, so delivered from our com
plexional prejudlces as to insure
justice or fair dealing at our hands.
No doubt the island, if admitted
into the Union, would witness a
large emigration of needy adventu-
rers and greedy spectators from
this country, including no small
portion of the old slaveholding ele-
ment at the South /; and these wo'd
carry wnh them American con-
tempt for negroes, and set purpose
to seize the reins of government
and control the offices and legisla-
ton of the island. Once haying
obtained the mastery, the native
population would be liable to be
driven to the wall, just al the Sou
thern freedmen are at the present
time, though somewhat shielded BY
the possession of the elective fran
chIse. Such, at least, is my appre-
henson. Until, therefore, a far
more radical change Is wrought IN
the spirit of the American people
toward the negro acc than low ex
lists, | can see no special advantage,
but rather a great deal of trouble,
growing out of the annexation I'M
der consideration.
That the foreign influx to which
1 have referred is quito certain TO
follow the acquisition of the island
is seer in the following enticement
held out by the President f: "San
Domingo, with a stable govern
ment, under which her immense
resources can be developed, will
remunerate wages to one hundred
thousand laborers, not n0U upon the
island" But these, be intimates,
will come from Cuba and Porto Ri
co, and thus the way will be paved
to abolish slavery In these islands
Very few will or can como from
that quarter. The overwhelming
mass will emigrate from this coun~
try, utterly unserupulous as to their
treatment of people whose skins
are not colored like their own.
As to abolition of slavery in the
Spanish colonies, 1t Is my hearts
desire to sec il effected as speedily
as possible; but that event, l trust.
is not distant, o dependent upon
any such device as that which the
Message recommends.
The President asserts that 'the
people of San Domingo are not ca
pable of maintaining themselves in
their present condition. But, hav.
ing done so successfully (undel
great yicisitudes, it is true1 fol