The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-03
THE DOMINICAN ANNEXATION TREATY
GENERAL GRANTS POLICY.


From, the " Y. Herald
The views and the West Indian policy of
General Grant, embodied in his recent sps-
cial message to the Senate on the Dominican
annexation treaty, are very interesting and
of the highest importance. He first treats of
the Monroe doctrine in reference to the West
Indian Islands, and characterizes the annexa-
tion of the island or the proposed division of
the island of st. Domingo as the practical
Inauguration of that broad American doc
trine. He thinks, too that the fine opportu-
nifty for this new departure in reference to
the West Indies should not be lost, because
it gives a peaceful and practical solution to
the great question and makes it fixed policy.
On the other hand, he contends that the re-
lection of this Dominican treaty will be
equivalent to the abandonment of the Monroe
doctrine and an invitation to the Western
powers of Europe to intrigue for the control
and the possession of the feeble, independent
States in the Mexican Gulf and on the main
land to the southward.
Applying this argument directly to the Re-
public of Dominica (Which covers three
fourths of the splendid island of Hayti or st.
Domingo, the black Republic of Hayti occu-
pying the remainder), General Grant says the
Dominican Government is weak and unable
to support itself any longer, that some more
powerful nation will have TO give it helping
hand, and that if we refuse the liberal offers
of the Dominicans to join their fortunes
with ours, as Territory of the Union, we
shall have no right to complain if they look
for protection and security elsewhere. This
is a strong point, from which the President
proceeds to portray the great value of the
island to the United States in a commercial,
military, and naval view of our situation and
development. In st. Domingo, he rightly
contends, we shall have the key of the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, and by
guarding these waters, instead of waiting for
foreign enemy to come pounding at our
very doors, he is kept at distance The
| position, too, gives us positively the control
of the manifest destiny of the whole West
Indian group to which it belongs, the most
! important consideration of ALL The Presi-
dent, therefore, renews to the Senate his
recommendation for the ratification of the
treaty.
Why not? Because, they say, there is
| job in it; but it sappears to good job for
the United States. The equivalent in money
involved is bagatele-$1, 500, 000-and care
| fully guarded to this limitation the bargain to
us will be worth more than hundred mill
lions. The Reciprocity treaty with the Sand
wich Islands, which the Senate has Just re-
jected, though good thing, is a secondary
! affair compared with this Dominican treaty,
which proposes to give us for Hayti is ready
to follow Dominica) large and one of the
|
almost nothing. The time for the ratification
has been extended to the 1st of July next,
but it does not as yet appear that two thirds
vote of the Senate can be counted upon. The
main difficulty, it has been represented to us,
lies with Senator Sumter, who is said to have
this objection, among others, to the acqusi-
ton of the island-viz.: that its population
mainly of mulattoes and blacks is of that
kind of which we have enough already This
hn iOlya ofnct tha I>,,k
the objection involved is, at least as good as
the best we have heard against the treaty,
which means that it amounts to nothing.
Still, as it is to be apprehended that the
Senate, if left to itself, will delay action upon
this treaty till the end of the session, we
prefer the proposition of General Butler to
substitute joint resolution for the treaty
form. A treaty requiring two-thirds vote
| for tho annexation of Texas was first tried in
the Senate, and it was rejected, the range of
vision of some of the Senators of that day,
as of this, being somewhat contracted; but
the joint resolution plan, which requires only
a majority vote, was next tried and carried
through; and from that act Of annexation we
have now not only the great cattle, corn, and
cotton State of Texas, the golden State of
California and the silver State of Nevada,
but the Territories of Utah, Colorado, New
Mexico, and Arizona, and the Pacific Railroad
and universal liberty and equal rights.
Results perhaps as great, wonderful and
glorious may follow the annexation of St.
Domingo. Who knows2 1t is enough that
with this annexation accomplished it fianks
Cuba, points the way to all the rest of the
West India islands and to the awaiting States
of Mexico and Central America 1t is, in
deed, enough that this annexation will give
us at once the larger division of the fine
island of st. Domingo, and that the other di-
vision will shortly follow. Hence, to make it
sure, we approve the joint resolution plan of
General Butler, and hope he will push it
through. General Grants policy, as devel-
oped on this question, is the true American
policy, and the only satisfactory application
of the Monroe doctrine.