The New York herald., 1870-12-10

for Battle.

Mr.. Sumner has issued formal declaration
Of war against the President on the St. Do
mingo annexation question. General Grant
in bis annual Message has made this annsxa-
ton scheme leading measure of his admins
tration, and in support Of 1t he has furnished
an argument which we considered overwhelm-
ingly conclusive. Mr.. Sumner, however, hav-
ing an account to settle with the President in
reference to the recall OF Minister Motley from
England, meets the Message with resolution
which is brimful of mischief He calls for all
the correspondence and papers relating to this
diplomatic agents, and all protocols on the
subject, and for all Dominican debts and
liabilities, all the provisions of the Dominican
constitution on the subject OF selling the
national domain, all treaties tying up Domin-
lea, all communications on this annexation
scheme from Hayti, all instructions to our
naval squadrons on the subject, and all
reports from our naval commanders con-
cerned; and also for any information tending
to show what European Power, if any, pro-
the island, and, if SO, what part and also the
position of President Baez, the negotiator of
the treaty of annexation, and how far he has
been maintained in power by United States
vessels -of-war, and so on to the end Of his
numerous requisitions
Here Mr.. Summers line Of attack upon this
Dominican scheme is pretty plainly indicated.
He intends to do his best to show that the pro-
posed annexation is what they would call in
our police courts "a put-up job" between
President Grant and President Baez, Of
Dominica; that Baez, against the will Of the
Dominican p eople, has been kept in power by
the United States Navy; that the republic of
Dominica is overwhelmed in debts; that she
is mixed up with heavy schemes with and
obligations to Hayti in this annexation bust
ness; that no European Power has any notion
Of securing jurisdiction over the island or any
part of it, and that upon the part of the Presi-
dent and all concerned the whole scheme is
little else than q monstrous scheme of spscu-
lation in real estate at the expense Of the
United States Treasury. We have no doubt
that this exposition against the President is
what Mr.. Sumner is driving at but will it
serve his purpose We think not.
The President, we are sure, will gladly
furnish all the information desired that he
possesses or can obtain, and, with all this and
all else that Mr.. Sumner can secure, these
facts will stand out in bold relief to wit -
That the proposed foothold upon the
island of St. Domingo, simply as naval
station. will be to us worth hundred times
over all that we shall have to pay for it; that
in securing it from the actual existing govern
ment of Dominica we shall secure title
which will nowhere be dsputed that the an
nexation of the Dominican republic two-thirds
will speedily be followed by the other third,
Hayti, thus securing us the whole of that
magnificent island of st. Domingo, of twenty
seven thousand square miles and that in
view of the seaports, the military position and
amazing fertility of the island in its tropical
products, including sugar and coffee, all these
objections of Mr.. Sumner to General Grants
scheme of annexation are paltry, pitiful and
contemptible Let Mr.. Sumner have his infor-
nation and let us see what he can do with it
against these great facts aud against the Presi-
dent and the general public sentiment of the
country.