The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-03-30
DEBATE on SAN DOMINGO.
Speech Of Senator Schurz.sAcquisi-
ton Of san Domingo only the
Beginning.-The DangerSof
Manifest Destiny.
CorrsPondtnos Of PittI6ur0h COAmSraGl.
WASHINGTON, March %.

Manifest DeStInys
C0rrsPondtno' Of RttH6uTOh COaAHtTeadl.
WASHINGTON, March %.
The San Domingo question occupied
the whole Of tO.day's Senatorial session
after the morning hour, and promises to
occupy at least another day and perhaps
more. The speakers were Gen. Schurz In
opposition, and Messrs. Carpenter and
Cole in favor Of the treaty, and at the
close Of the day Mr.. Nye got thu. floor to
speak for ratification.
Gen. Scllurz spoke for rather more than
a.half hour, and held the whole body TO
close attention from first to last. he be-
gan by setting forth that the annexation
Of San Domingo must necessarily lead to
the acquisition Of all the other West India
Islands, and not imprObably Of the whole
continent down to the lStlmuS Of Darien.
lie spoke at some length Of the situation
Ofthis country, and Of the difficulties in
the South arising not entirely from war
and traditions Of slavery. He claimed
that these difficulties already strnin our
institutions in n dangerous degree; and
asked weather It would be wise to In
crease our troubles by acquisition Of tropi.
cal territory. He thought one South
enough rthis generation, and then went
on TO show that the population OF the
tropics would not and could not asslmilate
with ours, and must necessarily be dan
gcrOus element II received into our politt-
cal system, and permitted to take part In
our government His line Of argument
on this point WINS that annexation would
introduce m element Of corruption and
decentralization, which, together with the
troubles already existing, would impose
upon It's necessities tending 10 an almost
fital exercise Ofarbitrary power, and pos
sibly to acts Of military usurpati0n.
lie then reviewed the arguments
brought forward in support Of the treaty,
showing that the wealth acquired in trOpi.
cal regions Is always liable to be swallow.
ed up by revolutionary disorders, and
scorning the idea that If We refuse to &C.
cept the island, any European power
would be foolish enough 10 cOvet 1t. He
took up the assertion that we want It for
naval station, and sud il we must have
such n station down there, II would be best
to haYc q barren rock with a har6Or, but
no temptation of territorial acquisition be.
hind it. Having reached this point in the
discussion, the Senator boldly protested
against the cries Of manifest destiny" as
applied to the tropics, and set forth In
glowing terms our manifest destiny in the
northern parts Of this continent. This
feature Of bis speech Is said to have ut
traCted marked notice on all sides.
He ended with II iorcible appeal against
the whole policy Of territorial extension,
either by purchase or annexation, In the
direction Of tho tropics, and at the close
was warmly congratulated by nearly all
his associates The speech, as whole, Is
reported by many Of them to have been
one Of the most notable ones ever deliver.
cd in that body, md there Is reason for
believing that the seal Of secresy will ut
some time be removed so TINT il can be
published. The speeches Of Mcssrs. Car
pcntCr ind Cole were comparatively brief,
mud added no special force to the argu.
ment for ratification made on Friday by
Mr.. Morton. During the day Dir. Shcr.
man Is reported to have brought forward
proposition to postpone finAl action on
llIG lIGUtS tIl u GUuIiltSSIOls GAtA w 6Slt
down To San Domingo to examine and
report on It's debt, condition and re.
sources. The treaty expires by lin.
itatiOn tomorrow, and there is n
great deal Of talk as 10 what will
be done about It. Everybody is satisfied
It cannot now command the necessary
vote for ratification, and there Is likely
enough to be sharp struggle over the
question whether It shall be tabled or
postponed. Some Senators think action
will he valid II 1t Is ratified any time In
the course Of the next two or three months.
Others favor the idea Of annexation BY
joint resolution, md story was generally
circulated carly in the day that such o
resolution would appear In tho House
before night. The member who wus re.
ported rs the leader Of the movement was
not in his sent, however. Several ScnH-
tors nrc ut the White House tonight In
consultation with the President
II Is stated at late hour tonight by
Senators that there Is reason for thinking
an extension Of time br thirty days on THE
treaty has already been agreed upon: The
inct was not to-day officially communica.
ted 10 the Senate, and the truth Of the
report cannot now be aSccrtNined.