New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-21

OF SAN DOMINGO-BAEz AND HIS PEOPLE
DOMINICAN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
PLEADS FOR ANNEXATION.
SAN DoMNGO, Feb. 9.-The change which
has taken place in this city since my arrival months
ago. is surprising At that time the city seemed Of
those anteduvan places which centuries do not change
An occasional schooner came IN from Curacao or ST.
Thomas. and this all its commerce. The snopkeep
ers ounged their doOrsteps lazy swung back and
forth in hammock behind their counters. Now every
thing wears air Of Improvement The Ozlma River
is filed with ships OF al have seen many a.
four merchantmen dropping down with It's current TO-
geher ready to take advantage OF the land breeze 10 get
To sea The wharves piled up with laues OF HOUR
cords OF logwood sacks Of coffee and sugar The Custom
House officers have quit summing themselves aud are no"
busy bees while the merchants surprise themselves
by standing upright and by making their stores look A.
attractive as possible. This transformation has
been effected by the rumor of annexation ana
by the presence Of few live Yankees.
one party OF capitalists have organized bank and have
issued large amount Of paper currency The people Of
the city were, at FIRST suspicious Of paper money
account OF their sad experience during the late reyo
utions but such is their confidence Americans that,
in two weeks after the first ISSUE greenbac had almost
entirely superseded specie the circulating medium IN
this vicinity. second company have obtained con
tract to make complete mineraogical and geological
survey of the country for whchhhey are % receive
large grants OF valuable lands in the interior Their
porations have resulted in the discovery that gold,
silver copper, iron, and coal exist on the
Island, and some'lof them in considerable quantities
Another company have charter for railroad from
Santiago the interior to SANTANA Bay distance OF 20
miles. This VIII probably be built whether annexation
takes place and isibound when constructed, to be
a Planters in the Interior have now to pay
about s. hundred pounds TO have their tobacco Trans
ported to Plata distance Of scarcely 40 miles, and
that. too, pack mules and difficult ia the road that
three days consumed in the transportation could
other projects but these sufficient
to show how American sagacity and American capital
are being invested In this country.
few days since your correspondent took ride into
the interior with President Baez and his brother who is
at the head Of the army. At every farmhouse men,
women. and children poured out TO greet him. and
gathering around shook hands and conyerscd with him
az Familiarity as If the President formed Of their i'm
| mediate family Did he dIsmOunt, the children would
and his knees while al the people addressed
| the General by his Christian HIS army, under
arms consists lof about 5000 men, while some 600 or
1000 enrolled militia, ready to leave their
| homes at moments warning / was present at late
| review at Azua a town the frontier,
| where some 1900 passed by, and not one
Of the private soldiers did I observe wearing
pair Of shoes while many OF their officers were IN the
condition Their uniforms consisted OF dirty jean
shirt and pants and "a battered straw hat 1hey are
armed mostly with Obi fintock muskets but noticed
that couple Of companies had Springfield rifles proba
bly, some Of those thataeame downLn the Albany Ihey
appeared extremely enthusiastic, but were very poorly
disciplined. This, however, makes little difference 10 a
country where warts equivalent 10 bushwhackine. The
President spent several days after the review n dis
tributing calico dresspatterus 10 all the women Of the
nelghbohood and this perhaps is one OF the greatest
means Of his influence FOR IL is said that the Governor
who succeeds in ruling the is Of the obedience
| Of the men"
The President is Of much talent, perfect dplo'
matst but il rather tie whole Baez family consisting
OF four brothers, who govern the country While The
eldest President the second is COmmauderin cher OF
all the forces the third is Goyefnorcf the District OF
Azua and commands the advance or fighting divisions OF
the army while the youngest is Governor Of the pruc
| pal city and capital, san Domingo. Thus they have
entire power their hands and their talents wealth and
splendid educations quite sufficient to keep them at
the head OF affairs in country so little advanced az u
this Baezs Cabinet is composed Of the weathiest and
most influential the Republic and he has taken
every precaton against ever having abdicate ms
Office TO which he has been elected for life His Ator
| ney General remarked the other day: I'VE want an
enlightened and civilized people 70 come and settle here
have bat $50 900 people when We have plenty OF the
best land the world for az least 100000 Inhabitants
instance the desire OF she bOmncanS 10 encourage
emigration and the cultivation OF the soil, they
have made to friend OF mine concession OF
three square miles OF land # he will erect steam sugar
inil on his property within years time The coil.
think is far productive than ia any part Of The
L
crops be grown the same year on piece Of ground
aud that too with very small expense OF labor. Two
fine crops OF eaSiy.be gathered and the sugar
cane developed in nine months, while 1t takes sixteen
in Mississippi. Then the much more full Of sap
OF such size that many OF them have 10 be split be-
fore they Gamble entered the grinding mill In riding
through the interior, many acres Of Wild sugar
cane springing up on deserted plantations.
The natives compare very favOrlby with those OF any
Of the South American states. They possess certain
regularity of features and OF physical Development which
is lacking in the people OF south America. Their natural
intelligence is remarkable for tropical race, though
they deficient in energy and enterprise But their
most striking PECULIARLY is their unbOunded polteness
In travelling through the INTERIOR you agbt at any
hut with the of being received with the frank
| est hospitality. Their honesty is also noteworthy.
President Bacz srecently received letter from the
Republic OF Venezuela praying that he wond use his in
huence with the United States Government In procuring
| the anne xation OF that state TO the Union.
| THE NATIONAL BANK or SAN pONISGO.
| A decree has been promulgated by Baez authorizing
the establishment OF bank for issues deposits and dis
counts at san Domingo city and naming MeSsrs Joseph
f. Prime jr and T.. T. HOLSTER OF New.lork and their
associates ncorporaors After setting forth the ad
vantaGes and Importance to the commercial interests OF
the island OF such institution, which he says by -
porting capital from foreign countries VIII teud 20 me
material progress Of san Domingo the decree pIoNues
that the banking house shall he located In the ty OK
Domingo but permits special agency or COLA efh
branch the City Of Newly ork or u such other places AZ
the directors may select extend their oprtallonS
| Article 3 limits the capital stock TO sOoV,oO
| god divided 1000 equal shares, ahd Ior
| hds the issues OF larger number OF shares
Article provides for the issue by the bank OF Us no
payable ON demand specie, and requires deepest %
tI Mine loan bonds OF the Government with ;he Treas
nry Department to an not less than onohSii oi
trrn commencinS operations until this has been done:
Article explains the nature OF the sIic lo'u
| which the Government will issue s10N00 of coupon
hands hearing eight per cent interest payable semi