The New York herald., 1870-01-28

| patronizing way, moralizes on the subject
| from British point of view. 1t assumes that
we have adopted this as defnitve policy,
and adds that England, though Indifferent Is
astounded at the case Of Dominica, which is
| merely adding other negro communities to
| those so difficult to manage now. 1t is amusing
to see how England, which swallows every
] thing that it can grab in the way of ter
ritory in any part of the world, with
negroes, Hottentots, Indians, Chinese, Aus
| tralian savages and cannibals, mani
tests such particular anxiety about the
United States being embarrassed by the an
! nexation of territory with few more negroes.
England is astounded that this country should
wish to annex Dominica though we cannot
discover anything surprising in it but she will
femain Indifferent, and for this, we suppose,
the people of the United States are expected to
be profoundly thankful
But where did this British writer find out
that the negro communities we have are SO
difficult to manage? While slavery existed no
people in the world were more easily managed
than our negroes, and that not by the lash, as
the British and our own aboltionists falsely
represented There were no such chronic dis
turbances among them as in Ireland, and no
such rebellions as in India, Canada or among
the Caffres of the Cape Of Good Hope. Since
the stupendous domestic, social and political
| revolution which the War brought about in the
| South--a revolution that in almost any other
country and among any other people would
have caused long years of disorder-the
negroes have been peaceful, tractable and
Industrious. Though ignorant for the
most part, though suddenly invested with
freedom and political rights, and though
they have been tempted to disorder by North
ern radical and carpet-bag politicians as well
as by the firebrand scalawags of the South,
they have conducted themselves peaceably.
The extraordinary recuperation of the South
and the abundance of profitable crops, where
! the greater part of the laborers are negroes,
prove beyond all question how docle and
easily managed these people are, and how
well they have behaved. This shows, too
that the negroes, under the instruction and
guidance of the American people-under such
people as are the greater part of the South
erners-are not dangerous class and can be
made useful in the development and increase
of the national wealth and prosperity. These
are facts perfectly well understood here, but
the English cannot comprehend them.
Our British contemporary need not be 80 much
exercised about an imaginary danger to the
United States from the annexation Of Dominica
or any other country where there are negroes.
| The part of the island of which annexation is
| spoken contains not more than a hundred
and fifty thousand inhabitants, probably,
and only q part are negroes. The
whole island, including both st. Domingo and
Hayti, has not more, perhaps, than half a mil
lion of people. 1t would not take long to cure
| the disorders of that country and to make the
people useful under the Am erican government
and with American enterprise. We SHOULD
have no apprehension of difficulty from the
annexation of part or Of the whole Of the
| island, and if annexed its development
| would be profitable both to us and to the in
| habitants. as well as benefit to the world.
| Still we think our government could now
annex territory much nearer home and of
| far greater value. Cuba is worth hundred
| st. Domingos, or more than all the other An
titles put together. It has all the elements Of
civilization, an immense production, about
third of the sugar production of the world,
besides tobacco and other valuable products;
has railroads and telegraphs, large and -four
ishing cities, great acquired wealth. q million
| and q half inhabitants, over eight hundred
| thousand Of whom are white; is almost within
finest harbors in the world; has an area of
twenty-five millions of acres, and it commands
| the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and
| all the important channels OF the Antilles.
| This magnificent island is within our grasp if
the government at Washington has sense
enough to seize the opportunity afforded by
present circumstances for annexation. Why
should we 90 fifteen hundred miles away, to
| the outer verge OF the Antilles, for territory
that is wilderness, comparatively, when the
cultivated, rich and important island Qf Cuba
can be ours by only saying the wtSfds The
| time is not far of when the whole of the West
Indies will undoubtedly become portions Of
the United States; but it would be wise to
take the best and nearest first whenever an
opportunity is afforded.
Annexation is the natural result Of our
| growth and institutions and the law of our
destiny The great Napoleon, with his won
derfal statesmanlike' foresight, sold Louisiana,
which embraced nearly fourth Of our present
territory, to the United States, because he
comprehended the inevitable destiny Of this
country, and because he wanted to checkmate
the British in this hemisphere. That was the
first and most important acquisition Of territory
the United States made. There were prominent
public men in that day who opposed annexa-
ton, who could not comprehend the destiny
/ lax.o.