Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-18
From the Cincinnati Gazette. ]
SAN DOMINGO.

| Tot which the nation "a ~ become responhlD'e,
and With eventually a voice in the Government
iu the United States. In San Domingo, by
which term we include the VIII lo island, the ne
gro race have had favorable circumstances tor
trving the experiment OF their capacity tor sell.
government, begun undcr the prestige gained
by freeing themselves from foreign domination
by a long and desperate war, and by overthrow
ing slavery tn had national independence,
wSioh other powers desired 10 see maintained
the self.rcspcct and confidence which comes
from uccessful war; n clintte which they pre-
fer, and cheap auis, from which grow .pOnta
ncously the fruits which satisfy their demands
Tor subsistence.
Their hstbry has been one " continued revo-
luton and bloody civil war. After a succession
Ul military cliGftans who were cruel dcspots,
with collateral succession Of other military
chieftains IN revolt aga inst them continuing from
the Independence " the Island In 1904, GelTrard
came 10 tho Presidency BY revolution ~ 1858
This was the triumph of progress and liberal
principles over birbarsm. During the eight
Years uf his administration he sought most wise.
ly and en9rgctclly 10 introduce the institutions
Of civilization lie organized large number
| Of schools reformed the dcbnuched manner OF
the priests, opened a seminary for their educk-
Iinn, introduced steamers, opened SchonlS of the
mechanical and professional arts, began anavy,
aud encouraged tltc CULTURE Of cUtun 80 that this
beolm, an important srtiele ~ export. Nut this
was too good to last. One wise and good ruler
could not at once change the masses who are de
graded bv Ignorance aud superstition, and Of
whom the better Aormcd and more nristUcratic
classes WERE through the traditions Of rcvulu-
ton aud civil war aud the habits 0f race aud
trnpical climate inclined rather TO seek their
own elevation through new revolutinn than to
apply themselves to the pursuits Of industry.
A revolution with Salnave ut its head broke
out in 1895, which succeeded in placing him in
the Presidency in 1861. This was a reaction IN
ignorance bnrbarism and brutality, Salnaye
was a man Of great boldness aud decision, but
his rule had hardly begun before another rcto-
luton broke out Which, after a continuation OF
threo years has nnw succeeded IN capturing
Sdlnlve. Ofthe character NJ the revolutionary
party, which, IN Ter Provisional President Sa-
yet has now prevailed, we have but little iniOr-
nation. Thu liaytien and san DOMINICAN rcvo-
lu,ions have had 50 title meaning that the sue
cess ~ huy one can hardly be regarded as indi-
eating either principles or policy. There is
nothing In regret in the overflow OF Salnnvo
We hope that II Is a sign af the restoration of
TN, q ,ilrard civilization. Tho successful party
promptly tried Snlnvc by military tribunal,
fun him guilty Of high treason, aud shot him,
the man dying MS brayuly AS he had lived and
il has proceeded tn execute many Of his adhS
rents but this Il the natural consequence OF
civil wars, an people among whom civil war
has ragged with short intervals Tor 80 years can
not b., expected to bo very tondcr OF the she'd
ding Of blood.
That part of the island which is known as the
Dominican Republic has had about the same
disturb ID existence aS tho rest, whether united
with 1t or separate. It rcyOltcd from the tyran-
nv or Dcssnlinrs, the frs. negro ruler of the
island after the independence, and returned to
the rule of Spain in sos. The next year the
Dnmnicans declared their independence. In
1922 the whole island was united under the
lItytien President Boyer. Boyer retained the
Presidency Till lSi2H long reign for that island
when he was ovcrthruwn by revolution.
Then the Dnminicans, under santana, rose
against the llaytiens and declared thoir indie
pcnicucc AMI m tint lined il through long war.
Jimnrs succeeded santana in the Presidency
in 40, through the natural process though
exccptona in that cnuntry--nf election. lie
clnspirod with thd lldytien Emperr Sol0uqus,
who invaded Dominica aud prevailed over its
forces. Then Santana WAS recalled, who beat
back Sol luc. In 1890 SOouquc again invaded
Dominica unsucccssiully.
Sintana hid resigned his dictatorship in IA.
vor Of tho Prcsidcnt-clcct Rarz. Bicz haying
became speedily unpopular through favOring
the clerical party, was in 1883 rejected by the
people and Santana reelected, lie entered in
10 negotiations with secret agent Of the United
States under Pierce, and, It Is believed, made a
treaty ~ code the Bay of Samann, which did not
come tn light nor did the United States r1cog-
niEe the dominican Republic. This made him
unpopular, aud BAez was again elected in 1857.
But this alliance with the pricstly party caused
such dissatisfaction, that Il revolution was made
uni r Santana, which expelled Baez in 1858,
and restored what was called the liberal rule.
but in 1851 Santana = I'D the Republic to Spain.
The people rose in iusurrecton in 1868 and
wagtd relentless war, burning towns and falling
back to the mountains, and keeping up guerrilla
warfare when no longer able tO keep the field.
The Spanish troops suffered great losses through
the malnrious climate aud the hardships and
slaughter Of the irregular warfare, and at length
4 L ala. NlNA ~ Ii
Cabinet the new ministry seeing the iinpOssi-
biity Of success in this waT, proposed bill
which the Onrtcs passed, January, 1865, repeal
ing tho act of annexation ani restoring the lndc-
pcndencc of San Domingo.
difficulty arose about the form Of cvacua.
ting the island by the Spaniards. The Govern
or General demanded n recognition that il was
done by "a high and voluntary act of gene-os-
ity" on the part Of Spain. The Dominicans re-
fused to acknuwledgo that "the independence
which they had painfully achieved ut the cost
of long and terrible sacrifices was the gift ofa any
power but Coils high grace" The Governor
General threatened devastation and desnlatinn,
but eventually came tn terms, and Withdrew the
Spanish troops. Provisional President Folauco
was overthrown by pronunciamonto in January,
1884. In March General Pimentel was elected
Provisional President, to terminate in three
months arter the Spanish evacuation. August
1, another prnnuncnmento rejected Pimentel,
| vi Convention to arrange things. CNhrM as
sumid thu Presidency. An election was held
! n December, which elected General Blrz, who
| gave to Pmcntcl and Cabra seats in his Cabinet,
In the following June \ revolution under Pi-
| mentcl overthrew DAc1, who fled St Thomas.
| In September CAbral was elected President. In
| 1851 a revolution broke out in favor of Bac1,
which, after n war of over wear, drove Cabral
| anl his Cabinet from the capital, aud proclaimed
/ BacE, This did not end the war. Cabral kept
the field, aided by number of the most promi-
nent Generals, and this civil war has continued
Till this time, dividing the possession of the conn
! try. itunw appears that Bae1 - trying to turn
| his desperate chances iutn money by selling
out t. she United States, 4 previous loan is al
| 81 mentioned, which H. has realized upon at u
rulnnus rate for tho country, and which is tn be
made good nv what the United States are tc
pay, Con. Grant has already leased 0f BaeE
| the Hay st Slmlna at an anaual rent nt $780,
0O0, aud has paid one vars rent, and he ha,
negot,atrd with RArI a treaty of cessation of ju'
risdiction, which is now before the Senate
Against this the party opposed g. Bacs's protest
appealing to the Consultation, which makes II
high treason to attempt tn ALLEVIATE territory; ant
unless the nature which the iuha btAntS have -
hihited for 50 yearShas met with sudden chang,
We may reasonably anticipate that they vii
resist this trLSs(cr to foreign rule with the SAM,
determination that defeated all the attempts o.
France anu Spain to reduce them to their jurs'
dictinn.
The character ol the iahahitnis as eNhibitCt
through all this history, in which the leading
events of revolutions have been filed in With IN
c1s ,ant disturbance, is that st a people Will
abund ant Gerccnoss Cnr fighting, but with litll,
capacity for scl-gnycTumnnt, and little iuclina
tinu to- the occupations o. peace people igno
rant. supcrstitous, prcjuiiced, eNclAbls, casil,
made the tools of ambitious leaders, and among
{ whom the chief occupation OF the moro mtelli
. gent classes is political revolution. OF cOurs
na important industry could exist under thu
continual disturbance, aud Of course people
I who had the habits OF Industry and the property
, interests which industry creates, would not sub
= init tn such ntiuuai disturbance, Nor Is thcr
I 10 that climate and soil the nccesSitT that cNm
pels jni ilstry aud cnergy in harder climes. Thu
, spont tneous fruits furnish subsistence whcl
. Sltsics tho negro in that mdOlenl climate
: where the white man 500 n becomes enervate,
= and where Ac has never maintained any indus
= trial energy save by making the negraes wor
= fr him. Thus the exports and imports of IN
whole island have dwindlcd to an IncouSder'
+. ble sum, The profits in the trade of Dominic
!. it we had Il all, would not pay the rent OF th