The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-28
THE SAN DOMINGO INVESTIGA'
..fI... TON. ..|4
Majority and Minority RepOrtS.-The
Majority ExOnerate Gen. Babcock
1.-THE Minority take the Opposite
View.

ssThe minority Lake the OPPoSAtt
View.
WASHINGTON, June rs.
Senator Howard this morning, from thu
select committee on the memorial o.
Davis Hatch, presented o report conclud
ing as follows: 1.-THE majority have come
to the conclusion, which they announce
with pleasure, that, although it has beer
openly asserted In the Senate that General
Babcock was guilty Of misconduct, they
are satisfied the charge Is lIntonNded. and
that he conducted himself throughout
with perfect honesty and sincerity. They
look in vain for any evidence OF any in
sincerity on his part, or any mis'state'
ment or prevarication. His whole con-
duct has been marked with truth, honor
and fidelity, and the whole evidence
leaves him without stain; and we would
be untrue to our own convictions il we
did not apply to Generals ingalls, and
Sackett, who accompanied him, and In
deed aided him III negotiations, like COM
mendatiOn, and we take pleasure in OK:
pressing our conviction, after weighing oil
The facts and circumstances within our
knowledge, that in its negotiation and
preparation the treaty is tree from any
fraud or unfairness, and that the agents
employed by the respective Governments
have all acted with becoming frankness.
It is not permissible in us to express in
this public manner our opinion OF the
merits of the treaty or the course which
the Senate should adopt in regard to 1t,
but as agents engaged in its Initiation have
been charged with corrupt motives and
Improper conduct, we think It approx pirate
| to say We deem the accusation unto1nded!
The committee, in review OF Hatchs
claims, say: "Had he been wantonly
seized and subjected to mere mock trial,
and condemned without hearing and
without testimony-in short, had he been
treated with manifest wantonness, tyran-
ny and cruelty, they could not hesitate to
recommend demand for satisfaction.
But facts do not show that such was the
character of the proceedings, but that they
were, on the contrary, in accordance with
the laws of the Republic The commit
tee, therefore, see no ground TOR this
branch of his claim. To prove the loss
Of his property, he presents no other EVIL
dence than his own statement, TO which
he has omitted to make oath; but admit
his statement as being true, it docs not
follow under ordinary circumstances that
he has valid claim for damages, which
occurred rs part Of the ordinary circum-
stances of war, because he was an admit
ted enemy OF the BAez Government. Ac'
cording to the testimony of the ex.com'
mercial agent Smith, Mr.. Hatch had been
engaged in illicit traffic at Barbara. The
Danish vessel Plato was consigned from
st. Thomas to Mr.. Hatch at Barbara, and
was undoubtedly engaged in illicit traffic,
at which Mr.. Hatch cOnniycd. She was
seized, condemned and sold by theDO-
minican Government That q person so
situated should make II reclamation against
the Government he was thus offending
would seem singular, and from what is
before us, we cannot presume that Mr..
Hatch Inns now any ground for q claim for
indemnffication II lie was damaged ut
ALA fact which. it is not necessary 10
leny-it was his misfortune, growing out
of bis own fault; and without assuming to
saw that he can establish no just claim
against the Governmentof Dominica, we
are constrained 10 say we arc not able 10
see It's Justice, and that, at. any rate, his
application TO Congress, in his behalf is
premature We cannot hut regard this
unusual course ,as' an attempt by Alr.
| Hatch, on making his alleged grievances
public, TO prevent a lair consideration OF
the treaty of annexation, to arouse I'm.
founded 1rcjudices againstit, and finally
10 defeat Il. His COURSE cvinces u want
of that candor which should characterize
every American citizen abroad in matters
in which his Government is concerned.
Loud and passionate clamOrs against in.
divduals, blind surmises and personal
pioue arc not means proper to be exer-
cised TO influence our Judgments. The
committee, therefore, recommend that Mr..
Hatch's petition be indefinitely post
poned." Tho report is signed by Jas. W.
Nye, j. NJ. Howard, George W. Williams
and Vim, Warner. ~
The minority report on the San Do
mingO question expresses regret ut being
obliged 10 dissent from tho majority in
every important point Of fact. They Sub
nit, from the testimony that Hatch is Il
gentleman OF the highest character.
Hatch was In Barljona while it was in
possession of the Cabral party, and wien
Baez took possession Of 1t he;was arrest
cd, taken to San Domingo, then Azua, q
province then under martial law, when
he was tried before military court, n
proceeding exceedingly barbarOus in the
circumstance attending 1t. The testimony
shows that Hatch in former year in
Cured the displcasurc Of two powerful in
diyiduals on the Island. lie had written
articles for American newspapers reflect
ing on Baez, who was at that time (l969)
in exile. In that war the Cabral govern
ment was oVerthrown, and one Of Baez's
first acts ai(er getting into power was
Hatch's arrest, on the allegedground that
he had been concerned with the opposite
party. This allegation was wholly dis
proved BY u letter written by Baez's
brother, and also by the testimony Of Mr..
Smith, commercial agent Hatch was
there US agent of the Salt Mining Company
grant, which Baez had repeatedly tried to
lave annullCd, and strong efforts were
made to drive Hatch and his company
awayfrom that investment The conclu-
sion Of his trial at ANA was his sentence
to be shot, and afterwards his pardon
came, on conditions that he would leave
the country. Nevertheless, he was not
released from prison till March, 1870.
While he was IN prison negotiations for
the annexation Of Dominica were begun,
and General Babcock arrived there as
agent Of tile United States, remaining
several weeks, till the treaty was con.
cludcd. In spite Of urgent solicitations OF
the commercial agents Smith and Perry,
Hatch was kept in prison, and the reasons
for his imprisonment appear in an official
note addressed by the Dominican Sccrc.
tary Of State TO our commercial agent,
dated February 10, 1870, in which the So
licitAtionS for his release were denied,