The New York herald., 1871-03-17

little sensation amid the dull routine and tiresome
monotony OF life ST. Domingo. We took box
for four, for which we paid three dollars. But we
had TO furnish own seats, ana got our laaffe
dhotet to send chairs. Then we had to pay forty
/, five cents each for admiss.on in addition to three
dollars for the box. At eight O'Clock in the ng
we were at the door. Outside were colored shoe
less soldiers, with fixed bayonets; at the entrance
ana by the side OF the man who took the money was
another similarly half clad black soldier, inside also
were other like soldiers, with fixed bayonets. The
playful handed TO us read:-'Con pei7tttso de la
duto,fddd conlpaHta drdD,dticd de Don Jose La
Frame" &C. the play was La Condesa de Barju,
small theatre IS as rude looking and dirty as
could be imagined. The so-called boxes pro-
ject little over the parquet on each side,
ana are enclosed In front by sort OF
fence made OF rough Stats OF wood. Across and
above the whole door or the parquet near the en-
| box, IN which was seated the Governor, Daman
Baez, ana others of the governing or upper class.
sioners Wade and White, and sandwiched in with
| them was Fred Douglass. on the opposite side
drentwelve or fourteen, proDaDlyall IN their best,
and OF every shade OF color from the pure negro TO
the octoroon This was all the box audience. In
the parquet, which has the ground for the floor
rough wooden seats, was strange motley group
OF about eighty hundred persons. The only pure
whites were three OF our man-ofwar sailors and
some OF the correspondents and scientific men OF
the expedition These latter had by way OF contrast
| the young Douglass-black as the blackest OF the
| nauves-placed conspicuousy among them. Two
out OF three OF the Baez Cabinet Ministers were In
the parquet, who seemed to relish the performance
| amazingly. At the end OF the first act several cor
| respondents and other Americans following the
fashion IN n more civilized countries went 10 Ray their
| Douglass, who was seated With them. Douglass
appreciated the compliment highly, for he with
immense dignity and shook hands all round in fall
view OF the gazing audience This scene was IN per-
feet harmony with all the surroundings and with
ST. Domingo life. Much cannot be said for the per-
formance either OF the actors or the half dozen
wretched lnstrumentasts IN the orchestra. The
most amusing part OF the whole was the vociferous
applause, sometimes III the wrong place, given by
the party IN our box to the actors and particularly
TO the prettiest OF two women who happened to be
the worst actress, or really no actress at ~. do
not know whether the DOmncanS understvb this
extraordinary applause ana the presentation OF a
bouquet to MISS Conception, the Aforesaid young
lady, as sincere or only fun. but they enjoyed IL
greatly. II the theatre and the whole spectacle
urious novelty better than the broad caricatures
at the Olympic or the FUNNIEST negro minstrels
Last night Sunday there was another performance
by the same company, In number, and six in the
orchestra, ali included, but to larger native audi
ence. There was, however, nothing more worthy Of
INCARCERATION.
Here 1t may be as wei TO remark, In connection
with the scene described above, that our black aud
party, with the Douglasses oi that color naturally
as well as politically, and including, with two or
three exceptions, ali the correspondents as well as
the commission are quite at home in ST. Domingo
out to the fullest extent. y mite men, and some OF
them Americans, marry or live with negro women,
and it matters little which. ana bring up their
mixed progeny as their proper families just as the
fanliies OF white married people are recognized in
the United States. Miscegenaon. SO far from being
odous is the rule OF life and not damaging socially
though there may be very few whites VINO are proud
enough OF their blood and race not 10 be legally
united with the coored people This habit OF life,
together with the vast preponderance OF the col0red
race, the degraded condition or the population and
the tropical climate, soon have q demorallzing in
nucnce over our Americans even, and no more fruit
ful place could be found TO out the mscegenat
ing theories or tastes o. our radical republicans.
ANNEXATION.
The annexation question, then, must be regarded
as an important one In social and moral as well as
in political point OF view. We might improve the
Domincians, but their influence upon US, small as
the population is could only be injurious. Not
only would annexation be the Commence ent of a
new policy Of holding distant possessions and in
cooperating heterogeneous and an alien race with
our own, but In Inc case OF ST. Domingo there would
be nothing TO compensate for the sacrifice we
should MAKE Ricn as the island Is IN natural and
undeveloped wealth, like nearly all tropical coun-
tries, IL Is, I'd It's present condition, the snkhole OF
the Antilles. The question Of labor or improve
ment or the country shall advert to hereafter
Tneie Is no comparison between the value oil cuba
and this island Cuba Is so near as almost to form
part of the North American Continent IL has o
better population and o large number Of the pure
Lur00ean stock. II mas all the elements Of civllza-