The Portland daily press., 1871-03-28
prLrernrsr 1srrRyrsrr.y IN HAITI.

| Inc constant Intervention in Dominica was
supplemented by that other intervention In
Hayti, when an American admiral threatened
war to the Black Republic. Shame and indig-
nation rise as we read the record. Already we
koow it from the State Department.. Rear
Admiral Poor, under date of T. bruary II,
1870, reports to the Navy Department his
achievement After announcing that the Sc.
vern, with an armament of fourteen 9-nch
guns and one 60. pounder rife, a the Dcta-
| .0r, with AL armament of Two 10 inch Guns,
arrived at Port au Prince February. 1870, be
| ia rates his call Oh the p DIVISIONAL President
OF Hayt, and how, after communicative III
| pendeDcy Of negotiations aud the derermina-
tion OF the United States with its whole pow
| err 70 prevent any Interference on the pat oi
| the Hayden or a0y other govern ment wit that
| OF be Domincans (mea ming the usurper Baez)
| he launched this declaration:
| Therefor, if any attack should be made
upon the Domincans (meauiDg The usurper
| Baez) during the said ". o iatiO0s, under the
| Hayden or any other flag, It would be regarded
| as an act of bostil ~ tO the Uuited States Dag,
| and would provoke hostility iD retuiD.
Such was the lane1ase in he executive
mansion of the President A | this is bad
| enough from the official record; but am en-
| abled from another source, semi-oficial In
| character 10 snow yet more pr. c'sely what oc-
| Cured. have Minute account avn npty
the gentleman who acted as interpreter GU The
| occasion. Tue Rear Admiral could not speak
| French; The President could not speak Fog
| l;sh. Iustead of waiting upon the Secretary of
| State aud making his communication 10 his
| iunctiOnary, be went at once to the Executive
| Mansion. with the officers Of his v-ss-l aid
other persons, when, after announcing to the
Presid Mt that he came to pay a friend visit,
| he said that, 'as sailor, he would taKe tho
| same opportunity TO communicate instructions
| received from his Government"
The President, justly surprised, said that he
| was not aware that The Rear Admira' had any
| official communication 10 make, otherwise the
Secretary o. State for Foreign Affairs would
be present, being the proper party 10 receive it,
| The Secret Try of State and other men, bers OF
the Provisional Government we're sent for,
when the Rear Admiral proceeded to make
| the communication slIeaded reported, aud at
the same time pointing to his great warships
| ia the outside harbor, plainly visible from The
| Executive Mansion, remarked, that it could be
| seen that he had power enough to enforce bis
comDunicat on, and that besides he was ex-
pecting other forces, land in fact two other war
ships soon arrived, one Of them monitor);
| and then he answered, that sit any vessels
under the Hayden or other flags were found
in Dominican waters he would SINK or capture
them" Brave Rear Admrall The interpre-
| ter, from whose account am drawing, says
that the President felt very sorry and humil,-
| ated by this language, especially when the
Rear Admiral referred to the strong forces
under his command, and he proceeded to re.
ply; H.. ,
feebleness aud of her dignity had taken note of
the communication made in the name of the
Ur tied States, ana that, under present circum-
stances, the Government OF Hayti would not
interfere in the internal affairs of San Domin
go, bnt the Government could not prevent the
sympathies OF the Haytien people to be with
the Dominican patriots, fighting against an
nexatiOp."
Who will not say that in this transaction the
Black Republic appears better than the Rear
Admiral?
TWO PROPOSITIONS ESTABLISHED.
10 no tail bauo
question the two propositions, first, that the
usurper Baez was maintained in power by our
navy, to enable him 10 carry out the sale OF his
country, and secondly, that further to assure
this sale, the neighb0r republic of Hayti was
violently oepaced, all this being in breach of
pubic law, international and constitutional
The act of the President is violation of in
ternational law and OF the constitution, Mr..
Sumner argues at great length. He then pre-
sents the following
International law has been violated in two
of ITS commanding rules, one securing the
Equality Of Nations, and the other providing
against belligeIent Intervention, while dis
tibctive fundamental priDciple of the cOnstitu-
ton, by which the President Is deprived of q
kingly prerogative, is disregarded, and this
very kiugly pre-ogative is asserted by the
President. This is the simplest statement
Looking still further at the facts, we see that
all this great dis0bedieDce has for its object the
acquisition of an outlying tropical island, with
large promise of wealth, and that, in carrying
out this scheme, cur republic has foIcibly
maintained a usurper in power that he might
sell his county, and has dealt blow at the in
dependence of the Black Republic OF Hayti,
which besides being a wrong TO that Republic
was 10 insult to the African race. Aud all this
has been done by pIerogative alone, without
the au hority of an act OF Congress. 1t such a
transaction, many headed in wrong, can escape
al Ia n, 71nn IN hut Sanp vity.a
remain. What other sacred rule of interDa.
tioDa law may bot be violated? What ether
foreign nation nay not be struck at? What
other belligereDt mehace may not be hurled?
What other kingly prerogative may not BIZ
seized?
On apother occasion 1 showed how these
wrongful proceedings bad been sustained by
the President beyond all example, but in d
corresponding spirit Never before has there
been such Presidential Intervention in the
Senate as we have been Constrained to wit
ness. Presidential visits to the capitol. with
appeals to Senators, have BEEN followed by az
sembles at the Executive Mansiou, also with
appeals to Se0ators; aud who can measure the
pIessure-of all kinds by himself or agents, es-
pec'allv through the appointing power, all to
secure the contamination OF this scheme? 10
harmony with tbi, effort waa the Presidential
message, where, while taxing The Senate with
folly" IN rejecting the treaty, We are grave'y
assured that ny he proposed acquslt on, "our
large debt abroad is to be ultimately exun-
pushed" thus making ST. Domingo the pack
horse of our vast load, or perhaps, cory De Dos
Quixote when he imposed upon the shoulders
III SanchO PaDZa the penitential stripes wnlch
belonged TO himself.
Then, responding to the belligerent menace
of his Admiral, the President make kindred
menace bv proposing not Hine less tn an tue &C.
quisIOn of the Il laud of st. Domueo," thus
aJdiog ths Black Republic to his scheme. The
1nnoctnt population there were startled. Their
minister here protested. Nor is it npnatursl
thA
Englaud, ~ her speech at the opening of Par
Lament, had proposed in formal terus the &C.
QUESTION Vi the oite States, or suppose Louis
Napoleon, III his SPEECH ut the opening Of The
Chambers duriog tue Mexican war, while the
French forces we're in Mexico, had sooily pro-
posed the acquisition of that portion of the
Uuted States adipiping Mexico and stretching
to the Atlantic, and in support Of bis PROPOSE
ton bad set forth the productivtDess OF the
soil, the natural wealth that abounded there,
and wound no by announcing that ut OF this
might be paid the French debt abroad, which
was to be saddled upon the converted terrific.
poleon or oy the Eoglish Queen made in for
NAL speech to Chambers or Parliament, what
would have bee1 the feeling ia cur couutry?
Nor would that feeling have been dimIDisbed
by toe excuse that the offensive propostion
creIt into the speech by accident. Whether
by accident or design, it would attest small
consideration for national existence. But the
Hay.iens love their country as we love Ours
especially are LHPy TestluUc JOr DaIlOUal 1Uue-
pendence. All is shown by the reports which
reach US now, even il their whole history did
not attest 1t.
The language Of the President in charging
the Senate with folly, was not.according 10 APP
proved precedents. Clearly this is not prop
er term to be employed by one branch of The
government with regard to another. least of all
by the President with regard to the Senate.
Folly, sir! Was it folly when the Seuate re-
fused to sanction proceedings by which the
o1 R;.,ht 81 tb.,
sailed? Was it folly not to sane lion hostities
against the Black Republic without the au
tborfy OF Congress? Was it folly not to sane
ton belligereLt intervention in foreign cOun-
try without the authority of Congress? Was
| it folly not to sanction usurpation of the war
powers under the Constitution? According to
| the President all this was folly in the Senate.
Let the country Judge
Thus do we discern, whether on the coasts of
St Domingo, or here at w Washington, the same
determination with the same regard of great
principle, as also the same recklessness toward
| the people of Hayti who have never injured
us.
PRESENT DUTY.
In view of these things the first subject Of
| inquiry is not soil, climate, productiveness, and
the possibilities OF wealth, but the exceptional
| and abnormal proceedings Of our own govern
mept. This inquiry is essentially preliminary
| IN character. Before considering the treaty or
| anJ question of acquisition, we must at least
| put ourselves right as q nation; nor do / see
| how this can be done without retracing our
| steps and consenting to act in subordinaton to
| International law and the constitution of the
| United States.
A. - e