Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-04-14

the COMMISSIONER, under the rcSO-
! luton of Congress, to recommend
that such course be adopted or
abstained from. They simply state
as their belief, founded upon the
observations they could make, and
of the facts they could learn, that
this is the only way in which Do
minican independence can be Sc
cured, and that if it should be
Judged best not to adopt that COURSE,
even. the present shadow OF indie
pendence will be taken away. The i
Dominican territory is one Of the
purcst and richest on the earth.
Unless some such means rs thos"
above mentioned are rcsortcd to, it =,
is to lie exhausted and helple SIS until
some strong nation shall seize and
hold it in colonial subsection.
COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. ~
Tie commercial relations Of the
Dnfiipican part of the island pre-
sent one indication not to be passed
without mention. The most impor-
tant commerce Of the island by far,
the tobacco trade, is carried oa
mainly by Germans, and is with the
principal seaport Of the new Ger
man Empire. TO such an extent
has this tendency developed itself,
that this trade is rapidly becoming
a German monopoly. The Commis-
sioncrs found the number Of Ger
man subjects in important business
operations and agencies OIL the
island to exceed those Of any other
foreign power, and their influence
is extending steadily up into the
central districts.
| THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
The influence which Santo Do
mingo, under stable government,
would exercise upon the institution
of slavery, has not escaped atten-
ton. Geographically, it lies be-
tween the two last strongholds Of
slavery in North America, Cuba OH
the west, and Porto Rico on the
east. In the present impotency Of
its government it exercises little in
| tiuence, but the inhabitants are
earnestly opposed to slavery, and,
under more favorable circumstances,
| their moral influence would be felt
in the neighbesiAg islands. 1t
would be all on the side of freedom.
Nor would that influence be merely
moral. Commercial influences work
in the same direction. San Domin-
60 is capable of supporting millions
Of people; land is cheap; in fertility
it certainly equals, and probably
exceeds, the neighboring isles, and
it is even better suited to the pro-
duction of sugar and coffee. 1t
could supply the whole market of
the United States with these great
West India staples. During the
year above mentioned, II per cent,
Of all the imports Of the United
States were the production Of slave
labor. This trade is the main sup
port which the slave system has.
With liberty or free labor, and the
immigration which would be at
tracted by these, with vast advan-
tage in the West India trade, aris-
ing from the fact that any duties
laid by the United States on West
India productions for revenue void
be discrimination against slave
products, and would inure to the
protection Of Dominican free labor,
it is not too much to expect that
San Domingo might be developed
into powerful State, which, by the
inevitable course of trade, would
make slave labor in the neighboring
islands improbable, and by the
spread of its ideas render the whole
slave and caste system odious.
The Commissioners of course felt
a deep interest in the experiment of
selt-government which the blacks
are trying in Hayti. They stated to
the President Of the republic that
they should be glad to be put in the
way of ascertaining what were the
claims of Hayti upon San Domingo,
what were the views and wishes of
the Haytien people with respect to
any changes that might be brought
about in the ncighboring republic.
but they received no encouragement
to pursue their inquiries. They
asked verbally, and through our
Minister in writing, for permission
to explore in the interior Of the
island, but this was met in spirit
equivalent to a refusal. They con-
tented themselves, therefore, with
taking such testimony and gather
ing such information bearing apon
the question of annexation as they
could, without giving ottense.
CONCLUSION.
In reviewing the whole field Of
investigation, looking to the inter
ests of both divisions of the island,
they are firmly persuaded that the
annex ,tion of Santo Domingo to the
United States would be hardly less
beneficial to the Haytien than to the
Dominican people. This benefit
would arise-First, from the exam
pie which would doubtless be af-
fordcd, of a well-regulated, orderly,
and prosperous State-the great
need of that part of the world, and
which it has, as yet, never secn.- a
second and more direct benefit
would arise from the equitable cs-
tablishment Of a boundary line be-
tween the French speaking and
Spanish speaking natives upon that
island, and its guarantee by strong
power. This would end the cx-
hausting border warfare which has
been one Of the greatest curses Of
Hayti rs well as Santo Domingo.
and would enable both to devote
their energies thcrceforward to ths
education Of tt.eir people and the
development Of their rsssoSsces.
Respectfully submitted, aG
b. F. WApN 81,
ANpRKW u WnlrE,
| l., G.. AawE.
To the President ofthe United States.
| MIR. Waleott. a prominent New