The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-02-22

The Admiral of our feet in West
Indian waters was instructed more
than n year ago to GO with strong
armed vessels to Port-au-P Prince, and
"'inform the present Haytian author
iii IS that this Government Is deter
mined to protect the present Domini-
can Government against any power
attempting to interfere with it." No
! matter what the ~provocations Baez
mig lit give to Hayti NJ matter what
claims the Haytians may have
agaict the Dominicans, our Govern
ment, without s'opping to inquire into
them, forbids Hayti, without menace
and n display of force, to put them
forward. Were any nation on earth
TO give us such n notice, the whole
American people would rush to arms
to avenge the insult. w hy should
we offer to Hayti an insult which we
should ourselves regard as a cause of
war? And what right has any exec
utive officer, under the constitution,
to declare war against Rayti? or,
what is going further than a declara-
tien Of war, TO treat the Republic
as a conquered province, and dictate
its foreign policy !?
The instructions of January, 1870
to Vice Admiral Poor go on to say
"You will then proceed to Dominica
and use your force to give the most
ample protection 10 the Dominican
Government against any power at
tempting to interfere with it." From
what does Baez, the present ..tDomini.
can Government" want our fleet to
protect him? Not from any foreign
power, not even. from Hayti, which
was already terrified into o inter
ference. But solely from his own
subjects. There. could be no. other
object in snch instructions as these
than to maintain Baez in the position
he hol Is. and to prevent his people
from superseding him. And our in
formation from other sources fully
confirms the official report of our late
Commercial! agent, Mr.. Petry, who
says that Baez could not retain power
for IL day but for the United States
fleet, which the people.
Egain we ask, by what right does
any officer of the United States die
tate a form of government and a rul-
er TO a sister nation? BY what right
does the Administration instruct an
Admiral to enforce the dictatorship of
Baez upon an unwilling people; and
to use force to give him the most am
pie protection against any power what
ever? The act tramples under foot
the Constitution, which defines the
power it delegates; it violates all the
traditions of our Government, and
stains our flag with dishonor. Napo
leon Ill. held his office last year by q
more unquestioned expression Of pop
'ular will than BIez ever had; yet what
would be said of q President who
should send a fleet to France to up
hold and protect him against any
power that might interfere with him?"
But what right of selfgovernment be-
longs to the French that does not be-
long to the D)minicans? The world
is not prepared to c Germany dictate
a ruler even to the people she has con-
qnered; how will they regard Us, as
suming to dictate one to a people with
whom we never had aaquarrel? And
if the Dominicans are thus dragged
into the Union by force at the heels
of a ruler they despise and hate, what
conception will they bring with them
of the principles on which our Gov
eminent is conducted?
These, we repeat, are grave errors
In Il man educated in the traditions Of
international law, and familiar with
the limitation which our institutions
on power, even when used for
the best ends, they would be crimes.
But General Grant has had no such
as this: and it is natural
that his notions Of administration
should be drawn from he camp and
the battlefield No Such justitica-
ton, however, can be pleaded by ad-
visers in civil life, who urge this poll
cy upon him. or by public men who
it before the country. With
out questioning the patriotic motives
of the President, all such men must
see that his general course of conduct
towards the two Republics upon the
Island of Hayti has been full of ag-
1ressions upon them and of usurpation
of rower, ard that the two acts of
menace and armed interference reel.
ted above have involved at once an
unconstitutional assumption Of the
war power by the executive, and a!
Outlying" spirit towards u neigh.
Dor. IN. Y. Post. (Rep.j