The Portland daily press., 1871-03-30

insinuations to effect that wretcbed
The President of flourishlng COZ
lege is about the last man in the worid WIZ
would be likely to be unduly influenceu by
desire to stand well at Washington, anu IT.
Home ;s one of the avarmest personal friends
Mr.. Sumner has in the acortd. ne 'ods dp'
pointed on that account, and Mr.. Sumner
drc,s up Gerry explicit set of Instructions
for his use.
Sixth, Mr.. Sumner and certain newspapers |
allege that the use of the navy during the ne
gotiations has cost an immense sum. They |
do not state that the expense of maintaining
the naval force of the United States is not
greatly varied by the point at which it is sta
toned, and that it is rather an expensive lux
ury whether at San Domingo or elsewhere.
Seventh, The two great counts in Mr.. Sum-
ner's indictment of the President are the
forcible unfolding of Baez and the forcible
repression of Hayti. AS for the first, the
commissioners say in their report that Baez is
in full and peaceable possession OF all parts OF
the island except where the chicken THIEF
Cabral is making his raids on the Haytien
border. They say that he enjoys the respect
of Il great majority of the people and has
four times accepted The office of Chief Mag
istrate Is this the political jockey" the
feeble tyrant, whom it takes the whole naval
force of the United States TO sustain in his
office? And whose account shall we believe
that of the Impartial commissioners or that OF
the enraged Summer, who has investigated the
case in his library?
Eiaht, As for the second great count in the
Indictment, The levying of war on Hayti, the
letter OF Secretary Robson to Admiral Lee,
denying that the Government has overstepped
in the slightest degree the restrictions i'm
posed by International law and explaining ex-
actly what the Government has done, and
why, is a sufficient reiutation. We quote
from this important letter which those who
talk SO fippantly of impeachment would do
we'll to read: f1
But neither the United States nor its execu.
| tive has chosen to take part or has taken part
| in the internal conflicts of the Dominican
republic. The situation is this The Presi-
dent OF the United States has, by the Consti-
| tulion the right to make treaties, subject to
| the ratification of the Senate. The Congress
| of the United States, in 1856, appropriated
considerable sum of money Tor the understood
purpose of acquiring, by lease or purchase,
part of the island OF San Domingo. The bay
and peninsula of SANTANA were considered the
most appropriate for our purpose as a naval
| station, and the republic OF San Domingo it.
self, with its favorable position and natural re-
| sources, its friendly Government and people,
| seemed, for the purposes OF commerce and
civilization, by far the most desirable Tor use
| of those fragments of our continent which lie
across the gateways of our domestic commerce
and shut up the entrance to our great inland
sea.
To initiate all treaties is the constitutional
right OF the President, and thus he had the
constitutional power to negotiate treaty for
the possession of SANTANA and the annexation
| of the Dominican repub ic, it, upon proper
consideration, he thought 1t right and Tor the
| interest of the country, whose interests are TO
this extent intrusted to his judgment He
did negotiate such treaties with the existing
Government of the republic, confessedly the
Government both de facto and de jure. These
treaties were, of course, inchoate and subject
| to be confirmed or defeated by the action Of
the Senate of the United States and the peo-
| pie of the Dominican republic, but by such
treaties, and pending such final action, the
| United States acquired an interest in the
thing negotiated, from which it could not be
rIohtfully disturbed by any other power, and
it was the plain duty oil the Executive to pro-
tect, il need be, this cOpstitutionally acquired
interest, so that the subject of negotiation
might remait intact, until final action OF the
ratif, ing powers coulu be properly bad. This
duty was PLAN, and, in every case OF a valua
BILE acquisition, the execution OF it will be ex-
pected and approved by the people. 1t was in
the discharge OF such duty that, in the early
part of the present century, President Madi-
son marched the armies of the United States
into and actually took possession of the terri
tory then known as West Florida, incl1ding
what is now the State of Alabama, for which
territory negotiations were then pending, and
afterwards concluded and settled with Spain.
This action was approved by Congress and
the people, not as an exercise OF the war
pc yer, but as protecting an interest constitu-
tioDally acquired, and which the Executive is
bound to maintain intact while it remained
in issue.
In the present case the president has hith-
erto only pursued in relation to the republic
OF San Domingo this same recognized policy of
| our government and under a treaty and by
means of an appropriation by Congress for
such purpose, we took possession of the bay
and peninsula vi SANTANA. This possession we
| still hold and, while our flag flies there, we
must protect from every interference the in
ierests it represents. In carrying out this
recognized policy the government of the
@ sa sosts as Sss 81 sh Sc 1o sanad
San Domingo, and has neither iaterIered in
the internal conflicts OF the Dominican re-
public nor coerced any other power. 1t has
simply announced to the people ee ,erally,
aud particularly to such as appeared in a
( Threatening attitude. IT'S determination to pro
/ tee, until finally disposed OF, the interest it
bad acquired 10 thai republic from all attacks
from without Its boundaries, and from the in
terterence of any foreign power, so that, in
the event of the treaties being ratified, it
would be left thing contracted Tor, with no
hostile possessions intervening to destroy our
right of pre-, emption.
To do this is certainly not to make nor to
take part in the conflicts of the country, nor
to attempt to coeIce any power; it IS but the
simple performance of duty to Congress and
to the nation in the preservation. in its exist.
ing condition, of what we have constitution
any entered into negotiations cousttutonally
TO acquire, under the orders of the executive.
As part Of this duty those ships OF yonr
heet which are at any time cruising in the
waters OF san Domingo are to maintain this
status against every power, and while we
would not yield the right to interfere with it
OF the most powerful government, we cannot
concede that right even to the weakest.