The New York herald., 1871-03-29
The st. Domingo Question Still
Before the Senate.
A TELLING SPEECH BY CARL SCAURZ.
Merciless Review Of the Presi-
dents Policy.
Secretary Robeson's Ignorance Of Inter-
national Law Exposed.


Another Exciting Day In the Senate-Debntc
st. Domingo Rcsumed-Focblo Defence
OF the Administrat atiou-Carl Schurz's Argu-
meni Against AunexIon.
Everybody here appreciates the force OF Mr.. Sum-
ners aluson, in his speech In the Senate yesterday
to the transfer Of the question OF the Ku Klux to
the shores Of ST. Domingo. The subject of debate
In both houses is that OF the outrages committed In
some OF the Southern States by the Ku
Klux Klan and 1t was as an amendment to
the Ku Klux bill that he offered HIS st. Domingo
resolutions 1t was said somc time ago that
persistent the President in his determination
to push his st. Domingo scheme through Congress
without delay as shown by the manner in which
the resolution creating the Commission was pushed
through at the last session OF the Fortynrst Con-
gress ana the speedy departure OF the Tennessee,
that the first session OF the present Congress would
be protracted long enough to enable the Commits
sioners to return with their report, ana that then
the same system OF legislation would be at
tempted In favor OF annexation to finish up the
business In pursuance OF this plan 1t Is said that
the question Of the Ku KluX introduced for the
double purpose OF giving the administration party
military power in the South, with a view con-
trolling the elections and OF keeping Congress in
session with view to the consummatlon OF the st.
Domlngo business Whether these assertions .ra
!rae 9r g9t. the Ky Klqx lux question has
assumed what Is deemed to be undue I'm.
porance, and the Commissioners have re-
turned from st. Domingo to find Congress still In
session and the st. Domingo scheme the particular
Point Of discussion and the subject Of excitement In
the Senate. The interest created by Mr.. Summers
speech in the Senate yesterday has not yet SUBJ
slded Intelligence has been received here that the
speech was published in full to-day in oil the lead
San Francisco. 1t was telegraphed to the
Pacific coast and formed the largest eegrap hi
message ever sent SO long a distance. Mr..
Sumner has received from various quarters many
complim, ntary congratulations His protest against
what he claims 10 be the usurpation by the execu-
tive department OF the government or prerogatives
which do not belong to 1t under the constitution
seems to have met hearty response throughout the
country and the echo which has come back to
Washington Is to the effect that the policy OF the
President Is open to impeachment.
The debate on the St. Domingo scheme
which Mr.. Sumner renaugurated in the
Senate yesterday, was resumed to-day and Will be
continued tomorrow by Mr.. Schurz, who has the
floor and who it is said, promises to be more plain
and pointed than Mr.. Sumner in hts denuncatons
OF the policy concerning st. Domingo pursued
under the direction OF the President. When the
discussion was resumed to-day Mr. Howe, OF Wis
consin who yielded yesterday to O motion for ad-
journment, defended the course Of the admnis-
tratiOn in the matter being strictly constitu-
tional and according to precedent, as In the case
OF Texas He cited Mr.. Sumner for arraignment
for not having as Senator and as chairman Of the
Committee on Foreign Relations, protested long
before against the wrong which he charged had been
committed. Mr. Sumner, however, answered him
successfully, and showed that when the first treaty
hrou 70 bic offa bov n
the part the navy OF the United States had been
called upon to play In sustaining Baez in power and
menaclng the black republic, but as soon
as he had learned the facts he de.
nounced the unconstitutional action OF the
government. After Mr.. Howe had taken his seat
Mr.. Schurz endeavored to obtain the floor, but MIR.
Pomeroy, who was temporarily in the chair recog-
lied Mr. Frenghuysen OF New Jeysey, who arose
to defend the President Frelinghuysen alluded to
General Grants important military services to the
country during the rebellion, defended his course
In the st. Domingo matter, and reprimanded Mr..
Sumner for preclpltatng this discussion before the
Commissioners had returned from st. Domingo
and their report had been presented TO the
Senate Sumner retorted with effect that the Sena-
tor from Wisconsin-Howe-hada arraigned him for
not entering his protest sooner, and the Senator
from New Jersey--Freinghuyse arraigned
him for postponing IT, and that he had taken coun
sci Of neither but rather had taken counsel OF his
heart upon the subject The effect OF Summers an
swer was visible among the spectators IN the Senate
There was Q movement all through the
chamber when Mr.. Schurz arose to reply to the ar
guments advanced by Morton, Howe and Freling-
huysen In favor OF the President and the neads Of
the Navy and State Departments Schurz is promi-
nent among the readlegt and abest debaters in the
Senate, and his speech to-day was distinguished for
In paying passing compliment to his friend and as
sociate, Mr. Sumner, he said, IN the commencement
that the difficulty not with the mental strength
OF the Senator from Massachusetts,, but with the
moral strength Of his opponents. Schurz was now
fairly under way with his speech and 1t was mani
fest that he intended to handle the Presidents st.
Domingo policy aud Its friends without gloves. He
had prepared copious notes. which lay before him
on his desk, and to which he referred
now and then, but he made no attempt to
read speech. Books in calf and sheep skin, to
be used authorities, lay piled up all around the
Senator's desk; executive documents OF recent
date, consisting OF reports from the Navy and State
departments, were scattered on the neighborng
desk Of Mr.. Trumbull. Mr.. Schurz came to his
work well supplied with ammunition OF the solid
sort Immediately IN his rear sat Mr.. Sumner, who
seemed to be acting O reserve. He how.
ever, was not an idle spectator. He sup
piled Schurz with numerous suggestions,
and was busy turning to authorities and
precedents to sustain the position of the Missouri
Senator Whatever may have been the feelings Of
other Senators on the subject Schurz and Sumner
were the only active participants In the fight.
Against them was the entire administration party
In the Senate. Neither ofthem, however, seemed to
pay any attention to the odds against them. Pro-
badly they regarded 1t only as odds In point OF
numbers.
Schurz continued his speech without much inter.
rupton until he to that part Of 1t wherein he
discussed the war powers or Congress and the
President. Upon this point Mr. Howe seemed to be
rather sensitive, for the that In his speech he
had given President rather latitude in this
regard than has heretofore been accorded him by
the ablest American statesmen and jurists. He
arose several times to interrupt Mr..
Schurz, who was crtcising what ne termed