New-York tribune., 1871-08-26
SANTO DOMINGO.

A CARD FROM DIR. s. G. HOWE ON ANNEAAIloN'
| TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
| SIR: Justice to a neighboring people calls
for reply TO q recent article in Boston newspaper
which ask leave to make through the columns OF IL
TRIBUNE.
The Commissioners to Santo Domingo reported as the
result OF their personal observations certain interesting
and important facts The chief Of these were, hrst tat
large proportion OF the Dominican people are OF hgh
| type OF physical organization; and may DO properly
classed with the white Second that they mani
tested an unexpecteddegee Ofnte gence and of culture
Third that they accustomed to the exercise OF con
siderable municipal and political power. Fourth, that
people of all ranks earnestly aud almost unanimously
desire annexation TO the United States lhdeed' the
word prayer" would express their feeling upon TINS
| matter better than the word desire.
The Commissioners set forth these facts their own
names They were confirmed by their Secretaries among
whom were Frederick Douglass and Judge Burton. A
corps OF scientific men numbering with their assistants
more than score reported the same general facts and
most of them their own names The reporters OF
newspapers Of all parties almost unanimously confirmed
these statements, especially the last one, TO w.t. the
unanmity of the desire of the Dominican people for an
! nexaton.
knoc that the investigation OF the island and OF Its
people was made honestly, earnestly, and thoroughly
The Commissioners not blnd nor were they hood
wnked by Baez. The canvass or the people was minute
and extensive Men and women Of all ranks were con-
familiar with the two languages most used In the island
The scientific iCorps was composed OF intelligent men.
| The other witnesses were regular correspondents OF
American newspapers surer guaranty for Intelligence
than titles OF L. D. even Of NJ. c. The Commission
ers appended the voumnous testimony which they had
taken from magistrates priests soldiers, artisans, peas
ants from men and from OF all occupations, and
| the Government printed and published the report
Surely worth attention, even though II con-
Hcted with opinions and dogmatc assertions based upon
Congress Library lore and with statements OF p0-
htical adventurers and exies, whether Hayan or Do
| mInican But santo Domingo already, for the
time dead cock in the political pit The clamor OF
| party drowned the voice Of humanity ana the
report was stborn Our people had been made to take
a snap Judgment upon the question OF annexation, IN
utter ignorance OF its important bearing upon the sub
ect of West Indian and Brazilian slavery and upon the
spread Of freedom all sides. The time foretold by an
uustrious Senator his prophetic voice about America
| had indeed come. "When the name OF our Republic
should be exalted until every neghbor yielding to the
inevitable attraction should seek new life IN becoming
part OF the great whole" The people OF santo Domingo
believed prophecy They prayed TO become part OF
the great whole :" but people were made to turn
| deaf ear TO the prayer.
perulexed by side issues skllfuy paraded, disturbed
Ivy fierce charges of Executive usurpaons and wrongs
fearful Of breaking political ranks our people forgot its
high mission. and pronounced against the peaceful ex-
tension Of our institutions to suffering neighbor WHO
|
Now have they been allowed to their and their
wrong ANY attempt to revive the question Of annexa-
tion secuted disturbance OF the dominant party
On other hand, no opportunity Is lost or giving
kick at the corpse of Annexation, aud or Nilyng the
| Administration as the supposed parent Of 1t. For in
stance the maintenance Of naval force in the Domni-
can waters is bitterly denounced Oar ships must be en-
Moved somewhere The President has stationed few Of
them in Dominican waters and has thereby kept the
peace IN the regions round about, and prevented insr
rection within the island and bloody invasion
| from without. II is unfair to impugn the
motives of the Administration in this matter,
and TO assail the character of the President.
| The officials sent to the Island may have exceeded
their authority the naval officers have bued the
Haytian Government when they should have persuaded
1t. They may have pointed empty guns instead Of arg
ments The President may have been technically wrong
(tred by the fgments OF international laws established
in the OF despotsm) but he has been morally
right He has the real Protector not only OF the
Tepubc OF sano Domingo, hut OF all that ia truly Re-
publican In Hayti. Would 10 God that our fleet In the
ianreIs, There il another Illustration the powerful
and sfu effort keep the real merit of annexa
d%eS % SU' upon The items 5f news, and the state
| ments favorable 10 annexation when occasionally
appear while II sets forth whatever Is unfavoraDle
Take for instance your paper. II may possibly have
noticed and plainly set forth the volume OF evidence
given officially by the Commissioners to santo Domingo,
but think 1t has not. Certainly very rev papers nave
done on The other hand there nave lately appeared
favorable notices OF pamphlet entitled Brief Reiua
Of Report Of the American commissioners % santO
Domingo" This scandalOus and cOwardly dOcui lent
opens thus The report Of the American Commissioners
snt 10 the Dominican Republic study and things
only shows an partiaity it expected by all
intelligent people All that dishonesty could suggest In
order to color the investigation made subseryient
Ia selfish Of Baez, supported by his accOmpce,
President Grant" &c Sc This pamphlet Il written in
malicious and partisan spirit IL ed with SlanderOus
and charges IL betrays ignorance. tppOrts
to be written by Many Dominicans," but not one of
them dared sign II written by Dominican, he
vcts himself and over again Of gross Ignorance OF
his country and Of his felOw-ctZens when he talks
Of the distance from the capital o Puerta Plata being
800 leagues whereas the whole Republic measures less
than leagues its greatest extent This pamphlet OF
itself unworthy the notice OF honest but
has been widely circulated it has been franked by
ber Of Congress II has received favorable notice Of
respectable journals. There Is another proof Of
the lameftable indifference of our people TO the true
of he Dominican question IL shows,
purpose on the part OF leaders 10 keep them Indifferent
Tie matter seldom alluded TO except TO assail
act OF the Administration. Republicans Will not touch 10
lest disturb party integrity. Democrats viii not touch
lest they miss the expected opportunity of themselves
the island and getting the credit OF doing what
| the Repnblcaus could not or dared do Meantime
the people Domingo, who had come To look upon
xAtion the salvation OF their cOuntry-as
anty against feuds OF rival chiefs and the
neighborng blacks an assurance of peace of industry
| and prosperity-they bitterly disappointed They
have been fed on the hope deferred" which maketh
the heart sick and now they despair No OF feeling
who knows this interesting people fail To moy ed
by a thought Of their present condition and their prob
able fate To they seem, In respects as did the
poor mountaineers OF Crete few years AGO and whom
we might have saved but for worship OF the F,tsh
OF International Law. trust that santO Domlngo 30
marvellous for its beauty and Its fertility deliclosiu
tecous Ia its geographical position, may DO kept