The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-02-07
M(ioolrburp Aegister
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY !, 1871.
The San Domingo Annexation Scheme


During the discussions in Congress on
the annexation scheme, some of the most
telling points were made by Hon. Carl
Schurz, of Missouri. The following is an
extract from a speech made by him in the
Senate on the 1lth ut
Sir, our semi-tropcal States we have
and we must keep them; it is a continent
al necessity; and | indulge in the fond
hope that a wise policy will mitigate the
evils existing and troubles still brewing
there. But do these evils not impose
problems upon us sorely taxing our in
genuity and violently straining the elas-
ITCHY Of our institutions? Can we multiply
these disturbing elements with impunity 2
asked you once, Senators, and repeat
Ithe question, have we not enough with
lone South ? Can we afford to buy an
other one? Are there not disturbing
elements enough in this country that we
should artifcially increase them ? Is there
not mass of ignorance great enough here
that we should by such means try still
further to augment and accumulate it?
Again | ask, have we not enough with
one nursery OF trouble and embarrassment
and should we squander the money of the
people to purchase ten more?
Sir, what are the inducements that are
offered to us in this insane bargain? Do
we really need the West India islands :?
l read in the Presidents message of n
great calamity, which consists in not pos
sessing San Domingo. How fortunate is
it that the people of the United States
were so happily insensible of their distress
so entirely unconscious of their calamit-
Gus privation
What other inducement, then ? Wealth.
True, those countries are rich. And here
let me claim the attention of the Senator
from Indiana again, for | desire to tell
him now why | made that argument and
stated those facts which seemed to alarm
him so much concerning my anti-slavery
sentiments. With the principles we cher
ish, and which | trust we shall never
abandon, if we should 60 to San Domingo
and attempt to develope her resources,
those gorgeous visions of wealth, of I'M
told millions to be gained every year, will
soon turn out to be somewhat airy. That
is what | desired to suggest to him. The
greater the opportunities of gain may ap.
pear to the greedy SPECTATOR invading
that country the greater will be the tenn.
tation to encroach upon the rights of the
laborer to develope those resources That
is what | as man and citizen of the
American Republic am opposed to-
Whether means can be discovered to de-
velop them fully without encroaching up
on the rights of the laboring man l know
not but they are not found yet and
until they are we shall have to choose be-
tween tyrannical policy, hostile to the
great principles upon which this Republic
now stands, on one side, and great disap.
pointments on the other, Is this an al
Tentative we should be eager to buy with
money?
Moreover, Senators, did you consider
what the dangers connected with tropical
wealth are, and how precarious is its
possessions Can you point out to 'me
single nation that grew and remained
rich by tropical wealth Look at France.
France possessed the island of San DOM
lingo, land We are told wonders of the many
millions French proprietors drew annual
ly from the soil of the island. What has
become of that wealth ? All the millions
ever gained there, and more TOPPER
haps twice as many-were swallowed up
by few years Of war on that very is
| land