New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-17
SAN DOMINGO ANNEXATION.
-. s.-..rur m rAyon oF TIE rRoJECr.

ID
,a,i nassares will give n fair idea OF tho character
=, ,b article which may doubtless be accepted ns tho
and fullest etaemont OF the Presidents yiows on
,I,,s IN vorite feature OF his policy:
soop after the Inauguration OF President Grant COM
"sjoner from san Domingo arrived and represented ut
iuh tho views Of Baoz and tbs sentiment OF MS people
In regard 70 the many adyantnSos EhGb tnGJ oeeTea
President listened patiently TO his stateuenis BAT gave
DE natter no .Ir,hor con Iteration at ne tune,
Some time aftcrWard the secretary OF State discovered
ttot Great Interest was manifested I'm tho project by
MANY public and june, 1892 II was doomed ndyl5-
ablc 10 send out Commissioner To obtain Information
from accurate and Trustworthy sources. Mr. BENJAMIN
Hunt, eminent citizen Of Philadelphia and gentle
man in every way qtnlifed Tor inc mission, Mss ~,
nolnted for this purpose. suldcn illness deprived the
Iovcrnnent OF his services as no was about sailing nom
Ncw-York.
In July OF that year a second Commissioner from Baes
called 10 seo the PgS ide4t on io same eSia rs tnS
sustained his arguments With such convincing proofs
that the President and secretary Of STATE determined 70
delay 10 longer I'm sending out Commissioners The cir
cumstanco which probably produced greater influence
than any other mes ago from Baez STATING mat
his people had fully demonstrated the fact that they
could no longer preserve their independent form OF gov
ernmelt and thai, II their ovcrtures were rejected hy
the United States thcy would be compelled TO seek the
protection of some other powerful uation.
There are two req sons why this mission should be
strictly confidential one 10 was due g. Baez that, IN
Case 6e Vaccinations wore unzucccssfu he shoud not
loo subj ,ced 10 tho unpOpUgrity nsequent upon the
failure Of such an undertaking. besides, loan haa
nupurt OF $4,000 serinZ The OF this loan
exceedingly Gisadyan,ageOus to the borfoWer. Inc
bonds were secured by the import aud export duties
two or the principal ports ana the G0yefnnent
ROYALTY from tho taking Of gao nom Alta Nea ana tue
w1rhingO OF the c0al-nnes and forests OF SANTANA Cor
tifcafss Of Indebtedness 20 tho amount or
ESQ go were required for every 93s,Oc0 paid
Only 938oO0 had been received, but the GoVernhehs
was compelled under the contract TO accept 50
before the 81 January 1870 II the island were to be
annexed it N5l5 desirable - have IN. incumbranec or
debt iight possible. Tic EoaCit WIS thit uhuer
ordinary CIRCUMSTANCES no moro ~ ne ioah HoIi4 recn
Tie island within the prescribed unei yet, II 1t were
known that % project OF annexation waS In contempa-
tion, tie payments would doah; be forced upon the
Domuiclus in o belief tat the United States would DE
compelled to assume the dent "
Fer thuse reasons the President selected for this deli
te mission trusted OIL cr OF his O@h hou,cA9ld one
who rad served wi "a him for many ears, ana whose ac
lnowlrdgcd integrity O. character was sufficient guar
rcr0ich 80 quietly diI Cen Bahcock mako his prcpar-
aous that he reached san Domingo hcirre any one SIS
ppcted his destination, end secured tie basis oi an h
portaat treaty without the real object Of his mission
liz siled from NewYcr OH the 1O'h OF July, and re-
turned OF, the 18Th Of September During that time ne
inspected the most important haiDcrs ana listed tIe
Principal points Of Interest In tho lnteror by DIS Skull
bis rabnoss and the prestige Of 3 position ~ lnaae
the people of the slEd ana Obtained terms r tno psS
of treaty advantageous t. tie United states as IL
they had been di lated ~ Washington.
Gen Banc0cks report wac so 1' ot.Die, am tne Ics
Cf his mission Important that much deeper interest
was pow manifested ~ INC srslect ~ oo .c 1,
ana the Secretary ~ Slac Ing pO!s u piel lO,3
miss toner's II. files of the Departments were aten-
studied statistic OF trade and tho channels OF commerce
were closely examined, and the more the measure was
uif clSSr'i iit iiuit Is i<to iN'tiii'
The following among the reasons which removed
ihe last remaining objections, aud gradually trans formed
e. .thusiastic advocates:
The Dominican portion OF the Island found to CON
lain nearly 5000 square miles and less than l5VgD m
ahtauts or about five persOns to- square mile. Unlike
the other islands II presents Yas teTri i WIN
~ ~. s . so, oon,j,o L. s largo MS vermont New
Hainrshrr Massachusetts, aud Rhode Island together,
and has less than 10000 people vermont 4oh1 mas osea
SfItpn The DeOlN though Ignorant,
always been honest and exceedingly tolerant IN re-
= re Colntry ahouuds in rich mines OF gold, copper
coe lead, roclsat iron, and deposits OF inter sugar
coffee cotton tobacco, rice. indigo, ana cocoa can be
produced with as little labor upon any portion Of tao
Garth; while pantan. vanilla potatoes corn and otter
minor articles indigenous to the soil The mountains
covered with mahogany, satnwoci hye OAK hs4nn-
vita palm, and other valuable varieties OF wood ~ y
in but for which we are now depend
cnt upon foreign conntIes Irocel Irui nS h
country is capable OF suppJi n6 pOpnloh OF iooVg
hose Of the entire island OF Cuba tho climate - SIN
cularly heaithfl, and the GIN rent elevations O. Eh
give every variety Of temperature. u seems irenaareu
nature as Whit resort rlnYadS ITS vast ahd Sc
cure bys SAYS Mr. Hogan, "wodld AFFORD shelter Tor thc
congrogated nayes OF INC %o'iu us lSiio fi ,
magnificent ISLAND ono OF tle mos l Gs '
which the world can exhibit for commercial en-
An Immense coastwlsc commerce will spring up which
will restore lost merchant marine harb0r there Is
which we largely import viii greatly reduce INC
balance OF trade against us One-sNth Oh or prsehs
trnrcIl soil we can raise these articles ourselves.
thorough development Of tho immense resources oil ms
island will eDtice labOrcr3 from those adjoining, ana Tee
rest OF the islands will have 10 abolish bayery In order
10 retain their laborers valuable market VIII be
afforded for the machinery OF the East and tho bread
stuffs OF the West The adjacent islands will also be
compelled TO use onr IN order 70 oones9 w1
Cuba from Spain should success attend our efforts
making will 6 S"I hecery to hold Ro island
which commands the entrance TO the Caribbean Sea.
As n refinement Of logic tho argument has been pre-
India Islands have been formed
Mssiss and that they of right belong TO US. While
mo- one possessed of due Iegard for truth will accuse
the Yankee OF disposition To despo his nelghb0r yet
it Is pretty generally conceded tnaI tere Ii 10 one To
acquisition is adherence to the " Monroe doctrine.
s69G we rdt tine raI o we dog in the e'
deny the right OF the Dominicans 10 seek prOtectlOa
under "A European flag Apprehcnsions In tins respect
have several times been aroused during the negotiations
A communication exhibited from dominican
official in Europe stating that nrstclass power s1ou
by the United states More recently, upon the rumor
that Baez had committed suicide member 90 ,ne
the truth of the report IL Is an Iact tt Ha
the Powers Of Europe have grown rich from their East
or West India possessions. ,
Contrary to expectation, the Domncans neither de-
manded that the Republic should be admitted as stat,
ernor that any Of their officers should be appointed
Federal positions The price named Tor the pure nsse
81 COO was barely sufficient to the value OF their
forts, srsenals, barracks, custonhonses navy wards
docks It stipulated that the DomlnlSans should
against failure to comply with this portion Of the treaty.
tLe United States given lien upon the public lands,
constituting One-hfth OF the whole island.
With such opportunity afforded him to improve the
commercial and material interests OF the country and
will full knowledge of the countless advantages to
follow annexation the President would have been re-
creant 10 the high trust confded In him he had not
made yigorous effort TO secure prize treaty for the
nnr6ase Of the Republic prepared upon the
agreed upOn and also convention lease OF The
Bay Of saInan8 for " years at an annual rental of
$4,000 This sum was 10 Dc pa once, SpcOO In gold
coin and $4,000 in clothing, &c. In OF the
ratification OF the treaty, this first yearly payment was
TO be deducted from the price paid for the Island.
One important item OF the treaty the provision
that the Dominican people should give free expression
Of their will in regard 10 IatOn within four months
from the date OF signing. In order 20 avoid the
possibility OF any Individual being Influenced by u
promise Of pecuniary reward express stipulation
VIZ that after the executOn o. the treaty. the