Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-28


Spain and his "regard for her august person and
the noble Spanish nation" against whose arms
thew had been fighting for independence. Los
ing his Spanish honors and emoluments, the adj
venturer was at once changed into a conspratOr,
being always a trickster, and from his European
retreat began his Vaccinations for power Are
we not told by the proverb that the devil has
long arm
On the disappearance of the Spanish flag
Cabral became protector and national c0nven-
ton was summoned to frame a constitution and
TO organize new government. The people were
largely in favor of Cabral, when armed men in
the name of Baez and stimulated by his ennis
saries overwhelmed the assembly with vio-
lence, forcing the conspirator into power. Ca
| bral, who seems to have been always prudent
| and humane, anxious to avoid bloodshed and
| thinking that his considerable European resi-
denee might have improved the usurper, con-
sented TO accept place in the cabinet which was
| inaugurated December s, 1865 Ill gotten
| power is shortlived, revolution soon began, and
in the month of May Baez, after first finding
asylum in the French consulte, fed to foreign
ports.
The official journal of st. Domingo, Fl Mohi-
tor, Dune 2, 1861 now before me, shows how
The fugitive tyrant was regarded at this time. In
| the leading article, it is said
THE administration of Gen. Baez has talleu un-
der the weight of great revolution, in which
figured the principal notabilities ofthe country A
| spontaneous cry, which may be called national be-
cause it rose from the depths OF the majority re-
vealed the proportions of the movement, its char
! acter ana It's legitimacy.
Then follows in the same journal a manifesto
signed by the principal inhabitants of St. Do
mingo, in which is set forth with much particu
| larity the grounds of his overthrow, alleging
that he became president, not by the free and
| spontaneous choice OF the people, but that he
| was imposed by an armed movement; that he
treated the chief magistracy as if it were his own
patrimony and monopolized among all his kim
bred the lucrative posts without regard to the
| public service; that, instead OF recognizing the
| merit of those who had by their sacrifices served
their country, he degraded, imprisoned and BAN
| ished them; that, in violation of the immunity
belonging to members of the constituent assem-
| bly, he sent them 10 a most horrid prison, and
| here numerous persons are named; that without
any judicial proceedings, contrary to the conStl-
| tuition, and in the spirit of vengeance, he shut
| up many deserving men in obscure dungeons
| and here also are many names; that, since his
| occupation OF the presidency, he has held the
| capital in constant alarm, and has established a
system of terrorism in the bosom of the national
representation. All this and much more will be
| found in this manifesto. There is also a mani
festo of Cabra, assigning at still greater length
| reasons for the overthrow of Baez, and holding
| him up as the enemy of peace and union; also
| a manifesto by the Triumvirate, constituting the
! provisional government, declaring his infrac-
tions of the constitution; also manifesto from
the general in command at the city OF St. Do
mingo, where, after denouncing the misdeeds of
one man, it says, "this man. this monster, this
speculator, this tyrant is 3uenventura Baez.'
Soon after the disappearance of BaeZ, his
rival became lawful president by the direct vote
of the people, according to the requirement of
the constitution. Different numbers of the
official journal now before me contain the cleo
ton returns in September, 1866 where the name
of General Jose Maria Cabral appears at the
head of the poll This is memorable as the first
time in the history of Dominica when question
was submitted to direct vote of the people.
BY that direct vote, Cabral became president,
and peace ensued Since then there has been
no election, so that this was last as well as first.
During his enforced exile, Baez found his way
, to Washington. Mr.. Seward declined to see
him, but referred him to me. | had several con-
versations with him at my house. His avowed
object was to obtain money and arms TO aid him
> in the overthrow of the existing government.
Be assured, Mr.. President, he obtained no en-
couragement from me; although did not hest
tate to say, as | always have said, that hoped
, | my country would never fail to do all possible
= good to Dominica, extending TO it helping
hand. 1t was at a later day that our belligerent
: | intervention began.
q Meanwhile Cabral, embarrassed by financial
= difficulties and dead weight of paper money,
q the legacy of the fugitive conspirator, turned 70
i the United States for assistance, offering lease
!, of the Bay of SANTANA. Then spoke Baez from
7 his retreat denouncing what he called "the sale
! of his country to the United States" adopting
h the most inhammatory language. By his far
! reaching and INSCRIPTIONS activity hostile
force was organized, which, with the help of
g Sanave, the late ruler of Hayti, compelled the
. capitulatIon Of Cabral, February 8, 1868. A
!. convention was appointed not elected, which
= proceeded to nominate Bacz for the term OF four
, | years, not as president, but as dictator. De-
Ginning the latter title the triumphant conspira-
\ tor accepted that OF Gran Ciudadan0, or grand
: citizen, with unlimited powers. AT the same
time his enemies were driven into exile or exc
4 cuted. The prisons were gorged, and the most
: resectable citizens were his victims. Naturally
p such man would sell his country. Wanting
money he cared little how it was got. Any
r thing for money, even his country.
ORIGIN OF THE SCHEME.
e Cabral withdrew to the Interior keeping up
, menace of war, while the country was indig-
nant with the inscriptions usurper, who for
, the second time had obtained power by violence.
q Power thus obtained was naturally uncertain,
and Baez soon found himself obliged to invoke
p foreign assistance. "Help me, Cassus, or |
Z sinkP p cried the grand citizen. European pow
! crs would not listen. None of them wanted his
! half island-not Spain, not France, not En-
gland. None would takeit. But still the grand
citizen cried, when at last he was relieved by an
answering voice from our republic. young
officer inexperienced in life, ignorant of the
i | world, untaught IN the Spanish language, UNI
versed in international law, knowing abso utely
n | nothing of the intercourse between nations, and
h | unconscious of the constitution of his country
was selected by the president to answer the cry
# of the grand citizen / wish that l could say
A something better of Gen. Babcock buff spoke
n according TO the evidence, much from his own
1
: his untitness more manifest. In closest assOca-
/ ton with Baez, and with profitable concessions,
+ | not easy to measure, was the American CaZ-
t neau, known as disloya to our country, and so
f | thoroughly suspected that the military penipo-
Tertiary, before leaving Washington, was eX-
pressly warned against him; but like seeks like,
and he at once rushed INFO the embrace of the
| selfish speculator, who boosted his intimacy be-
You'd all Americans with the SANTANA and an
nexation negotiations TO their close" and who
did not hesitate to instruct Baez that it was not
only his right but duty TO keep an American
citizen in prison "to serve and protect negotia-
tiOns in which our president was interested"
which he denominates "the great business in
hand" Hatch San Domingo Report, p. 1856,
r Forty-First Congress, Second Session, No.
234.)
By the side of Cazneau was Fabens also a
! specuatOr and lifelong intriguer, afterward
f envoy extraordinary and minister penipOten-
tiary of Baez in "the great business" Sparing
details, which would make the picture more
I sombre, come at once TO the conclusion. A
) | treaty was signed by which the usurper pre-
, tended to sell his country to the United States
in consideration of 81 100000; also another
treaty leasing the bay of Samana for an annual
: rent of S150,O00. The latter sum was paid down
by the young plcnipotentiary or 900 in
cash and 900 in muskets and in a battery.
No longer able to pocket the doubloons of SPAIN
the usurper sought TO pocket our eagles, and
! not content with muskets and battery TO be
: used against his indignant fellow-countrymen,
! obtained the navy Of the United States to main
! tain him in his treason. 1t was plot worthy
: of the hardened conspiratOr and his wel-tred
! confederates.
OPEN INFRACTIoN OF DOMINICAN CoNsTITU-
4 TON.
5 The case was aggravated by the open infrac-
E ton of the constitution Of Dominica with which
it proceeded. BY that constitution, adopted 27th
: september, 1856, copy of which is now before
. me, it is soemnly declared that "neither the
whole nor any part of the territory of the repub
lie can ever be alienated," while the president
takes the following oath of office: 81 swear by
! God and the holy evangelists TO keep, and cause
I to be kept the constitution and the law of the
Dominican people, to respect their rights and to
maintain the national independence" Previous
constitutions had said simply, "no part of the
territory of the republic shall be aenated;" but
now, as if anticipating recent events, it was de-
clared "Reither the oohole nor any part" thus
, explicitly excluding the power exercised. All
: this was set aside while the plot went on. Even