New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-13
THURSDAY, APRIL Is, 1871.


Let me now continue the remarks was last
week making upon Santo Domingo. had, "a
YOU will remember in that paper, succeeded in
doing little more than mention some OF the
influences under which the Commissioners OF
Inquiry went to that country. These were evil
IDENTIFY not calculated to progresses them, either
in favor of the country. or TO make them in adj
~ance very warm friends Of annexation. The
whole current set strongly against both IL
President GRANT had been a schemer. and knew
how to use the seductive arts by which reluct-
ant support is gained to favorite measure,
he might have arranged things very differently.
Az the case stood, it was easy to see that the
Commissioners had gone TO sea in the wrong
shin The Tennessee bad no annexation tim
Der In her. She obeyed orders, and that was
ali. From the talk had about the matter be-
fore the sailing of the chip, it might have been
supposed that the President had been arrang-
ing the voyage with the utmost skill towards
sfecting bis grand political end-thst he had
selected his captain and other officers with
special regard to their sentiments and opinions,
and because these were in accord with his own
The very reverse was the case. Captain Ten
PIE 10 an able, skillful, and vigilant commander,
kind and gentlemaniy in his bearing towards
all-but no friend to the annexation OF Santo
Domingo and in this bis officers were gener-
ally like himself. The influence of such a
captain upon ell around him is never small, and
this was manifest during the voyage. But
against all this unfavorable influence Santo
Domingo and the policy of annexation success
fully made their way believe with full two
thirds Of all who went on shore and took pains
20 investigate the facts.
The report Of Messrs. WADE, WHITE, and
HowE, now before Congress, is so full and com
ple,e both in its facts and the sources whence
they were drawn, that have little or nothing
of detail to narrate, and will therefore, confne
myself to the impressions made upon me by my
visit to santo Domingo, and give my views on
the subject Of annexation as supported by
what l saw. heard, and learned while in that
country.
To begin with, found Santo Domingo a
country of truly marvellous fertility. Whatever
else may be disputed, this will not be. II
strikes the mind at once, aud is justified by con.
tinued observation. 1t is not exaggerated 10
books or letters, and cannot we'll be. Mountain
and valley seem alike rich and inexhausiible.
Plantations worked during more than one hun
dred years-owing 10 the peculiar nature of the
coll, ard the influence Of heat and moisture
are still rich without the aid Of artificial feri-
Users. They produce today stout crops OF
sugar-cane. cotton, coffee, cocoa, corn, rice,
and tobacco, and bear all manner OF tropical
fruits in abundance. This | found especially
true in the neighborhood of SANTANA Bay.
Every plant, whether good or bad, grows here
With equal vigor. was. shown cocoanut
grove, the trees of which had attained the
height of forty feet in the space Of ten years,
and we're loaded with fruit. The cocoanut is
used for food ard beverage, and is good for
both. Its milk is both refreshing and nutri
tious- 1t is pleasant to see little boys climb
the straight, stately trunks of these trees,
thirty feet high without encountering limb,
and bring down half dozen or moro of the
green cocoanuts, cut with their machetes the
small e6ds Of the fruit, and give the milk to
their brothers and sisters on the ground. Ma
bure here invites less to toll than TO the enjoy
nsnt Of her bounties; these she scatters
through forest and field, and is never weary.
Nothing is left to be desired on this score. In
10 country ever heard of is a little labor more
argely rewarded. The people, like the lilies
# the field. may live though they neither toll
lor spin. Judging from the appearance of the