The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-01-05
THE LIBERTY GUARD.
From the Chicago Tribune. ]

FROM Inc chicago ATiuuHo'I
Mr.. Sumner struck as San Domingo " a
mortal blow when he arrayed the old
Liberty Guard against it. 1t may have
been foul blow, but it was none the less
fatal one. When we find Lloyd Gar
rison, Gerrit Smith, and their school Of
political agitators opposing the annexa-
ton project on the ground that it is an
art of injustice to the colored race, we
may be sure that there are breakers
ahead We have done something in our
time to create and sustain the anti-sla
very sentiment in this country, and to
break down the senseless land cruel dis
| tinction that once prevailed among us on
account of color, and we know how
strong that old abolition sentiment is.
| We did not suppose that 1t would be
yoked into the harness to pull against
the Presidents San Domingo project
But it seems very likely that that will be
the upshot of it. And if it does turn
out that the Liberty Guard look upon it
as a measure of oppression to the Repub
lie of Hayti, as Mr.. Sumner contends, and
a measure Of injustice to the colored race
collectively, as Mr. Gerrit Smith con
tends, then,
"Not all the Kpg's horses nor all the Kings
men.
Can pull Humpty Dumpty up again."
1t is evident that nothing could have
been further from the Presidents
thoughts than the idea of committing any
wrong upon the colored race anywhere
by the annexation of San Domingo. 1t is
not very clear what idea he had in his
mind, unless, as the Nation suggests he
fancied that to import 100000 worth of
products from the Republic of Dominica
would be a loss to us, while to import
the same products from the State of Do
minica would be loss to us-that the
| former would, tend to increase the nation
al debt, while the latter would tend to
diminish it, But it is certain that he aid
not have any such idea as the injury or
oppression of any race of men, or depriv
ing them of any chances they may have
acquired, or may fairly acquire, for vim
dlcating their capacity for self govern
ment. Mr.. Sumner alleged that the
proceedings taken by the President in
reference to San Domingo are a menace
tosthe Republic of Hayti, which embraces
fourfifths of the population of the island;
that threats of violence have been openly
made against Hayti by our naval forces
in those waters; that the President, in
his annual message, referred no less than
nine times to the Dominican Republic as
the whole island, thus entirely ignoring
the existence of Hayti Senator Morton
says that this latter was an inadvertence,
and we think very likely it was; but it
strongly suggests that the annexation of
San Domingo would be only step to the
annexation of Hayti, especially since the.
commercial advantages which the Pres
ident sees in the annexation of the island
could not be attained with the thrifty
portion of the island unannexed. That
the Haytiens are strongly opposed to the
annexation of Dominica, and still more
strongly opposed to the annexation of
themselves, has been made manifest in
many ways, and is not disputed
Mr. Gerrit Smith argues that the West
Inoia Islands have been designated by
nature as the home of the black man !;
chat he has divine right to govern in
the tropics that the annexation of San
Domingo is the first step towards dispos-
sessing him Of his home and his zone,
and that at would be robbery in itself,
and would lead to one far greater" We
cannot, perhaps, take in the whole force
of this argument; but we can perceive
that If that portion of the Republican
party which has usually followed Mr..
Sumner as an infallible guide in anti
slavery morals, come to take the same
views, or substantially the same, as thosel
which he ard Gerrit Smith hold, SAM
Domingo will not be annexed during the
present generation. And, SO far from
Mr.. Sumner being read out of the party
on account of his opposition to San Do
mingo, it is more probable that he wilt
read out everybody who is in favor of it,
HATs.-A convocatlon of eighty Ger
man matters recently assembled in Berlin,
for the purpose of discussing and finding