The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-06


nal Of the same dste that no such grant or conces-
sion was made in any way in connection with the
negotiation preparation of the treaty.
The terms and conditions on which the Domini-
can government and people desired to be annexed
are expressed In the treaty negotiated in 1862 which
provided for the annexation OF that Republic to the
United States as a territory In discussing this
subject the President and his Cabinet manifested
Liberal and "a accommodating sd spirit He said 1--WE
insist on any particular provision in It, twas drawn
up by your own government, By tive give you
everything we have except the public lands. IL we
were asked what change in the treaty we desired
we would answer thus: When that treaty was ne
gotiat,ed we expected that this government would
we provided that the annual rent of Samana Bay,
which we supposed would only be paid for a short
time, should be deducted from the million and a
half to be paid to the Dominican Republic
"But long and harassing delay has compelled
us to carry on the government without pay and
through many difficulties for nearly two years
longer; and now, would it not be right and fair to
allow that rent to be paid for this period of delay
without deductng it? We do not Insist upon this
n condition precedent, but refer it to the
of justice and the magnanimity of the American
people" At the suggestion of the commission, the
Dominican government was willing to modify the
treaty to devote one fifth of the public lands
to the establishment and maintenance of common
schools in the territory provided the United States
appropriate three hundred thousand acres of land
to establish college or colleges for instruction in
agriculture, mining, engineering and kindred sub
iects.
The Commissioners earnestly believe that if an
nexation is decided upon nothing could contribute
more than the establishment of the institutions
plated in this article in the treaty to insure
the success of the experiment by a rapid develop
ment of the resources of the country, and by max
ing the coming generation in that country fully
capable of dschargng the duties of American
citizenship. Of Dominican independence-their
attention having been called to certain decara-
tions regarding the independence of the Dominican
thereto-those points were especially dwelt upon
by the Commissioners. As already stated, the
question was frequently asked, ain case the indie
pendence of the Dominican Republic possi-
BILE, would you prefer it to annexation?"
The general answer was, "We would prefer in
dependence; but independence is impossible" But
this latter declaration is the result of true in
sight into the condition of the country by those
who know it best That it is the only Conclusion
to which thoughtful lover of that country can
come, is made manifest by the following recaptu-
laton of facts
maintained any real independence. With the ex-
ception of the very brief period after its first sepa
ration from Spain it has never a day when its
most bitter foe, the Haytien Republic has not been
in defiant possession of valuable portion of its ter
ritory Worse than this it has rarely seen the time
when a number of sem-political, semi military
leaders were not ready, on the slightest provoca-
tion le5gue with this bitter enemy, and to bring
murder and pillage upon their country. Nor is
that portion of the Dominican Republic not under
Hayten control more than technically independent.
1t has been upon the forbearance of Spain, whose
strong Islands lie its northern and eastern
wastes; it has been dependent on the good will OF
England, whose main possession in the West Indies
lies but short distance to the westward; it has
been dependent not upon the lack of will, but the
lack of means of any nest of potters in any of the
piracies and nvasions; it is dependent on the jeal
ousies, the caprices and the petty hates of chief
tsins who have never hesitated to 60 through its
territory with fire and sword at the promptings of
any whim or grudge; nor without intervention
f1o some % source can matters ever be better:
that the succession of struggles has utterly disheart
ened the people, has made more and more hopeless
any attempt to rescue any portion of its rightful
territory from Hayti, and have rendered impos-
sible any organization of the people itself, strong
enough to protect society from armed leaders of
factions.
There is but one chance for that Republic ever
to recover its independence-to become, after
proper period of probation, one of a union of
States, the freedom and substantial independence
of each being guaranteed by the strength of all
1t is beyond the province of the Commission under
the resolution of Congress to recommend that such
a course be adopted or abstalned from. They sim
ply state their belief, founded upon all the obseTVa
tions they could make, and of all the facts they
could learn, that this is the only way in which Do
mncan independence can ca be secured & ana t9a6 @ II
the present shadow at independence will be taken
away. The Dominican territory s one of the fair
est and richest on earth. Unless some such means
as above mentioned resorted to it s to lie ex-
hausted aed helpless until some strong nation shall
seize iC and hold it in colonial subsection.
The commercial relations of the Dominican part
of the island present one indication not to be
5 passed without mention The most important COM
merce of the island by far is the tobacco trade,
and is carried mainly by Germans, and is with
the principal seaport of the new German Empire:
To such an extent has this tendency developed
itself that this trade is rapidly becoming Ger
man monopoly. The Commissioners found the num-
rations and agencies on the north side of the
island to excel those of any other foreign power,
and their influence is extending steadily up into
the great central districts.
Tie influence which San Domingo, under a stable
government would exercise upon the institution OF
slavery has not escaped attention.
Geographically, it lies between the two last
stronghods of slavery in North America, Cuba on
the west and Porto Rico on the east In the pre-
sent impotency governmental exercises little
influence, but the inhabitants are earnestly op'
posed to slavery, and, under more favorable cir
onp ali inf ygnn n
the neighboring islands, 1t would be all on the
side of freedom nor would that influence be mere
ly moral; commercial influences would work in the
same direction. San Domingo Is capable of sup
porting millions of people. Land Is cheap In fer
neighbOring islands, and it is even better suited
to the production of sugar and coffee. 1t could
supply the entire market of the United States
with these great West India staples. During the
year above mentioned seventeen per cent. of al
the imports of the United States were productions
This trade is the main support which the slave
system now has. With liberty, order, free labor
and the emigration which would be attracted by
these, with vast advantage in the West Indis
trade, arising from the fact that any duties laid by
the United States on West India productions fol
revenue, would be discrimination against slave
products and would inure to the protection of Do
minican free labor, it is not too much to expect
that Santo Domingo might be developed into
powerful State which, by the inevitable laws Of
trade, would make slave labor in the neighbor-
ing islands improbable, and by this spread of it
ideas, render the whole slave and caste system
OdiOus
The Commissioners, of course, felt deep inter
est in the experiment of self government which the
blacks are trying in Hayti. They certainly wisheC
it all success,
They could not understand how any new ant
close relations between San Dom ngO and the Uni
ted States could affect that experiment otherwis
than favOrably. They felt that it would be unjus
to our government to suppose that il contemplated
| any action injurious to 1t. They had too muci
faith in the virtue of our institutions to doubt tina
| the form established of similar institutions in
neighboTing land must act tavOrably upon republi
| cauiSm and progress in HaVti, The OnlV Z
| be eXerted would be moral one, the force of ex
| ample ThAV knew n no valid claim which IIavt