The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-01-20
san Doninco

Many OF Gus readers are no.dOubt
unfamiliar with President Grants
4 pet scheme ofannexing San Domin-
! go, which has brought upon him
the fierce opposition of several of
his party, prominent among whom
is Charles Sumner. We therefore
! publish below an interesting article
from the n. Y. Herald on this sub
/ ject which viii amply repay perusai:
Tbs proceedings in Congress on
the 10th, III addition to another lit
tie blast from Sumner in the Sen
ate, were marked by a memorable
event in the House. We refer to
the passage Of the st. Domingo res
olntion-by a vote Of 1O3 to g.
/ providing for the appointment by
the President of three members and
a secretary to 60 down to the island
and particularly to that part occu-
pied by the republic of Dominica,
and find out there ali about its his
/ tory, political and social; It's gov
eminent and population; its debts,
diplomatic engagements and fnan-
ciaI resources; its climate and pro-
ducts, mineral, vegetable and ma
rine, and 50 forth, in order that Con
| gress, beforesproceeding to annexa-
ton, may be better posted than it
was in the purchase of Alaska
The resolution passed on the 10th
by the House is that which was
passed two weeks before by the
Senate, with the addition mere
tub to the whale-of a proviso that
nothing in this proceeding shall be
construed as committing Congress
to the policy of annexation. This
amendment carries the resolution
back to the Senate for its concur
renee, of which there can be no
doubt. We may, therefore, consid-
er this commission as a fixed fact"
and as signifying nothing less, but
something more, than the annexa-
ton of the republic of Dominica.
The House debate discloses the
extraordinary fact tAat tire great
annexation party before thewar, the
democrats, in a solid front, are OPP
posed to this annexation, and th.st
they are supported in the House, as
in the Senate, by some scattering
republicans. Mr.. Willard, republi-
can, of Vermont was opposed to
this annexation, and to this resolu-
ton as meaning nothing short of
annexation. He understood that it
was all arranged that the commits
sion is to hurry down to the island
and get back again with its report |
in time for final action on annexa-
ton during the present session
Mr.. Cox, democrat, of New York,
pronounced this commission for in
formation a mere pretense; that no
information was wanted; that it was
only a repetition of the spies sent
out by Joshua to "spy out the land
while he was moving to occupy it,
and that the scheme was a "big job
Mr.. HOar. Of Massachusetts reDub-
lican, considered this resolution a
mere farce. The scheme was an
mex; t on, and we did not want this
island, filed VITA the scum of the
tropics and adventurers from ali
Landslide old wing cry about Tex
as. Mr. VOORHEES,, of Indiana, dem
ocrat, was requested by resolutions
of his State Legislature to vote
against this thing. Mr.. Stevenson,
of Ohio, republican, was in favor of
the annexation, because the island
is desirable, being rich in bays and
harbors, rich in gold and silver, and
rich in coffee, sugar and all other
tropical products. From these
points in the debate we reach the
conclusion that the republic of Do
minica, within the next six months,
if not within the next three months,
will be a Territory of the United
States, by the democratic process
of annexation applied in the case OF
Texas, and that before the expira-
ton of twelve months the republic
Of Hayti viii follow suit, thus Civ
ing US the whole IS and of Hayti or
San Domingo.
This island, after Cuba, the lar
gest, is really the richest and most
beautiful of all the West Indies. It
is 800 rallies long and in its broad
est part 1853 miles wide, and its area
is very nearly the same as that of
South Carolina. It is deeply in
dented with bays and inlets, and
beautified by chain of fertile noun
tains, the lofty peaks in some cases
rising to height of over 1000 feet
above the sea. The mineral prod
ucts of the island include gold, pla-
tina, silver, quicksilver, copper, tin,
iron, sulphur, manganese, antimo-
ny, rock salt. bitumen, Jasper, mar
bic, opal, lazulite, chalcedany, DC.
The gold mines of the Cibal noun
taina in the 10th century were very.
productive. St. Domingo, as
whole, is one of the healthiest ofthe
Wess indies, and this is due to the