Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-03-29
Senator Summers Speech on San DO
miUrO

Senator Summers speech on San Do
miDgO.
Senator Sumner, in his opening paragraph,
definitely asserts that it Is now on evidence
before the Senate that the navy of the United
States. acting under orders from Washing
ton, has been engaged in measures of VIC
lence and of belhgerent Intervention, being
war without the authority of Congress. The
whole business is aggravated when 1t is con-
sidered that the declared object of this vlO-
lence is the acquisition of foreign territory,
that being half an island in the caribbean
sea and still further, this violence has been
employed to prop and maintain weak ruler,
himself an usurper, uphOlding him IN power
that be might sell his country and second
Nv, il has been employed to menace the black
republic of Hayti. Such, Senator Sumner
says, has been done, and the republican party
cannot afford to become responsible for such
conduct. But beyond all these considerA-
tions is the question, not whether the acqul-
stion of San Domingo is desirable, but
whether we are justified in the means en-
ployed to accomplish this acquisition and
the evidence now before the United States
shows too clearly that means have been en-
plOyed which cannot be justified. Senator
Sumner then enters into legal arguments,
and cites prccedents to show that contract
for the cessiOn of territory must be without
the presence of superior force, and alludes to
the fact that recent returns of the navy de-
partment show the whole island beleaguered
by our navy, sailing from port to port, and
hugging the land with its guns and unless
the reports Of the state and navy depart
ments are discredited. it is obvious beyond
doubt that our government has usurped the
carefully trnar1p1 hN- the com ~ n
tuition, and without authority of Congress
employed them to trample on the independ-
ence and equal rights of two nations coequal
with ours The senator then characterized
BaeZ and Grant as CO. partners IN the melau-
cholv affair, and carefully reviews the history
of the former and his inscriptions usurpa-
ton recites the origin of the scheme for
auneXing half the island, reviewing at great
length the circumstances under which the
Babcock treaty was negotiated, and con
demning in the severest terms the part which
President Baez had taken in the transaction
for the sale of his country. Mr.. Sumner
then repeated the allegation in his former
speech, that Baez WAS maintained in power
by our navy, to enable him to carry on the
contract with BabcOck and that to assure
this sale, Hayti was violently menaced by
our fleet; and presented voluminous docu-
mentary and official evidence to sustain them.
After giving the testimony establishing
beyond question the two positions.-frst,
that Bacz was maintained IN power by our
navy to enable him to carry out the sale Of
his country, and secondly. that further to
assure this sale the neighboring republic of
/ IIayti was violently being menaced, all this
being in breach of public law, international
and constitutional. Mr.. Sumner proceeds
TO show that this conduct Is very gross
violation of the internal civil law and con-
stitution Of the United States, and cities vol
luminous authority to prove the promise
made by the President TO employ the war
powers without authority OF Congress was
/ void, and the very employment OF these war
/ powers in pursuance OF this assumption, was
an usurpation, and that the assumption in
the San Domingo treaty is exceptional and
/ abnormal being absolutely without preced-
ent. But, continued MIR. Sumner, even ad-
hitting some remote, infnitessimal semblance
of excuse or apology during the pending of
the treaty, all of which insist is absurd be-
yond question, though not entirely impossi-
! bic in a quarter III used to constitutional
/ questions, and needing item little; con-
cedlng that assumpsit,' inserted IN the
treaty by the Secretary of State has deceived
the President into the idea that lie possessed
the kingly prerogative Of declaring war ut
his own mere notion, and wishing to deal
most gently, even with an undoubted usur-
patton and exercise of kingly prerogative, so
long as the Secretary of state, the sworn
counsellor of the President, supplied the for
mula for the usurpation-and you will bear
witness that | have done nothing but state
the case-it is hard to hold back when the
same usurpatlOn Is openly prolonged after
the Senate has rejected the treaty on which
the exercise of the kingly prerogative was
founded and when the assumpsit - de-
] VISPd nv the Secretary Df State had
into limbo of things lost on earth. There is
n O remote intnitesimal resemblance of ex-
cuse, or apology nothing, absolutely moth
ing the usurpatiOn pivots on a nonenity
always excepting the kingly will of the
President, which, constitutionally, is a nom
entity. Mr.. Sumner here expressed the
deep regret with which he made the expo
sure, but he plead now as often before Tor
only jus tice and peace. He concluded in the
evidence adduced | have confined myself
carefully to public documents, not travelling
out of the record of dispatches, naval orders
and naval reports. These are unimpeachable
authority, and all these have been officially
communicated to the Senate. Thus stands
the case international law has been violated
IN two OF It's commanding rules, one assum-
/ ing the equality of nations, and the other
/ providing against belligerent Intervention ::
while the distinctive fundamental principle
of the constitution, by which the President
is deprived of the kingly prerogative, has
been asser ted by the President throughout
/ Looking still further at the facts, we see
all this great disobedience has for it's object
the acquisition of an unallying tropical is
land, with large promise of wealth, and that
in carrying out this scheme our republic has
iorcibly maintained an usurper in power that
he might sell his country, and has dealt
blow at the Black Republic of Hayti, which
being wrong to that republic, was an insult
to the African race and all has been done
on prerogative alone, without authority of
any act of Congress. If such transactions
can escape judgment, it is difficult to see what
security can remain. Never before has there
been such presidential intervention in the
Senate as We have been constrained to wit
ness. Presidential visits to the capitol, with
anpeals TO senators and who can measure