The Cecil Whig., 1871-04-22
The San Domingo Message.

BY this time the report of the San
Domingo Commissioners and the message
of the President transmitting the report to
Congress have been read by large portion
OF the American people. How little or
how much there was to justify the passion
ate debate which has sprung out of the
proposed annexation of Dominica is now
to be judged in the broad light of the facts
reported unanimously by three Commission
ers whose intelligence and impartiality can
hardly be impeached by fair-minded men.
On these facts the President frankly invites
the Judgment of his countrymen, express
ing his confidence in the wisdom of their
deliberate verdict and his readiness to
abide by it faithfully. The controversy
thus goes for decision precisely where it
should. Whether the people will decide
that it will be to the advantage of the
United States to possess Dominica we do
not care to speculate about just now but
that vast majority of them will say that
the President had ample grounds to war
rant the opinions he has expressed and the
recommendations he has made, we fully
believe. In these respects his vindication
is complete.
The territory of the Dominican Republic
is shown to be all that he claimed it was,
and more. 1t is one of the most fertile
regions of the earth, with capacity for
great improvement and large productive
ness In a oommarcia1 ,,o;nt Of 1,;o,. -
turns out to be of much higher value than
he represented, and it's advantages as
coaling depot for our merchant and naval
ships are proved to be fully up to the Pres
ident's description and that of General
Mcclellan. The people Of the Republic
are found, by the testimony Of all classes,
high and low, educated and uneducated,
in the rural districts as well as in the towns
and cities, to be almost unanimous in favor
of annexation. They would prefer to be
independent if, at the same time, they
could have peace and security. But this is
impossible, according to their severe expe-
rience, and they therefore prefer annexa-
ton to the United States, because, in their
judgment, it will give them peace, pros
perity and safety, instead of perpetual
tumult and incessant peril to their lives
and property. The debt of the Republic
is about million and a half of dollars,
including all outstanding obligations, and
even some questionable claims. There are
no foreign treaties to entangle the United
States in wars, and the question of boun-
dairy can be easily adjusted And finally,
or to be found, by the Commissioners that
any officer of the United States had received
or been promised any land Or money, or
anything else. There is not the slightest
taint of corruption OF suspicion of job
anywhere in the transaction. These con-
else expressions of what the Commission
ers report in detail and at great length cover
nearly all the points in dispute, certainly
all the material points. They fully, spec-
tically and completely vindcate the .judg-
ment of the President as to the commercial
and military value of Dominica and his
declarations concerning the almost unani-
nous desire of its people for annexation to
the United States. Beyond this there is
but one other point that calls for remark,
and that is the frank and manly tone of
the message which accompanied the report.
The plain, straightforward narrative in
which the President tells the story of his
first knowledge of the desire of the Domi-
nician people for annexation to the United
States shows how clear and honorable his
part of the record is, and equally honorable
and infinitely to his credit, is the patient
forbearance with which he has endured Bit
ter criticism upon his Judgment as an
officer, and personal attacks upon his integ-
rity as man, knowing all the time that
the facts, when given to the people, would
vindicate both.-Phtladelphia Ledger.