Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-04-07
senator Summers Speech.

Senator Summers Speech.
The distinguished Senator from! Massa'
ehusetts has made another OF those great,
and exhaustive speeches Tor which he Is
famed. 1t is on the San Domingo qucs-
ton, and is calculated to array public
opinion against the measure. He charges
the Administration with two violations 81
International law, shows up the char
acier OF Pres. Baez in very unenvia-
bic light, and Is severe ON President
Grant. discriminating him the leader OF
a Ku.kluX TO obtain that island.
An inn Partial reader of the speech
i. is very lcngthy-cannot fail to observe
frequent tinges OF bad feeling on the part
of its author. which mar the dignity OF
the effort. We see no necessity for de-
Gvering the speech before the report OF
the Commissioners is made, and when il
vas looked for in . day or two. Rcsolu'
tons had to he introduced by Mr.. SUM
ner. as basis for his remarks.
Mr.. Sumner is also unfortunate in over
doing the subject, and giving utter
auce 10 exaggerated statements. which
weaken his case. An instance OF this,
Is his statement OF the naval force in the
waters OF San Domingo, which he gave
rs follows;
Twelve mighty war-ships including
two il not three powerful monitors
maintained ut the cost OF millions oil
dollars, being part of the price OF the
pending negotiation. Besides what we
pay 10 Baez here are millions down.
Rarely have We had such feet IN any
wAtcrs-not in tho Mediterranean, not in
the Pacific. not in the East Indies. 1t is
in the waters of st. Domingo that our
navy finds its chosen field. Here Is II.
flag. and here also is its frown. And
why this array p
The facts which Mr.. Sumner had
obtained from the Secretary Of the
Navy. and rs sent by him were. that
there had been been in those waters, at
different times since the negotiation
commenced, twelve vessels. But the
Secrciary's report concluded as follows :;
The ships now in those waters are.
rs far rs known 10 the Department, the
Congress, the NantaSket, the Iantic and
the Tennessee.
As is well known. the Tennessee
was engaged solely in transporting the
Commissioners. leaving the number Of
vessels stationed in that vicinity, only
three.
The y. Y. Times calls attention TO
another inaccuracy when the Senator
says, in reference TO the Incorporation
OF San Domingo with Spain:
Here The example of Spain furnishes
beacon light. Yielding to an invitation
not unlike that Of Bacz 10 the United
States, this ancien, monarcy was induced
by Santana to entertain the proposition Of
remuneration. No Spanish emissaries
were in the territory TO influence its
people, nor WAS theIe Spanish bottom
IA It, ,vator-. on SPNni>h soldier on it
lard
Ii i In evidence before the Commits
sion. says the Times. and will be printed
with their report, that on the very day
that the act of re-iucorporation VA.
read and the Spanish flag raised in the
public square in San Domingo City.
there were fifteen officers ofth Spanish
Army present and two Spanish war ships
in Caldera Bay; and furthermore, that
these officers had been ON the island for
three months before that event took place.
Mr.. Sumner is great man. But his
attack upon the administration IS so ILL
toned AZ to create suspicious that he bad
private griefs, alas, which made him
doit"