Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-18
SATURDAY, MARCH Is, 1871


From san Domingo.
More letters have arrived from the CORE
spondents with the San Domingo commission
ers; but they do not add much to our knowl
edge of the island and its people. We heal
again of the beauty and fertility of Dominica
and of the general desire of the people to be
annexed to the United State, matters concern
ing which there is no room for reasonable doubt.
The letter writers state that the commissioners
have sought to ascertain the amount of the Do
minican debt, which Baez seems anxious to
conceal. The result of their inquiries has not
been fully disclosed but we find the following
in a letter published in the New York Tribune
"The commissioners have made some impor-
tant investigations touching the debt, ana
have found certain papers whose existence Baez
has stOutly denied; but on this part of their re-
searches they are very reticent, and we shall not
know their conclusions in full until they make
their report. Facts in their knowledge indicate
that the debt is probably about 100000 Mr..
Wade, who has particular charge of this matter,
insisted upon full statement not only of adj
mitted liabilities, but of disputed claims After
many excuses and denialS, which he refused TO
accept, he received certain important documents
few days ago, whose character he refuses to
dvulge"
The same letter says of Baez 1.-THE fact is
Senator Sumner spoke nothing but the truth
when he called Baez "a political jockey He
jockeys his people and has done his best to
jockey the commissioners" The writer gives
the following account of the reasons why Baez
desires annexation -
"But if the United States government deter
mines to buy this republic you must not be sur,
prised to find Baez himself pocketing most of
the purchase money. All the Dominican Off
cials are said to be heavy creditors of the state.
None Of them are paid at present-for the very
good reason that there is nothing TO pay them
with The soldiers beg in the streets, even be-
fore the headquarters of the army; but you may
be sure there are heavy arrears of back pay
charged in every mans account, from the prl-
vate up to the president. If we vote 81 100000
for the purchase of Santo Domingo, and let
Baez disburse it, the first debts to be paid will
he the accumulated salaries of the offiCeholders.
That will be a fine thing for the presidents
family, for they are all in Office. The deputy
collector and one other officer at the capital are
the presidents sons. The governor of the city
is his brother A second brother is general.
A hat-brother is governor of AZua. A brother
iu-law is secretary of state. So you see it is
perfectly natural that President Baez should
want TO have the handling Of the money Sin Or
der to defeat fraudulent claims"
All the reports show that the people are mis-
erably poor and shiftless. The beauty and fer
tifty Of the island are not of much advantage
II.
sal; and this peculirity is not uncommon in
charming tropical countries, "where every pros
pect pleases and only man is vie." One of the
correspondents says of the Dominicans with
the richest territory earth, they are the poor
est people in all the world, to-day" Doubtless
this is, in some degree, due to the constant dis.
order of the country; but the same lack of thrift
exists in other tropical countries. Dominica
requires industry to make it productive. Its
soil must be cultivated. 1t must become a land
of hourishing farms and plantations Some.
thing might be done to improve the condition
of the country, if we could have it without the
people. The experiment would be costly; and
it could not establish in that climate the indus
tryiand enterprise of the north.
A significant fact is reported in regard to the
relation of our government to the enemies of
Baez AT one time, the commissioners thought
of travelling across the country, to visit Cabral.
When they changed this purpose, a portion OF
the party resolved to make the journey and
asked Baez for pass allowing them to 90 beyond
his lines. He refused, at first, but finally grant
ed the pass with considerable reluctance. New
ertheless, the journey was not undertaken. Ii
was prevented by the following letter, addressed
to Mr.. Wade by Captain Temple of the Tennes-
see:
TENNESSEE, AzUA BAY, Feb. "a, 1871.
My DEAR SENATOR: l understand that sew
eral of the gentlemen belonging to the eX.
petition, are to start to morrow, overland
for Port-au-Prince. 1t may not have occurred
TO these gentlemen that, by so doing they
will virtually place themselves in the po-
stion of spies; and, if they are taken by Cabra's
people they can be hung to the nearest tree, by
sentence of drum-head court martial, accord
ing to all the rules of civilized warfare For
dtey belong to nation that, through the orders
Of its ececutiCe to the ndudl UeSselS here has
chosen to take part IN the internal conflicts of
this country; they come directly from the head
quarters of CabraPs enemies; they are without
arms, uniform or authority of any kind, for being
in a hostile region. They are, in fact, spies.
They go expressly to learn everything connected
with the enemy's country, and their Obserya-
tons arc intended for publication, and this in
directly TO be reported back to President Baez.
Surely Cabal would have a right to prevent
this if he can.
II il were merely question of their lives, they
might be left to take their own course after the
consequences had been pointed ont to them;
but the subsequent course of the United States
government and the immediate action of this
vessel, in such an event, has to be considered.
Or suppose, instead of hanging them, Cabral
should hold them as hostages until any friends
of his in BaeZs hands should be released and
sent to him.
You win readily see that the complications
might become serious. | would suggest that
however remote the chances may seem of their
capture, yet the chances of deriving any benefit
from their journey are more remote still. In
consideration of these views, l would beg of
you to withhold your consent to this proposed
expedition, and also to request President Baez to
forbid the passage of these gentlemen through
his lines Respectfully and faithfully yours, in
great haste. WIN. G. TEMPLE.
Hon. B. F. Wade, aqua.
z. S.-1here are other points of view from
which this question can be seen, which do not
care to commit to writing.