The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-04-14

magistrates and ecclesiast Is Of
every grade-oficial, civil and mill
tary-citizens of all professions and
occupations, in town and country:
everywhere there was general agree
ment in the declaration that their
only permanent peace and prosperi-
ty is in annexation to and becoming
part Of the people Of the United
States. They generally declared
their belief that the strong arm OF
this Republic, taking them under its
protection ss part of the nation,
would at once end the efOr,s and
nopesl of every seditious, revolu-
tlonary leader and establish Iaw,order
and prosperity.
The incorporation into public
sentiment of a feeling strongly favor
able to annexation TO the United
States in preference. to anv other
power, is partially due to the pres
enee in various parts of the country
of small colonies Of cOlored people
formerly from the United States.
The Commissioners entirely dis
credit reports that annexation would
be resisted by desperate measures in
any part of the Island, and cite at
length their own experience and
entire immunity from harm of every
kind while on the island, as evidence
of the correctness of their conclu-
sions.
The people Of San Tomingo are
of mixed blood, honest, temperate,
inoffsnsive, destitute Of prejudice Of
class or color, to whom pauperism,
beggary and high crimes are prac-
tically unknown. Among the popu-
lar vices is petty gambling, exten-
sively INDUCED in by the Spanish
portion of the population. All are
Roman Catholics, except the Amer
ican emigrants, who are Methodists
and Bapttisis, though no religious
prosecution can be discovered. The
people generally own the land which
is cultivated, though agricultural
operations are limited by lack of
market and frequent political dis
turbances. Though the DOminicans
are not to work when sure of rea-
sOnable reward, labor is in abundant
supply at $40 OF less per month.
Few schools exist and the people
are generally unedueated, though
the Commissioners believe opb0rtu-
mites for education would be eagerly
improved. the DOminicans being
possessed of proverbial sbreEdness
; and much native ability. OnlY one
small and poorly equipped printing
Office exists in the Republic. The
resources of the country are vast
! and various, and its products may
be increased, with scarcely any other
limit than labor expended upon
them. There is evidence of mineral
wealth in several parts of the Island.
The geolOgist's expedition report
t the existence of ores of iror, copper
and gold, with deposits of Ignite,
rock salt and petroleum. Iron ore
1 is abundant, of essy access, and will
e doubtless be made available for
D cheap production Of pig iron. The
! copper ores are of a fair degree Of
:. richness, and beds have been opened
) to a slight extent. The reported
coal on the Samana peninsula and
8 neighborhood of Puerto Plata was
i examined and found to be Ignite, of
e little value as fuel, as compared with
4 Pennsylvania or English coal. The
; gold region is extensive, and though
n worked aneiently, is at present but
e little known. 1t invites patient ex-
e ploration by practical miners. The
!. salt deposits IN the mountains neal
t Neyba are believed To be extensive
l. and valuable. The salt can be quar-.
i led out in large, transparent blocks,
u and a chemical analysis made fOl
:. the Commissioners shows it TO be Oi
! sufficient purity for commercial pur.
d poses. Summarily and prscuclly
: viewed for agricultural purposes,
{ there are five classes of land in oautO
) Domingo, viz: First, the mountain
: slopes and valleys. These are uni
e lormily rich and productive, except
: in limited regions where rain is de-
/ icient, as on the southern slope OF
: the coast range, northeast of MOnti
! Christie. Second. The extensive
= region of LisnOs, lying east and
{ north of San Domingo city, south oi
! Gebro Range. This is ali admirable
/ pasture land. A large potion Of il
Is capable of profitable cultivation.
tits intersected by wooded valleys
and groves, containing much excel
/ lent timber. Third rolling plain Of
h Vegs, which is generally wooded. and
h is the finest nody OF agricultural
. ground on the island. Fourth. The
! ''doglands," like portion OF the plain
: of Azaa and the valley Of the Sagin,
5 where rain is partly or wholly want
g ing from typographical causes.
s These lands can be made fertile BY
}. artifcialirrigauon. Fifth. Thered
d clay lands, mostly along the coast
r are underlaid by corralliOn limestone,
! These are wholly covered with tim.
!. Der. They are not generally very
d rich or deep, but are susceptible OF
), cultivation. The vicinity of San
D Domingo City is a fair average spe'
5 linen OF this class of soil
] Hardly any portion of tue Island
is not capable of cultivation, aad "a
D ken as q whole, is one of the most
2 fertile regions on the face OF tue
a earth. Agricultural products in
? clude all tropical fruits aud veget-
) ables, as well as commercial staples.
) Sugar cane is grown most prOitably
on the low lands, and yields much
greater than in the Island OF Jamaica,
even though aided by artificial irri-
| CATION. Fifteen annual cuttings
from original root are common, and
an abundance of fuel gives Santo
, Domingo additional advantage over
neighboriBg Isla nds in this branch
of industry. Themountain regions
, are especially adapted TO the culture
of coffee and cuaco, and valuable
fibrous plants. The product Of wax
and honey is surprisingly large,
! thousands of hives of honey being
destroyed for the sake of wax alone.
: Wild ginger and indigo grow every
t where in the greatest prOfusiOn, and
! cotton is raised near Azue. Gin