The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-03-09
~, orrsr.t;t;ous ;ndolept, and horri-

|. poor, superstitious, indolent, and horrl-
bly afraid OF the Haytiens. Indeed,
fear of the Haytiens seems to be their
principal reason for wishing to be ad-
mitted to the United States. Ii their
account of the Haytiens is true, how
ever, we shall either have to keep con-
stantly fighting the Haytiens-and what
a fearful expenditure OF life this would
entail French and Spanish experience
shows-or else annex Hayti also, and
then we should have nice job on our
hands. South and North Carolina and
Arkansas would be nothing to it. Con-
sdering me condition of certain grave
problems now before the country at
home, one can hardly help looking on
the enterprise a. little short of mad.
There sone touch in the reports
from the island which would give the
whole transaction 4 comic air, if any
thing so serious could be made to look
comic. Part of the bargain is to be
the assumption by the United States Of
the debts of the republic. Now, those
who best know what has been going on
behind the scenes ever since this project
of annexation vas first preached, have
constantly mal1aained that it was in
this that the materials for the job were
to be found. 1t has. been alleged for
months by the knowing ones that it
was an essential feature in the plan
that an opportunity should be given to
divers persons, as soon as annexation
was resolved on, to bring in claims,
certificates Of Indebtedness, and paper
issues of the republic, to be paid off by
the United States, and that it is the
expectation of this which has given the
scheme most of its strength. We do
not mean to insinuate that the Presi-
dent is more unsuspecting than is good
for himself or the country.
Accordingly. we find that when the
commissioners ask Baez for statement
of the liabilities of his government, he
cannot furnish it. He knows there is
debt, and a respectable one, but how
much, or to whom due, or in what spe'
cics of money, he cannot tell. He has
no books Of account or memoranda, or
signs, or memorials, not as much as
notches in a stick, or chalk marks on a
door post. Now, there may be people
who, on reading this, did not perceive
what prospect it opens to US, but we
suspect tn ey are few in number. We
must not imagine, however, that be-
cause he does not know how much the
Dominican debt is, nobody knows.
There are plenty Of gentlemen, we may
be sure, who know to a cent for what
sum the American people will render
themselves liable when they take pos
session OF the island, and who have
their statements Of the account all
ready in their carpet bags. The last
argument in favor OF annexation comes
from DR.. Vinton, who says the Ameri-
can people need sanitarium. Perhaps
they do; but what about sanitarium
which cost two soldiers lives to every
consumptive provided with mild win
ter? Besides which, any sanitarium
bought with government money ought
to be open not only to wealthy consump-
tives-these can 60 anywhere they
please-but to all consumptives. Ought
the poor ones to be sent south every
winter at public expense? Is mild
winter one of the natural rights of
delicate citizens Tile Nation