Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-01-19
a 1if OF secret History.

OcOUVOT A1oSsAS 1919 SFr -
Senate on the 2lst uIt., In relation Il
the San Domingo question:
"What arc the facts then, Mr.
President, as we all know them Il
have existed2 The Chief Magistrate
Of this nation was informed by rep
resentatives from the Domingo re
public that they desired annexation
to the United States. The President
was not prepared to act definitely or
the subject At once. He knew, what
cannot DO unknown TO the more ex.
perienced members Of this body, that
this Government has been striving
fruitlessiy from it's foundation to OBJ
tain n footing In the West Indies
This Is the tradition Of the State
Department. II is in strict harmony
with every official paper that has
come to the Senate in any capacity.
1t is not unknown to some members
Of this body that no foreign Govern.
r,ent has consented till within q
very few years even 10 entertain q
proposition TO ceds to the United
States foot Of soil In the West In
dies, not even enough ground for
coal,yafd. They have carefully ex.
Guided our dag from tho insular part
Of this continent. They seemed to
take ofIense even at the mention OF
the subject.
Knowing this chapter Of the secret
history of his country; believing
with the greatest Of his predecessors
that our Interests as great CONNER
cial nation required some such ac-
cuisition; knowing that they had all
<Ailed apparently on account Of the
unjust jealousy Of otlrergrcat. Powers;
and now, having the unexpected
offer, on reasonable terms, Of what
cur commercial interests seemed to
demand, was itstrange that he should
attempt to c0nsumInatc the arrange.
n,ents, and that in doing this he
should have adopted means frst to
i1form himself in relation to the
reliability Of the information that
WAS submitted to him by the organs
OF the Dominican Government, and
Of the desire Of the people to unite
their destlnies with the people Of
this country? Not wishing to attract
the attention Of foreign Governments
to the subject by making parade Of
officials, lest the Jealousy Of other
nations might be aroused, lie did
adopt irregular means to secure such
results. He sent down gentlemen on
whose integrity and intelligence he
relied, to obtain the desired informa-
tiOn, with instructions, II the facts
should accord with the statements
snadS 10 him by the agents OF that
Government, TO enter formally into
a contract, with a view to its sub
mission to tho Senate for its consti-
tutional action.
The facts nscertained by these
gentlemen did accord with the rep
reservations made by the agents Of
the Dominican Government; the
contract was entered into; and here
the irregularity ended; for we arc
told that the President OF tho United
States then called en- the Chairman
0f the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of this body. He put himself
Immediately In communication with
his constitutionalad visers, the Amer
lean Senate, by waving etiquette,
and, instead Of sending a messenger
for the honorable chairman Of that
Committee, he left the Executive
Mansion and visited him at his own
parlors, for the purpose OF having an
uninterrupted, Informal, and free
conversation with the Senator whom
he understood to be the organ Of the
Senate on that subject; and, as has
been further elected by the debate
aud confirmed by the statements
made ny the honorable member
from Massachusetts, the President
left his parlors impressed with the
convictionthat the proposition would
meet MS hearty support. Acting on
this conviction, he, submitted the
proposition for treaty to the Senate.
Now, in this whole procedure, in
what does the President deserve
ccnsure, unless it WINS for achieving
by irregular means what the greNtest
Of his predecessors had tried In vain
To accomplish? If tho President was
misiniormed as to the honorable
senator's views when he left the
parlors of the chairman of the Com
lnittee oh Foreign Relations, it Is
clear, think, from the facts stated
"a a - r