Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-01-25
San Domingo.

San Domingo.
We notice among many of our exchanges
what seems TO US to be Misrepresentation of
the vital questions supposed by the opponents
Of the annexation of the Republic of Dopin-
lea to be involved in that project and this
misapprehension is in great part due to the
public understanding of the issue made be-
tween the President and Senator Sumner on
this measure. Much of Mr.. Summers speech
was devoted to an exposute, from his point
of view, of the methods and the means thus
far used in bringing about annexation and
SON Te-sons seem ready to 90 for annexation
IN tue future, provided it shall turn out that
Mr.. Summers charges are not supported
Most of these charges the commissioners
could not examine if they were authorized
TO do so, only one of them that the people
of the Republic Of Dominica are not unani-
mOusly in favor of snnexation-have they
any express authority to examine; when Mr..
Sumner asked that the commissioners might
make inquiry as to some Of his statements
the Senate refused to order them to do so
and as to many OF his charges, no information
could be obtained, if sought for, in San Do
mingo. We do not see, therefore, how the
commission can give any light on the partic-
ulars Of the quarrel between the President
and Senator Sumner, but if they could we do
not see that the points at issue between the
President and the Senator have much to do
with the merits Of the annexation project ::
although that quarrel is likely to lead many
persons who carelessly examine the question,
to decide 1t upon a false and really irrelevant
issue. There may, perhaps, be much in the
methods and manner Of making the acquisi-
ton subject fairly to adverse criticism but
the real question after all, and one which
should not be lost sight Of, is the probable
consequences Of the annexation itself
The commissioners have, in the scope of
their commission, to ascertain only some
superficial fact Climate, soil, vegetation.
number Of inhabitants, and kindred topics
only are embraced in the commission. If
they should report favorably upon these
what then Does it follow that annexation
will be a good thing The island has been
familiar to civilization since it was discovered
by Columbus in 1892, and from that time to
the present its capacities as an agricultural
and mineral region have been known. The
soil is undoubtedly fertile, and will with
cultivation yield tropical fruits in abundance
Coffee and cotton and sugar can be produced
there as well as in any Of the West Indies
The climate is no more unhealthy than that
of other West India islands The people are
a mixture Of Spanish, African and Indian.
1t is Admitted that they are incapa bic of
selt-government at least the friends of an
nexation insist that they need our strong
hand to reconstruct and regulate free govern
ment there; and their own history is pretty
ample evidence on this point, far more so
than any report the commission can make.
In our judgment the questions of climate
and people are the main questions IN this
project, and these two questions are so init
mately related as to be almost one and up-
on these questions the commission can give
no new light whatever. 1t requires years Of
observation to determine the effect Of climate
and race upon Institutions we must consult
a pleasure excursion Of a few weeks, however
able and honest those who 90 upon the ex.
cursion may be.
tits melancholy fact that the races suited
to tropical climates are not suited to free in
situations. For almost four hundred wears
San Domingo itself has proved an illus tration
Of this fact. The republics Of South Amer
lea, where frequency of revolutions takes the
place of frequency of elections, are sad ex-
amples OF the same truth and even the
semi-tropical states on the Gulf Of Mexico
are partial illustrations Of the same propo-
Hiticn.
The people should keep this phase Of the
ii vi annexation in mind and if they
do, -ey viii find, what has been tolerably
apparent from the outset, that the work
which the commission Is charged with has
really very little to do with the real question
presented BY proposition to annex tropical
cOu ntries