Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-04-07
Ero,,1 tho Man Vorlx Hawaii

the paper, may not be exactly the last nail
In the coffin of General Grants admins
tlation and the radical party, though it
will go far to seal the fate of one or both
Rarely has there been delivered in the
halls of Congress a speech marked with as
much ability or carrying more important
political consequences in its train. Though
u long one, it Is terse, argumentatlve,
and confined TO the subject
embraced in the resolution submitted by
the Senator. He does not discuss the
general question of annexation or others
bearing upon the merits of that, and Only
makes few Incidental remarks to show
that he is not favorable to the scheme, but
he attacks the administration in the
severest manner for usurpatiou of power
and unlawful employment of the forces of
the United States in foreign country and
TO Uphold foreign ueurper. He proves by
ncoutrovertible evidence-and that taken
mostly from TIE official acts and records OF
the government-that the President has,
in the language OF the resolution, without
t Xcus e OF atol0gy for interference, resented
to be'Hgeteut III ervention aud ,itts of war
the e. act, Ui lhe l-irnB al -. Domingo
after The failure It the ID miuIcan t. taty n
tbs Seuatc. ,.u.! tEat thIS was uLaItiltrIZ4d
VtoltIc~, utterly without euPpCrG III
law reason, and proceeded directly from
that klDg,y prerCga l'c which is dis Jwned
by the constitution OF the UDlted States.
Ia fact, MIR. S1mner makes out q case for
lnpeacLme ut OF "a much IGOre serious ma
tllre than that worked up against President
johnson. There need be no foar that Gen
eral Graut will be impeached, however, ex-
cept i'll political sense, and , one desires
to see him brought to trial III any other
way Ter his errors, grave Us they may
have been, arise from his ignorance. of pub
lie affairs, his military education and the
mischievous influences around him, more
than from lack OF patriotism o. desire to
be usurper.
The evidence adduced by Mr. Sumner
cOrrobor4tes what our correspondent with
the st. Domingo Commission stated as to
tue ueurpatlOn, tyranny and precarlOus
condition of the Baez government ard the
armed Intervention of the United States to
keep Baez In power. Indeed, it is doubt.
full If the Commissioners will venture to
deny this, favorable as may be their IT port
for annexation, and much as they may de-
sire to help General Grant out of this st.
Domingo dilemma. Mr.. Sumner might
have used stronger arguments against an
Inexation, though he could hardly have
made more forcible ones against the con-
duct Of the administration, had he not been
trammelled by his negro sympath1es. no
American unbiased by radical negroism
and blessed with Common seLs6 could de-
sire this Incorporation into our political
and social life OF such debased and
semi bar barous population that of
ST. Domingo. The annexation OF that
! island, or the Dominican portion Of It,
could not, for many reasons, be Of any
advantage to the Urited States. It would
! lead, in all probability, to So dance of
blood to use Mr.. Summers graphic ex-
preston, and to a great cost. The native
people could not b. brought TO cultivate
the soil to much profit, the whites of our
own race could not till the earth und p u
burning tropical sun, the imm; grafton OF
cOlored races would hardly be pract.c able,
and if practicable. whether Of Chinese or
Others, they would not be desirable ele-
ment in our social and political life. No
st. Domingo would be an utter failure i'll
our hands, and the American people would
become SO disguised with the experiment
! that they would turn their faces against
any tropical acquisition however valuable,
for long time to come. Yet we have II
destiny to fnitii TO the southward OF orr
present limits. But let us begin with the
countries OH our border or that lie hear to
ns--with Mexico, that is so rich, CT with
Cuba, which has u vast production, large
com merce, great cities, railroads, t4le-
graphs, and all the elem enis Of clviliza--
ton. Let us not commence at distance
and on the outer verge of the Antilles to
take III a Wilderness and race Of negroes
that are fast going back to barbarsm.
The scheme OF anuexing st. Domingo Is
visionary and impoitic every way, and
must be unpopular with the pee Dle Of the
United States. General Grant has made
Sc ious mistake in this matter. and one
that is doing much to break up the repub-
/ lican party.
J We hav5 been disposed to sustain Gen.
Grant on account of the services he rem
dered the country IN the war, and believ-
ing he was honest, having hope at the SAINT
time that with experience he would show
some capacity for statesmanship; but be
has failed, and we see little else but blund
ers both in our domestic and foreign affairs.
Public sentiment IN every direction, end
even in New England the stronghold OF
Radical Repu blicauisnl, is turning against
him. At the very time the tide of public
opinion was thus turning, as clearly shown
by the elections, the President quarreIed
and attempted to whip into his measures
! Mr.. Sumner, the foremost man in the Sen
ate and one,of the oldest and most efficient
men that built up the party which put him
in the White House. We see the imme-
diate result. though we have not yet seen
all Athe consequences Of this mistake
/ Then look at the wrethed failure of the
administration policy toward the South
The people Of that section showed such a
ready disposition to repair the damages OF
the war, end TO make the best of the as
founding social, political and industrial
revolution they had passed through, that
within year or two they raised again hun
dreds of millions worth of surplus produce.
Their peaceful industry and energy under
such circumstances were astonishing, and
called forth the admiration Of the world.
But the administration kept its heavy hand
still on this people, refused them amnes ty
or encouragement, and indirectly fomented
disorder to serve base political purpose.
Whatever Ku-Klux crimes there may be in
the Southland we have no doubt they are
greatly exaggerated for political effect in
the North-have resulted from the miser-
able and heartless policy of the admins
tration and the radical party. If we look
at the financial administration and meas
ures of the government We see nothing
but blunders; no craftsmanship, and ev-
cry act directed to the one end sustaining
the Now England policy of protection.
The whole financial policy has boon con-
tracted, sectional, to favor the few and to
burden the many. General Grants ad-