New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-01

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and without guards; in striking contras
with the president of the neighborin:
negro republic, who seldom appears excep
ON horseback, betlizened and befeathered
and surrounded by armed guards:
That such a man should be vlllfied unit
his name is ediOus in our land, causes t.
him, as | know, great sorrow and pain; bu
not so much as it ought to bring to bis de
famers.
But he may hide his time; for there art
among these defamers men, generous ant
honorable by nature, who will see and Owl
their errors when the heat of party strife il
over.
And what are his crimes Mr.. Redpatl
takes up and reiterates the foul charge tina
he is IAN infamous usurper; that he i;
ready to sell his country that he will moi
hesitate at any lies or any frauds to carry
out his netarious schemes, etc.
Gently, my friend, lest you hit your OWE
side. What is selling ones country, If tC
annex country to ours be crime. is not
the receiver as bad as the thief! Where
then are the people who voted to receive
Alaska without saying to its people, by
your leavel p
The emperor of Russia has far less right
to convey Alaska to the United States than
| the government of San Domingo has to con.
! Ney Its territory; but do we call him the
seller OF his country in an ignominious
sense
Baez. as head of the actual government,
| by the consent of his council of minister's
with the approval of the Senate and the
affirmative vote of his people. solicits add
mission into our Union upon these simple
terms: He will make over to the United
| States government all the public lands
| (Which. once under our flag, would be worth
hundreds of milion>). very valuable mining
privileges; all the forts and arsenals-in
short, all public property-upon the simple
| condition that the citizens Of San Domingo
shall become citizens of the United States,
and that We shall assume its public debt.
The debt Is estimated at one and a half
million dollars. 1t can not much exceed
That sum. But, were it a hundred millions.
1t would be cheaper than Alaska at :. hun
dred cents. Cheaper than Alaska, Why,
San Domingo is worth more to us than even
Cuba would be. Less extensive. il is more
fertile, more salubriOus, richer in agricul-
tural and mineral resources. and more te-
llcltous IN geographical position. 1t has no
slaves More than half of its population are
Of the white race lin the Southern sense of
the word; they are democratic in their dis
positions. and have the spirit OF progress
Ii hundred thousand OF that people
should arrive IN our port, poor and ragged.
We should welcome them as valuable immi-
grants. and make them citizens. But they
offer to come into our Union bringing an
island OF priceless wealth. atforling com
mercial advantage which we now sorelv
need; and we reject them For once this
shrewd Yankee people have missed great
bargain docking at it from the low stand
point OF business transaction). especially
since the last treaty with England cuts us
OFT from privileges in neutral ports which
will be indispensable in case OF maritime
war
But such ii pother was raised about the
usurpations of one President: the violation
OF national laws by another about the
bluuders and bullying of commodores:
about the wrongs to negroes by taking
their coveted spoil; about speculation> in
corner lots and the like: and then there
was such a parade of bugbears in The shape
OF yellow fever, bloody wars. enormous
deb,s and the like, that our people were
fairly frightened out of their wits. And |
even now, if You allude to it they cry. |
Hush hush no more of that, at present. |
IT You love vour-party."
HE proposed annexation was right in
the essence, however wrong in so,r. of its
accidents. We should have availed our
selves OF the right, and redressed the wrong
atterward. But our people rejected the
offer and abused Baez as the seller Of his
country. not sIspecting that they them
selves were really the party sold
However, tln people of the United States
love fair play; and when this question of
eolnes up again, | trust they
will disregard all lin and cla,nor about
rival political chiefs and parties. whether
1t home OF III San Domingo and that
hey VIII regard the question As one OF hui
nanlty. which touches the welfare and CON
iitlon OF feeble people. and which affects
he prospects of the emancipation Of mil
ions ot slaves III adjacent islands ard coun-
RES. and the peaceful spread of civilization
ID-r XII -.I "a,
vide.
And When they hear. as they will surely
10. that Bdonaventura Baez is IAN unp,iu-
iple.i usurper," bloody tyrant." who
murders or llnprisons his political oppo-
ents, who plumbers the public treasury and
attenS on the spoil OF the country. let them
SIX this crucial question: II these CHARGES
e true. why does the man advocate annex
ton so earnestly. since that will reduce
i'm at once to a simple citizen of the United
states. and make him amenabie to Justice,
So much tor the utilization of the presi-
ent of the dominican republic by Mr.. Red
ath. who evidently knows nothing about
in. tie read the charges set on foot hy ,
Official enemies in a party fight: he he ,
eyed and repeated them. NIr Retipath is ,
% kind and generous man knowingly to
rong man as lie has wronged President .
aeZ. :
Thir'l-Mr. Redpath' asSaIs vchementlv !
the San Domingo policy" of President c
rant. who he asserts. has made our
'untry's history III Havti the record of a /
'wardly bully. who Uses our iron clads 10 I
Did usurper IN power. who has already {
wasted three millions of our taxes Oh this
licked scheme. etc. il
never spoke with President Grant until u
ter had signed ami submitted the report a
the commission. 1then heard him relate, Ii
! Two occasions. how he became interested !;
the matter OF annexation of San Domingo. /;
e dld 1t with simple and earnest cloqucnce
Zach dd not suppose he possessed :
lleved him TO be sincere. and have never r
armed anything which shakes my belief ',
Annexation was an old project. Presi =
mt Pierce negotiated with President A
nta Anna. in 1884. with the view of bring u
g 1t about-at least, OF occupying SANTANA :,
y. lis revival was no matter OF Presi- <
Mt Grant seeking. :,
Soon after his Inauguration the govern ~
mt de tdcto OF San Domingo sent TO him q,
envoy to solicit his attention to it. This
voy made little impression upon the -
esident After some time another :" y,
me- and succeeded, in awakening his =,
crest. %
confidential agent was sent TO San n
'mingo to ascertain the real state of -
ngs in that island. From his report. =,
d from other sources of information. the ~
esluent was convinced. first. that what r.
i seemed fabulous at first accounts of the o.
and mineral resources of the ~
intry. were true. while the accounts of g
insalubrltv had been grossly exar- ~
'ated VI
The President was, of course, well aware go
its value as a mercantile and naval sta vi
A. on account OF its telicitous geographical | tn
itlon. He has too much of the soldiers OF
not to see that at glance.