The New York herald., 1871-03-17
The st. Domingo Question-Our Special
Correspondence.

Uulteu states commission TO st. domingo,
with highly interesting information about the
island and people, making, with what we had
previously published, complete history or
report Of the Investigations, incidents and
views of the Commission, from the day the
Tennessee sailed to the conclusion of the
work at Port au Prince. If the Commission
should never report TO Congress that body and
the public have, through the columns of the
an opinion on the st. Domingo question, and
that more impartial and independent than will
be given either by the Commissioners or the
partisan press correspondents who accompa-
MED the Commission.
1t will be seen, too, by special telegraphic
despatch from Kingston, Jamaica, dated yes
terday, to the HERALD, which is published in
another part of this paper, that the President
of the Commission, ex-senator Wade is going
to hurry through to Washington with his
report, and will probably reach the capital
the latter part of next week. The same
despatch states that the other two Commits
sioners, White and Howe, propose to stay at
Charleston, South Carolina, with a view to
make separate and more elaborate report.
This news accords with what our special cor
respondent has written relative to the Commits
sioners and their conduct throughout. Mr..
Wade has been desirous all along of getting
through with the work as soon as possible
and has been annoyed with his colleagues for
causing delay. If he could have done as he
wished he would have finished the business
and have been in Washington by the last
days of February or the first days Of
March. This old political war-horse
of the radical party saw the importance
to the administration and its party of making
an early report, and condemned his slow col
leagues in severe language. While it is pro-
bable he would have been in favor of annexa-
tion under any circumstances, for he is man
ifest destiny man, and has tender regard for
the negroes of st. Domingo as everywhere
else, he knew that his party and the admins
traton needed this issue to hold their ground
or to acquire popularity. Something like
snap judgment might have been taken on the
question under the late Congress, and at the
conclusion of the session, but the delay may
have damaged the prospect. This has been
Mr. Wades view of the matter. The other
Commissioners had not such political forecast
and were less decided as to the course they
should take though it is supposed now that
they also favor annexation. They care less,
probably, for the question in its political bear
ing than for their own convenience and the
reputation they expect to make for them
selves out of it. Hence, while Mr.. Wade is in
hurry to report, they will take time, it is
said, to work UP elaborate reports. If they
should report in favor of annexation it will be
more from philanthropic feeling-sympathy
for the degraded st. Domingo negroes-than
from political considerations at home.
| For the people of the United States, how
ever, this is a question Of far more Importance
than in its bearing merely upon party politics.
It is one involving a new policy in acquiring
and holding distant possessions as a sort OF
colonial dependencies, or as States with an
alien population, many hundreds of miles
away from our coast and across the seas.
Hitherto we have annexed only bordering
territory, with the exception of Alaska, which
has scarcely any population, which was pur-
chased with a view chiefly to press forward
our destiny to continental dominion and for
telegraphic connection with Asia, and which,
after all, forms a part of the Continent. Nor
would the annexation Of Cuba, though sepa-
rated by the sea from the Continent, involve
~ ~, dor f0 hal Il
ing distant possessions or States, because that
island is separated from Florida by only
| narrow strait, and stretches along
in face of our extreme Southern coast
making the Gulf of Mexico like al
American lake. No doubt all the Antilles are
destined to belong at some future time to tn
Great Republic; but has the time arrived t
begin SO far off and under the conditions o
| our present existence, or taking into considera
ton the condition Of the population and coun
try?
st. Domingo is rich and prolif
country naturally, and for the most PAL
as healthy as any of the Antilles
particularly on the north side facin
the Atlantic Ocean, though the climate
hotter generally than that of Cuba, and thoug
there are exceptional unhealthy localities
But it has hardly any cultivation and CON
parativey little commerce. The coffee an
other products exported are obtained frol
the old stock now growing wild. There
NJ railroads or telegraphs or anything ind
ing progress or industry. On the cop,',
both sections of the island-both the s 80
republics of St. Domingo and Hayti,;. go
clining and going back to a barbaric - -,
Bountiful nature supplies the W.
people as far as food goes, such n;no" -, w" ~.
out labor, or with very littls
banana, plantain, cocoanut -, 80. 80
yams, wild hogs and other t.sS "n.On '... e'..ei