The Hickman courier., 1871-03-18
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HICKMAN COURIER.

50 90 PER YEAR IN ADVANCES,
Address. Publisher "HIoKxAs cOunn.
Hickman, Ky.

The subjoined letter contains Informs
ton respecting San Domingo which will
be of interest not only to the Rev. DR..
Vinton, with his fantastic ideas about q
sanitarium and the commerce of the Pa.
ci6c, but also to sensible men who desire
to know what is the real value Of that
island:
SIR I'll am neither an Americsn nor
Dominicau, aud to rne it is quite indif-
ferent whether the Republic Of San Do
miDgo is or is not annexed to the United
States. But as notice that the Rev.
Francis Vinton, d. d., believes that tbs
island will be very 6ne place for Amer
lean invalids, and as I see this idea ou-
dorsed in most fattering words by the
Herald, hope that you will allow the to
state in the columns Of your p2per what
is the truth in regard to this subject, sB .
matter of interest not only 10 Americas
invalids, but TO Americans who are still
in good health.
"a royal decree of the Spanish Gov
erDment, issued on the 18th Of Nay,
1861. declared that the territory Of the
Dominican Republic was once more in
corporated into the Spanish monarchy.
This was the result of sale of the coun-
try by Santana, who was President at
that time. Spain, however, did not long
remain in the enjoyment of her purchase.
In February, 1868. the people revolted
against the Spaniards, and shortly after
this / was appointed q surgeon 10 the
Spanish army operating for the suppress
sion of this revolt. This gave me an
opportunity, unfortunately, to acquire q
thorough knowledge of the olori0issly
beautiful tropical climate Of the island.
SIN less than one year Spain sent about
forty thousand soldiers to San Domingo.
OF these scarcely ;wclve thousand left
the island, when in 1866 the Spanish
Government abandoned the war in con-
sequence of vote of the Cortes repeal
ing the act of annexation; the others,
twenty eight thousand in number, met
their graves in this gloriously beautiful
tropical climate through the effects Of
the malarial fever there, febris pairdfco.
This fever is deadly not only to foreign
ers, but to natives also; and it prevails
there all the year round.
THUS, sir, Spain lost twenty eight
thousand soldiers out of forty thousand,
besides about sixty millions Of dollars,
in this fruitless attemptat annexation.
"If the Rev. DR.. Vinton, whom / be.
lieve to be as good minister as he is
bad physician and Statesman, desires any
further information about the gLorfovsly
beautiful tropical climate of San Domin-
90, he can consult the records Of the
French Sanitary Board in that island
during the war Of France against the
Republic of Hayti From these records
he will learn that out Of fifty thousand
men whom France lost in that inglorious
struggle, over forty thousand perished
from the same disease, that is, from (cbris
pGladicd
1.-The Spanish Government thought
that by changing the commanders OF its
army the revolution might be subdued,
and accordingly it made many such chan
ges. But exerience proved that it was
all mistake, No generals and no sol
diers are skilful enough to contend against
the effects Of a deadly olfrnafs. W q t.i.a
"In regard to what the San Domingo
correspondent of the Sun says Of the
navy yards, arsenals, and ships Of war
of San Domingo, which President Grant
has SO solemnly spoken of, am able to
affirm that the correspondent is entirely
correct. San Domingo never had an
arsenal or navy yard, and still less n
ship of war.
II am, sir, yours very respectfully,
"E. QUIxANo, 81. d."