New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-01

e ~ 49,
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hte9n6fi0 = = e3eNeay
told. has 49, vtpanls T. - = - go
mapding rulss-a nd = Aesiean Senator
turns in1osmss snd voluntarily gives he
|~inSormaticn tit IL TO convict his country
Of great wrong against nationA, II NJ
tons had been in the habit Of rigidly
Observing international law, there might
be danger Of an arraignmsnt before the
high court of nstions; and in that case
the Senator might be cited to appear as .
witness against his, country. He could
then, with some show of reason, testify.
But to stand up in the United States Sem
ate in his capacity of Senator, and volun-
tarily make a charge that if suscepti-
BILE Of standardization, should come from
another quarter, places him in antagonism
with the country he has sworn to defend.
This is quite as serious matter as . real
violation Of international law, and it is
feared that the Senator's great desire to
convict the President Of disobedience
may cause him to blunder into species
Of disobedience far more dangerous to the
republic. It il our desire to warn the
Senator, who has been shining light in
the past to the great Republican party of
this country, against 80 fatal a
blunder; and this warning will be
echoed by every true Republican
throughout the land. It is just to say
that the Senator may honestly. entertain
the opinion that international law has
been violated. But he does not give it as
his opinion He asserts positively that
international law has been violated in two
of its commanding rules, and that q dis
tinctive fundamental principle Of the con-
stitution has been disregarded BY the
President. In other words, that the Presi-
dent is actually in the exercise Of . 6ngly
prerogative! These charges, if true, are
serious-not only to the nations of the
earth, but to the people Of the United
States. But We are satisAed they are not
true, and win proceed to give our reasons,
and if we convince the Senator that he is
incorrect, We feel that his noble spirit will
prompt him to make the acknowledgment
In the first place, to be in the exercise of
kingly prerogative, President Grant
would have to be the sole, supreme and
perpetual ruler of the United States. That
he does not claim such prerogative is self
evident from the fact that the Senator il
permitted to arraign him in . CO
ordinate branch Of the government ON
q charge OF disobedience. If this
charge turns out mere figure
Of speech and falls to the ground, is there
not the best of reason for believing that
the other charges have been conjured up
in the same way, and must share the same
fate should they incite sufficient interest to
call for an investigation? We think 80, and
believe that the honorable Senator himself
will think SO when sufficient time has
elapsed to permit him TO take cool re-
Prospect of the matter involved in the San
Domingo affair-an affair that should
naturally excite the sympathies of the
people of this country.
The people of the West India islands.
like the people of South America and
Mexico, have had their share of bad gov
eminent, resulting in part from foreign
rule and in part from dissensions among
themselves. And international law was
never sufficient to protect the natives of
this country against the grasping DISPOSE
ton of foreign governments When
Christopher Columbus first discovered
San Domingo-the very island, or part
of it, that now seeks to be annexed to
our own country-it was believed to be
inhabited by over 9. million of people.
The first island he discovered was called
BY the natives Guanahani. Columbus
gave it the name of San Salvador. He
first landed here with . company of
Spaniards, displaying colors, with martial
music, and all the dazzling insignia of
military pomp. The beach was covered
with . multitude of people whose atti-
tudes and gestures expressed wonder and
amazement. He afterward discovered
San Domingo, the largest and the most
fertile of the West India islands, and
asked permission of its sovereign, called
the cazique, to erect fort on it to secure
the benefit of first discovery. The re-
quest was granted, the fort built and q
portion of Columbus men stationed there
to retain possession, while he returned to
Spain to report what he had done. This
was how the Spaniards gained their foot
hold in this country, and they maintained
it by cruelty and rapacity, and without
the slightest regard to the rights of indi-
viduals or international law. And now,
when our government has grown strong
enough to correct some of the evils that
its people, in common with others, have
suffered upon this continent, is it to be
deferred from doing 50 because few may
object to it? Because handful Of blacks,
inhabiting one-half of the island, with I'M
stable government and little of civilization,
have been magnifed into nation by
Senator Sumner, are we to be told that to
repel its acts of aggression upon a
neonle that ara asking to be incOrpOrated