Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-04-14

ing ON the bounty of the government,
with something of the pomp of Antony
visiting Cleopatra, sped along by the I'M
perial clarion of music, and leaving the
stern frosts of northern winter for the
soft and sunny lap of the tropics, where
the earth is all clad with greenest verdi
ure, would be pleased and in smiles with
everything; with the birds of the air,
beasts of the field, and even creeping
things. They are happy. Severe and
irreverent critics they cannot be. They
are there for the purpose of being pleas
ed nobody expected any thing less and
they would be careful not to stay so long
as to encounter the perils of the climate.
How much knowledge, untinged by the
animated particles of the rainbow,
would such an excursion party obtain as
to the statistics of mortality in the frac-
ton of five weeks of time, devoted to all
the objects of their mission, not exclud-
ing social enjoyments and ceremony, and
under the adroit manipulation of Baez,
bankrupt as he is in money, and with no
reputation to spareH Birds of passage,
even the wild geese which go south in the
winter and fly northward with the earli-
est breath of spring, might as well be
summoned to testify about the dog-days
they had never seen under the equator,
assuch a February party to testify touch
ing the summer solstice at Santo Domin-
CO."
He proceeded to show by statistics that
the mortality of Santo Domingo was
very great, and that the climate was in
compatible with labor. The experiments
made within the last five years show that
of some hundreds of men hired to go and
work on Santo Domingo plantations near
ly all were stricken down with disease,
and few lived to return. In support of
this assertion he quoted a chapter of Al
ison the historian, report of j. Somers
Smith, Commercial Agent of the United
States in Santo Domingo, and other au-
thorities.
BAEZ.
The Senator then proceeded to discuss
this gentleman somewhat at length, and
declared that it would be great mistake
to suppose that Dominicans have more
respect or affection for the United States
than they have for France or Spain.
From language, religion and association
their inhering partialities must all be in
favor Of the Latin race and the infalli-
BILE Catholic church.
In 1S4S the present adventurer, Baez,
attempted to sell out his country to
France. In 1861, not to load the recital
with other instances Santana made a
transfer of Domingo to Spain, at the
time with universal applause. But very
soon the people were inspired with other
and would not submit. With
in three years they drove all the Spanish
forces out of their territory, and Spain,
with enormous losses, once more aban-
doned Santo Domingo. There is no more
reason to suppose the people favor the
annexation now proposed than that
which they then trampled in the dust of
a revolution. Already evidence is accu-
which shows the popular vote,
obtained through the enticements of Ba-
ez and the moral force of the guns of the
United States Navy, to have been de-
lusive juggle. Cabral and his party pro
test against the validity of the w$ole
transaction, are now in arms successfully
disputing it, and the popular vote seems
to have been poor copy of the very
poorest Napoleonism. 1t is clear that
Santo Domingo could only be held by a
and naval force, as it has been
held for the past year by our Navy. 1t
should also be noted that of the 22,212
square miles now claimed by Santo Do
mingo, 10000 square miles are reported
to be held and occupied by Cabral or
by Hayti Did the Commissioners pen
citrate this part of the island?
sANTo DOMINGO AND HER DEBTS GO To-
GETHER.
No one could doubt that, if annexa-
ton should succeed, the United States
would be bound, by international law as
we'll as by honor, to pay all the out
obligations of the island. No
stipulation with Baez to the contrary
would be worth the paper on which it
might be written.
A State or Territory could not be pros
ecuted for debt like an individual. The
United States itself would resist anv
such indignity, and would be held to ac-
count for the old scores of any territory
as surely as the husband, if the wife be
before marriage, is bound after
ward to pay the debt.
Many of these debts might be cues
tionable; but the proof of their validity
H..