National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-03-10
San Domingo.

San Domingo.
: WHAT CORRESPONDENTS WITH THE CON
, MISSION HAVE TO sAY.
The San Domingo Commission Is no,
mt work. From the reports Of the party
We make the following interesting ex
tracts /;
SAN DOMINGO CITY.
Santo Domingo City is nothing but
ruin. | have been here now two days
and have searched vainly for new house
Il fresh brick, newly-quarried stone
or lately sawed scantling. Apar
emily there is not, in the whole city,
structure that is not two hundred year,
old. All the houses bear the proof Of
great age. Crumbling stones, concrett
falling to decay, ivy and other vines
clinging to the walls, moss and mold and
discoloration everywhere. Every street
is but copy Of its fellows. Its houses
are like prisons, with thick walls, massive
doors, and barred windows
THE TROUBLES.
President Baez in his interview with
Mr.. Wade said Cabral, about whom so
much is said in the United States, and
so little here, is really not at the head of
discontented Dominicans but he is with
a force Of Haytians, few other foreign
ers, and a very small number of persons
related to or connected with himself.
lie is OF little importance. The force is
Haytian its officers are Haytians. He
does not command it, in fact but a
Haytian General is in command. The
Haytian Government, by his aid, is max
ing as vigorous demonstration as pos
sible, just at this particular time, In or
der to affect the people of the United
States, and prevent the neighboring Do
minican Republic from being united with
a strong power.
SANTA BARBARA DE SANTANA.
Samana is poor little dirty place
enough, for all its romantic and pictur-
esque appearance. 1t is built in ran
dom hap-hazard sort OF way along half
a mile of curving shore at the foot of a
ridge of high wooded hills, and what
with its rambling lanes and grotesque
huts, think it is one OF the most absurd
places ever saw. There are eighty or
ninety buildings, all told, consisting for
the most part of light frame work of
scantlings brought from the States, and
clap-boarded with bamboos split in half
and pressed fiat by piling stones upon
them while wet. The rude planking
made in this primitive manner is from
four to six inches wide and half on quar-
ter of an inch thick. Paint is almost
unknown, but most of the huts are white
washed. The roofing is of cocoa leaves
bound together with vines. The flooring,
when there is any, which is not often,
of rough-hewn wood, or bark,
Or boughs, or the same leaves that are
used for thatch. None of the houses
Or, perhaps should say cabins-have
more Than one story; few have more
than one, or, perhaps, two rooms.
Doors and windows are luxuries which
the majority of the people have learned
houses in the village rooted with shingles
md supplied with all such modern CON
'eniences as plank floors, partitions, and
loors and windows. In the centre of
he settlement is the Plaza, or square, :
Without which no Spanish town is !
hought to be complete, and here is a /
liberty Tree, of the royal palm species, $
lanted by the villagers five or six years q
go. a
SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS. u
There is no tavern, or hotel or other +,
lace of accommodation for strangers, @
nd so far as | have been able to learn al
lere are not more than two or three n
edsteads on the whole Peninsula. OF
hose who have no hammocks sleep on VI
lde bamboo frames, or on improvised bl
illets of leaves and bark. 1t is curl 50
Is feature of Samana life that almost al
-erybody keeps shop. Of the 80 he
,uses in the place, more than half are ci.
some way devoted to trade. How 40 fo
op-keepers can be maintained in a 2
llage of so houses is a problem in tn
'litical economy that l shall not at sn
mpt to solve, but it is so. All that | fol
we seen sell liquor, and besides this 20
iple of commerce one can buy common ma
licoes, groceries, tobacco, vegetables, I'll
d fruit ba
THE ANNEXATION SENTIMENT. tu
On the subject of annexation the peo- 40
e of Samana are enthusiastic aud un- snl
imous; but their opinion of course 10 10
ould not be assumed to be that of ar' a.:
'jority of the islanders. 1t is the on -
salvation of this portion of the Repub- pr,
All the trade, the protection, the WI
ppOrt of this little settlement comes Po
IN the United States. Talk to any PIC
N you meet on the peninsula, and
IL will hear rabout the same sentiments, z
which you may take this scrap of dia- Ri,
,ue fora sample: abC
Well, Uncle, are you in favor of abe
at they call annexation ?" wo,
: Yes, sar, is p tal
Well, what is annexation ?" tor,
It's getting into the Sta,e and havin Gee
:; ?" s1,,
Why are you in favor of annexa- dra
n ?" hu,
Case it gives us protection for our ed
yes ana our properly, ana prevents legl
wars which we is been havin'" one
he people are in constant state of ed ,
ecurity. They have no heart to raise belc
ps, for they may be destroyed, as they and
e been dozen times heretofore. of 4
ere is no law, no redress for robbery,
depredations are incessant Many
lare that they will not stay here if L
annexation scheme is defeated, for STATE
that case the disorders will be re- ner
bled. But if they "get into the eide
te," the Dominicans believe that supl
lie will become prosperous North cam
capital, industry, and intelligence fish
enchance the value of their land and have
them good cash market for their to pi
luce. limit
A SANTANA CALABoosR. grou
e found no prisoners in the calaboose tbn a.
,rhaps they had all been released in 'uo .