Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-03-31
San Domingo.
SENATOR sUaISER's GREAT SPEECH o. SAN
DOMINGO, MARCH q.

clared object OF this Vioiehce y .n' AZ %
foreign territory that being hall an island IA the
caribbean sea; and still iurtner' this ''O'enOe
has been employed to prop and mSin'aln W.
Me- bir,selt an usurper, upholding him IN
noger that he might sell ms country and sc
ronilv. it mas been employed to menace tne
black republic Of Hayti Such, Senator gun
uer saws. has been done, ard the rePuouSAu
Marty cannot afford to become responsio'e io'
such conduct But beyond sill these cohs!ue'
sIious is the question not whether the ao1
Of San Domingo is desirable, but whether We az
justified in the means employed TO accom- pilsi 'I''
ACQUISITION and the evidence now before '"'
UniteI States shows too clearly that means nave
been employed which cannot be Justihei- 9@u
ator Sumner then enters into legal arguments sl'
cites presidents 10 show that a contract ior 'I0
cession Of territory must be without the presence
ofsuperor force and aludes to the fact that recent
returns of the navy department show the Whole
Island beeaguered by our navy sailing from port TO
port, and hugging the land with is guns; and IN
less the reports Of the state ami navy departments
are discredi,ed, it is obvious beyond doubt thar
our government has usurpel the var powers care
fully guarded by the constitution and without al
thori-v Of Congress employed them to ttample
on the independence and equal rights OF two na-
tons co-elusl with ours The senator then
characterized Baez and Gran; As co-partners IN
the melancholy affair, and carefully reviews the
history Of the former snd his interruptions
usurnstioa recites the origin Of the scheme iof
snnexinr half the island, reviewing u great
length the circumstances under which the hap-
eo.z treaty was negotiated. and confirming IN
the severest terms the part which Pres bl,@
bsd taken IN the transaction for the sale oil MS
country. Mr.. Sumner then repea'ed the ale "a
ti1rs in his former speech. that Bsez was main
!. u N .u d.
carry on the contract with Blbcock and tiat
to assure this sale, Hayti was violently menacei
by our feet and presented yolumlnous docu-
meutarv and official evidence % sustain them
After giving the testimony establishing De-
voud question the two propositions first, that
Blez was maintained in power by our navy %
enable him to carry out the sale Of his country
and secondly, that further 70 assure this sale
the ueighboring republic Of Hayti was violently
being menaced, all this being n breach Of pub
licl law, international aud constitutional. Sis-
Sumner proceeds 20 show that this conduct is
gross villstio1 Of the internal civil law an con-
s,i-u-ou Of the United States, aud cites No.uH-
iuous authority 20 prove the promise maze -
the President 10 employ the war powers without
authority Of Congress was VOID, and tie very
employment Of these war powers IN pursuance oi
ibis assumption, wss sn usurpat.-n, AMI th-i
the assumption in the San Domingo treaty Is cz-
certienai and abnormal, being absolutely with
out precedent. But, continued lir. S1mnel,
even admitting some remote, lu1u-tcssimal sem
bmuce Of excuse or apology during the pending
o. tie treaty. al Of which | insist Is absurd BE-
vouI question, though not entirely Impossible iu
a quarter unused o. institutional questions,
aui heeluz them little; clnceilrc that O. assumi-
st. inserted ia the treaty ty tie sscreltry 70.
State hiss deceived the President i--o the Ilci
that be possessed the kiuglg preroeauye ~ de-
e.arin- war ~ bis own mece notion, ami Wlslli.-
% deal mos gently. even with an uni ua'ei
u.urnati1a ana exercise q kiagly Trcr1g.tlge,
So long As the Secretary Of State, the sworn
counsellor O. the Pres lent, supplied the formula
fIr the usarpat.ou-sui You will bear witness
th4t have done nothing but state the CASE
IS bard 20 hold back when the same usurpa'ill
is openly prolonged after the Senate has rejected
tie treaty On which the exercise Of the kugy
urer. cltye was fJuuisi and when the ''assump-
s.t" devised hy the Secretary OF state had passed.
into limbo Of Things lost on earth. There IS ~
remote iutilitassiu4ll res ut..nce of excuse, l-
apology nothing, absolutely nothing the usu--
patton pivots on q nonenity, always excepting
The snr'7 will lf the Pres. heat. which. c1nsCt--
tiau4ay. Is u0ueati-y. NJ. sumner here exc
pressed rle ieep regret with which be uslc gle
exposure, t-t plead now as often before for
only Justice ana peace. lie concluded ln the
evidence aiiu,el I have c3nduei myself care
fully 90 public documents, not travelling out Of
the -s-.. d o. j .spatcies, navsl orders aui ra7s.
reports. These are uuiupeaclab.e authority,
alI I'D these have been officially communicate
10 tie Senate Thus stands the case lutGrls
ust1-ai Law has b,cu violated 10 two Of its clu-
m4al.u- ru-es. one assuming the quality ot ma
tons, ami .ae etIe- providing against be.Ig---
Clt intervention while the distinctive .uull-
mental principle Of tle constitution. by which
rhe Pres .e1- j. deprived &c the kiugly prcr-za-
tive, has been asserted oy the Presiieu, through
ont. Looking s-lll farther No the tc.s, we see
a this. great I.sobciieuca has f.r its object The
acquisition of an uua-.yiug tropical Island
wtl large promise 81 wealth, ami that IN
carrying out tais scheme cur repub he has t5rc.-
bly, maintained an usurper IN power tnat be
m -lt sel lis country, and has dealt blow no
the Black Rep1lli- Of Hay Il, which, being wrong
% that republic Tss an insult 90 the African race;
AMI all has been done on prerogltiye alone,
without authority o. sny act Of Congress. II
such transactions can escape Judgment, it is
difficult, o. see what security can remain. Never
before has there been such presiieutia. iutervea-
ton in the senate as We have been constrained
90 witness Iresiisntia. visits 20 the capitol,
with appeals 20 senator's; AMI who can measure
yhl pressure q oil kinds, ty himself or agents,
especially through the appointing power az o.
lre me c-lslm-lAi,on " ms mus 40 "e
discern n me acts OF the F-esiiea'' "ae,ler 10
'-e clA-'s OF San Dl-A'nso OF mere ~ "4sn-hs-
,a' me sane A'''u "''A me sane -7's
gard of great principles, as slsl the same reck-
-essres7 ss io"Aris me people OF hayu' Wlo
nave never iljirei Us before eaienniag ''e
treaty or any question Of acquisition, we must
At LEASE put ourselves right s. a usti0n, nor l1
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