New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-06

potential citizen of the United States
When once in the harbor of SANTANA, how like
birds let out Of cage (albeit very splendid
cage, and we'll supplied with good things at
Uncle Sans expense, commissioners. scientific
corps newspaper reporters, attaches and every
body who could do so. made their way from the
ship ~ the shore. and were soon coursing up
and down the streets of Santa Barbara de Sauna.
ma, looking into the queer old houses, and SUBJ
iecting its queer Old and young people TO acloser
scrutiny than . queer town and people were
ever subjected to before. There stood JACOBS.
of the Cincinnati Commercial looking steadily
into window, calmly studying the domestic
arrangements OF the inmates. and carefully
noting down all he saw and heard for future
publican, was everywhere in no time, interview
ing men, women, and children with all posi-
BILE assurance and diligence. Five hundred
feet above, on the mountain side, just back of
the town. in less than half an hour. sat BoYN-
TON. of. the Associated Press. and Mr.. FOLEY
surveying the whole scene Of mountain, bay,
and town. Everybody was busy. Our artist
friend, TAYLOR, Of Frank Leslie's. was soon
seated on log, book and pencil in hand,
| sketching with admirable skill and accuracy a
SANTANA. bull. ringed saddled, refined, and
mounted. There, toe, were our scientific friends
WARD. BLAKE. NEwcoMB. WRIGHT, ADAMS,
PARRY, and BRUaNETL as busy a. beavers, de-
| ermined 10 make the best possible use of their
| time. Mr.. RAMsDEIL, of the Tribune, was al
ways seeing the queerest things to be seen, and
saying the oldest things about them. COWARD,
| Of the Herald. was behind no one in enterprise,
and well represented that most enterprising
journal. Like the Herald, he was everywhere.
| MrW. III. HURLBERr of the Vorld, had strange
Democratic way Of finding the most undem0-
cratic people in every place. and easily putting
| himself on excellent terms with them for Mr..
| HURLBERT is a gentleman. and well-traveled
and well-instructed gentleman at that. Very
instructive was the ccmpanionship of Or. NEW
COMB. Of Cornell University; though the fire.
queney with which be employed the Sandwich
| Islands, and the oracular manner in which he
pronounced his opinions. was often quite anus
| ing. Doctor WHEELRIGHT, of Boston, was the
! MARK TAPLEY Of the crowd and especially OF
| DR.. IlowE. Never was man more faithfully
| served by another than was FIR. Howe by him.
| Our silent friend, A. A. BURToN, the duly COM
missioned secretary Of the commission, though
a man of real ability, and kind, considerate
| gentleman. was soon voted mysterious man by
| those who were too conceted TO consult him.
| and to whom he was too proud to reveal him
| self. Though, for reasons which may some day
appear. he was ignored where he should have
been honered and consulted, like ROBERT
| Burns. he could look and ugh at all that"
| Among the young gentlemen who accompanied
| the commission remember none with higher es-
| teem than Mr.. X. r. HIrr. He brought to his
| work clear and strong intellect, stored with
accurate information, and was entirely free from
| servility on the one hand, and of assumption
on the other. Among the most quiet and yet
effective men Of the newspapers was Mr.. &. c.
| FULroN of the Baltimore american. From
| beginning to erd, honest B. f. WADE, with his
! ponderous good sense and his sound Republi-
can heart, held his own with nine -tenths Of the
| whole company. 1t was refreshing to see the
havoc he played with every manifestation of snob-
berry and meanness that came to his attention.
OF course, i'm such company coming from
different parts of the United States, and enter
| tanning various opinions and prejudices, it was
to have been expected that sharp discussions
would take place. and such there were, but |
| the voyage. / have reason to believe that very
| few of the gentlemen who met on the Tennessee
| will be other than happy to meet as friends
elsewhere. For my own part, although | was
not waited to and from this beautiful land OF
promise on Howery beds of ease-and though
our good ship carried from our shores some
faint of our skin aristocracy, which at times
made itself Extensively manifest shall look
back to this tour to Santo Domingo, HayG, and
Jamaica with pleasure. narrate no particular
instances of offense The letter Of politeness
may be observed with scrupulous exactness and
its spirit violated every hour. The negro is
terrible test OF American manners. No man
more quickly than he learns whether he is
among real gentlemen or well-dressed snobs.
Nothing but the pure gold can stand his pres
ence. The sight of him in any other capacity
than slave or servant, instantly develops
some element of baseness.
Looking back to my ''life on the ocean wave
IN Government ship. and in such company
as | have described, the surprise to me was meet
ing so much of cordial respect and friendship.
While all the fools are not dead yet the Amer
lean people are rapidly Outgrowing their
slavery engendered preindces and will one day
wonder how they could have SO long lived un
Ter its degrading spell. But ! am dwelling too
long upon a matter outside the main subject Of
this letter which is. in view of all have seen.
heard, and learned during my visit to the West
Indies, Ough Santo Domingo to be npnered TO
he United States
This depends upon variety Of considerations.
which need not here be brought forward, but
upon none more than the character. disposition,
and wishes of the people of both countries. If the
United States do not want Santo Domingo. and
Santo Domingo does not want to come to us, if
The one cannot he of any value to the other the
subject IF annexation, notwithstanding the
initiative steps already taken, had better be
dropped, and the agitation permitted to die out.
But declare. at the outset. my entire and most
earnest lslief in the annexation of Santo Do
mingo 10 the United States. and that without
ielay My belief may he of little value to