Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-01
A MEMORIAL.
Seasons Why the Annexation Of San Bomla-
90 4 Desirable.

hbasUuA WY tAd NAhtA1ltuh ~ oah HetAiA-
90 l. Desirable.
To fte Legislahlre Of TeapesSee-You
uemorialists would respectfully repre-
sent that the proposition now pending be-
fore Congress 10 annex San Domingo, Is,
on should be, q subject of deep interest to
the whole country, that it is high above
party or temporary questions, aud merits
g full and impartial cons deration.
The Island OF San Domingo, or that part
oft proposed 20 be annexed, lies between
the eighteenth and twentieth degrees Of
north latituds. entirely within the tropics
In siza it is about double the area Of the
State Of Maryland, and about equal 70 the
combined areas OF Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island and New Hampshire.
C3eographers, travellers and historians
describe this Islandf rs diversified
with mountains, hills rand valleys; the
mountains and uplaRds covered with
variety Of woods Of great vsluey such As
mahogany, hgnum vi'ei ebony, SATIN
wood. and dvewoods; its valleys OF uG-
surpassed beauty and fertility iu the pro
ductiOn Of tohaec0, coffee, sugar and trOp-
I ical fruits; warered In all directions with
uever-fsiling creeks; it's climate although
[ Within the tropics, so tempered ~ sur
rounding waters and southern ureezes
1 that it is a perpetual spring; its minerals
I Of great variety and extent with wide
/ deep. safe and CspaciOus harbOrs on either
I side of the islsud.
| Can we, IS q Commercial, manufacturing
aud agricultural nati0n-ever seeking
/ power and expsnsiOp-reiec this I'll Do
/ RADIO, pregnant with increasing and ever
enduring advsuta ages, when it IS offered
us comparatively without price, TOR the
dimsy reasons. temporary and n'Ppant
/ preteXts, urged In opposition a. Washing
ton?
For the following special reasons We
urge the aaneEs-ioR OF san. Domingo as q
territory of the United States, as sscOn
as the same cau be done with proper sale
guards and restrictions:
j. The SrOduc-iCns of the Mississippi
valley, Tow large aud increasing, nnd
/ their outlet 70 markets in Mexico, Central
and South America, the Pacific coast,
and to al other countries through the
Gulf of Mexico Within a short distance
from the mouth Of the Mississippi there
are many beautiful islands in the Ca
ribbssn sea. whicl, except San Domingo
belong TO the .grest maratime powers of
/ Europe.
These maritime powers have acquired
these islands, thar they might IN part
supply themselves with coffee, sugar, aud
tropical fruits; but mainly, for the same
reasons which influenced Prussia to seize
Upon Kisl: France to cut the Suez canal,
England to acquire Malta, Gibraltar Ma
| iorca. NIinorcs the Cape Verde and Wind
ward Islands, viz rs stragstic points, in
/ g military point OF view, as harbOrs TO flee
to from storms; to coal, rent, and outnt;
/ as naval stations to maintain their COM
merce on the high seas.
Those nations, with their Islands fOrti-
I fcations and batteries are like armed
/ seutinels" frOwniug on the track Of our
! navigatOrs who must pass by their very
doors. They menace our commerce, our
/ egress and ingress TO the markets Of the
world.
The United States. aspiring to be q
great commercial and marstime power
after leaving our own shores, have hOg
I even a fOOt-hold In the wide eXpanse Of
these Gulf and Atlantic seas,
san Domingo, with its capaciOus and
safe hsrb0rs, with its fruitful soil and
varied productions, with its forests
and mines, with its control and
commanding position with reference
to the other islands in the Caribbean
Sea. making it 10 fact a key 10 the com
gnerce and naval supremacy OF the Cult Of
Mexico Is offered us. Shall we Jet slip this
opportunity TO acquire magnificent naval
stations in the West Indies, To which our
mariners may flee with safety, for coaling
and supplies for protecting our commerce
whether 10 peace or war. We DO not be-
{
ton on earth that would regr5s proposl-
ton pregnant with such enduring sd-
vautages.
2 We are fully persuaded THAT it is the
interest Of every natiOn to make itself as
nearly as possible independent Of all 9th
ers for every uecsssitys luxury.
In our extended cooat-Y we can pro
ducs sl the cOreals. all the cotton, wool,
hemp, rice, wines, and fruits Of the tenn
perste zone that we may need. We have
an insufHc cisnt sugar country; no coffee
country; none that produces the inner
qualities of smoking tobacco; no country
tnat produces mah0gOny, rose wood and
satin wood, which enters SO largely into
the construction Of our houses and furuj-
ture; no dye woods, and but an Insult
cieut supply Of many tropical fruits. BY
snnexiDg san Domingo we should have all
these necessities and luEuries; for which
we paw annually near one hundred and
fifLv millions Of dollars, chiefly in CON-
and would thereby well nigh become IN
dependent Of ihs world, for every cereal,
production, fruit and timber that grows
out of the earth.
8. Bv annexing San Domingo there will
be large and profitable trade between
one section of the country and the other
hv exchanging surplus products peculiar
10 each, aud by cquiriug this tooJhold
in the Caribbean sea, we may hope to
pave the way for reciprocal trade with
the OF her islands, from which we are In
"a manner excluded by colonial resJric-
tions and discriminating tariffs.
A. The United States should adopt the
policy pursued by all other maritime
nations, viz: Acquire foot holds IN every
sea where our hsg floats, which may be
used in peace 70 facilitate commerce, IN
war az bases of operations. This Is becom-
ing daily more and more important, as
-.H.. SAL HHTrr
place TO swift footed steamers which re-
Guirs c0aling stations, and in the con-
struCtsOn OF war steamers, they are made
90 carry heavy armament with but Little
room for freight
In the event of war with any Of
the maritime powers holding possession
in the West Indies. we might be excluded
from every port in.the Caribbean sesieven
for c0aing-ss France has lately been
from English port, at tne inst5Hce OF
Prussia. The possibility that this might
be the case with us, makes the acquisition
Of San Domingo q national necessity. The
failure 10 do so when we might, viii hard
lv aud a sufficient answer iu the Rrgu-
msnt often urged that some person or
persons "have job whether true or
false. The schemes of spectators OF the
day, if there be such, viii weigh bat
l lightly in the scale III the measure is
I right OF itself aud must last forever. Be
sides, who have acquired territory IN
which some one has not found Job
and shall We refuse desirable acquisitions
fearing that may be the case
We have extended our ares north 10 the
I Polar Sea: let 10 be extended south and
include the tropics. II the views sug-
rested shall be cOncurrsd in by the Leg
islaturs, we respectfully request that
the representatives of the people will
make them known TO the Congress Of the
United States in such manner as you
shall deem best.