Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-09-26
,Enc sn,, Domingo Question.


There is really no connection between
the san Domingo question and the issues
of the Presidential canvass. Neyerthe-
less. as the enemies Of President Grant
and Of the Republican party have, in
their desperation, so prrsstently drag
gcd the matter into the canvass, colorcd
with thcir prciudiccs and pcrvcrsions Of
truth. it is well to put on record the ties
timony Of one who has had personal
knowledge Of all circumstances connect
cd with the expedition of the San Do
mingo Commission. and whose truthful
ness and reliability can scarcely be queSy
toned by any fair-minded citizen We
alIudc to a statement made by DR.. Black
well. of Boston, who, though sustaining
no official relations with the San DOmin-
30 Commissioners, yet accompanied the
party and had the most intimate inter
course with them; and their force is
fully competent to meet and rcfutc the
SANDERS hcapcd upon President Grant in
this connection by Senator Sumner and
repeated with so much eagcrncss by the
Greeley Democratic press and stump
speakers We especially desire to com
mend this communication to several Lii
eral Republicans Of Rutland who have
made a great noise over the San DOmin-
90 question, and who have heretofore
placed great reliance and faith in DR.
Blackwell on all public questions.
Dr. BIackwell's communication is adj
dressed to the editors Of the Boston
Daily -AdsertjSer, from which we trans
fer it TO our columns, commenting its
careful perusai to oar readers.
TIE SAN DOMINGO QUEsrION-wHAT
PRESIDENT GRANT HAD TO
DO WITH IT.
To the Editors Of tile Boston Daily Id
gertjSer:
The annexation of San Domingo isnot
at present a party discussion. The Phil
adelphia platform did not endorse it.
The Cincinnati and Baltimore did not
oppose it. The New York Tribune has
heretofore favored it. Other Liberal
and Democratic papers have been ncu-
trail in regard to it. :
In his farewell speech on tie PFesiz
dental election, Senator Sumner made
the following specific charges against
the President:
/. That he has perpetrated an outrage
upon Haytl and menaced her indepen-
dence with war, in violation of inter
national law.
=. That he kept our navy lowering on
the Haytian coast ''like a hawk sailing
in air, and has employed United States
ships of war, at great expense, in main
tanning ''the usurper Baez" i'll power,
thus acting in fragrant violation Of the
Federal Constitution.
3. That, through his agents, he has
conniyed at and prolonged the imprison-
ment of Mr.. Hatch, 'an American citi-
Gen." and that Hatch was ''immured'
because it was feared that, if released,
he would write against annexation.
4. That he has insulted Frederick Doug
lass. first because Mr.. Douglass was eX-
cluded from the Commissioners table on
board of a Potomac steamer, and again
because Mr. Douglass was omitted from
an in9itation to a dinner given to the
Commissioners at the Presidential man
sion.
The facts are briefly these:
Spanish Santo Domingo comprises
two-thirds (22, 900 square miles, Of the
island. The government de tacto,
through its Minister Plenipotentiary,
formally applied to President Grant
three years ago, proposing annexation to
the United States as q territory, upon
the sole condition of our assuming itsna-
tional Indebtedness, which was estimated
at a million and half dollars. The
President, before entertaining the pro-
position, sent down his private secretary,
General Babcock, an honorable and re-
liable man, to ascertain the competency
and stability of the Dominican Govern
ment, the sentiment of the Dominican
people in regard to snnesation. the
amount of the debt, and the value OF
the territory. Being fully satisfied upon
all these points, two treaties were ne