New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-24
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APPOINTMENT OF THE COMMISSION
Mr.. Sumner did not deny that the President acted
upon the belief that he approved the treaty nor did he
deny that he left the Presdentso to act without
informing him that he had changed his mind. or been
misunderstood Yet Mr. Sumner IN the Senate assaled
the President personally and bitterly and in published
interview in Chicago with Major Chamberlain Of
character and veracity, who had been Union officer,
and was then connected with the press, Mr.. Sumner
charged the President with venaiy and loDDery In the
Santo Domingo Treaty. SO .
was proposed send three Commissioners to Sano Do
mngo and cost beyond their expenses 10 investigate
and mp the whole matter and 10 ascertain whethe
as Mr.. sumner had charged, lots in Santo Domingo nad
been staked OFF and marked with the names OF the fres
dent and others
This inquiry seemed fair most OF those who opposed
and to those who favored the Treaty. bst Mr. sumner
resisted the inquiry inch by inch, and after majority OF
the Foreign Relations Committee had joined him In de-
he insisted that 1t should be referred to that
Committee. ..,
The same familiar parliamentary maxim about putting
child to nurse with those who not for it, upon
which he rung the changes often in the French Arms
affair was quoted 10 him in When the sale OF arms
to be inquired into, Mr. Sumner sandered the SEN
for appointing Committee all in favor OF lnvesu
eating because Committee not biased in favor OF
cOnyctng somebody, but the santo Domingo inquiry ne
insisted should go to Committee OF which majority
had declared in advance against any inquiry at all.
At the end OF protracted and stubborn contest Con-
gress authorized Commission TO be sent NOT however,
till Mr.. Sumner had denounced the President Tor not
taking upon himself, OF his own authority 10 senu
Now hear from Mr. Sumner, not that the President
shrnks from his prerogatiyes but that he arro8ahV
Mr.. Wade, DIR. Howe Of Boston, and President Andrew
d. White selected as Commissioners They visited
Santo Domingo, and made a report, which few OF the
American people have read but which will DO read
when the DIN and passion or to-day are forgotten inc
report expodes utterly every caumnOus preense and
presents statement which leaves doubt the
duty OF the President to consider as he ana the acqa
tOn OF SantO Domingo and to urge upon the attention
OF the Senate and the country.
UHPRETEsTIoUs WITHDRAWAL OF THE SCHEME.
In transmitting this report to Congress the President
did his last act in the matter With the report he sent
message, which Minister from Of the first Pow
of the EARTH told he called the attention of his
Government Of the most remarkable State papers
Of which he had knowledge In that Message stand
The mere by the Senate Of treaty negotiated res
Indicates difference opinion between coordinate de-
plen Of the Government without touching the character wound
ing pride takes place sultsne
o1sy charges openly made corruption the part Of the Ps
dent or those enpyed G HIM The case eien , IN uen o g
BY the report Of the Commissioners herewith transmitted aud which
sented the United States negotiation ny task ended
and with i ENDS AZ personal oetae ogOn the ,SSecs fra .
matter 70 the Judgment Of the American people and Of their
country and rendered by that tribunal whose convictions
seldom and against whose will have no policy to enforce Ny
the interests Of aud santo Domingo alike invite the snneI
jet suggest that no sctou be present beyond
Pc sa Ss ssspe I sss the % and an
intelligent opinion it, to which opinion deliberately made up,
and no one will more Seerfay conform to myself
This the utterance as year or the man whom. we
told swollen with "pretensiOn" and ungoyerna-
BILE personality"
Among the garng absurdities heaped upon the santo
Domingo matter is the allegation that the war was made
upon the Republic of Hayt. The foundation for this Is
that vessel two crulsed that part OF the ocean
during the negotiations. Not gun was nred, nor
pocketpisOl percussion cap, and the only warke
demonstration heard OF was that seacaptain sent
up SKY rocket from the ueck Oh ms vessel inc PuI
pose OF this skyrocke or where the stick came down,
has never been ascertaned.
This IN brief is the story Of the Sano Domingo anar
do not refer to 1t TO champion the treaty or argue ITS
merits that is another matter My purpose is to show
that the part acted by the President was he part OF
honest modest man. walking in the path of the Con-
sttution and OF his predecessors.
THE PRESIDENT IN THE STEPS OF HIS PREDECESSORS.
Previous Administrations had eagerly sought foot
hold in the West Indies naval station and harbor
there have long been deemed urgent necessity. An
drew Johnson and Gov. Seward made treaty
agreeing pay Denmark 900 in gold for the Island
Of st. Thomas. The principal production Of ST. Thomas
earthquakes and the Senate refused to buy earth
quakes at the price agreed upon but is not known
that Mr. Sumner OF anybody else denounced the making
Andrew Johnson and Gov Seward made treaty with
Russia, agreeing pay S,2500O0 for Alaska In gold
Nobody was ever sent to examine Alaska. When the
treaty was made we had never looked upon man who
had set foot upon had heard Of its icebergs and
floods and It seemed o white elephant, but the Senate
agreed TO the treaty The Chairman OF Foreign Reia
lions changed his mind on that treaty also He started
gans it, but touched by the master hand OF the Sage
OF Auburn, he suddenly turned and made glowing
speech in its behalf; the speech bound in Turkey
morocco was sent TO the heads Europe and
its author sits in picture, with the Russian Minister
aud Secretary of State. consigned to immortality by
the pencil of Leutze.
Franklin Pierce, with the whole Democracy at his
back attempted TO force Spain TO cede Cuba 10 Pierre
SOule sent out Minister to Span and on his way
stopped in the City of NewYOrk. There he sere-
naded by the Order OF the Lone Star. band OF
ayowed Cuban fbusters and addressing the crowd in
the street. he declared that Cuba should be torn from
the Old Spanish Wolf"
In the face OF this outrage and afront TO friendly
power President Pierce suffered Soue TO sail for SPAIN
be proceeded to Chapele and there sOue, James
Y
American Ministers to foreign countries sat down and
signed the Ostend Manifesto This paper caught up and
Endorsed by the whole Democratic party argued the
Imperative necessity for sedefeDse OF foOthOd in the
West Indies and the plea Of necessity, stated
without blush the Rob Roy doctrine that might makes
right, and avowed that If spain would not sell Cuba 1t
Should be taken by force
After all these things the who justified them de-
monstrOus the idea OF paying $5O0O0o for
territory next shores with OF the finest har
bors in the world, with large Connecticut,
Vermont, and Massachusetts,. with soil and climate bet
ter than Cuba, and with only handful OF people. We
pay Cuba S5s00O0O0 year for products OF slave labor
We buy nearly all the slaverased coffee Of Brazil and
here is an island which would grow all that Cuba
Brazil send here and President is denounced knave
and fool for submitting to the people Its purchase for
The scheme may be unwise upon that question wait
for further light aud better Judgment; but the public
want for submitting 1t TO the wisdom OF the people
THOUGHTS on SUMMERS REMOVAL.
II may be amss here to aude to the effort TO
Indignation the socaed removal Of Mr. Sumner
from the Committee Of Foreign Relations Mr. Sumner
was never "remoyed" at all. All Senate committees
die at the end Of each session All Senste committees
are created at the beginning OF each session. Mr..
Sumner selected repeatedly for the chairman
ship OF the Committee referred to, and the question
always, looking over the whole Senate who would be
the most useful and all things considered the best man
for place At the time in question: and for reasons
easily stated the Senate thought 1t would not be wise
TO select Mr. Sumner again Tor that Committee, and
he was selected for another. This was not done be-
cause Mr. Sumner opposed santo' Domingo nor because
he changed sides upon that question, nor because the
President the Secretary OF State wanted, or dld not
want Mr. Sumner on this committee that. The rea
sons were wholly different, they were reasons or the
Senate Alone and which have governed the for
parliamentary committees eNerywhere since
such committees known. The Committee on Foreign
Affairs either House of Congress, ought not only IKE
other committees to represent the majority OF the body
but for peculiar reasons must be composed OF men