The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-09-21
president GRANTS FOREIGN
POLICY.

Ibe great success which has AZ
tended The home policy Of Pres
dent Grant, has caused his foreign
policy 10 receive less a'tan;;s.si
than its merits deserve. TIE re-
ductiOn Of the nations. debt up
wards of S34e, 0e0,ea0. the ,eGHc-
ton Of taxation equal to 1925, 900
600, the lesscning Of expenses in
nearly every Department OF the
Government, the great success
which has attended the Indian
peace policp and the general pros
perity which has characterized
every section Of the UnicE, have
been such brilliant triumphs on
the part of the Administration
that our foreign policy has been
overlooked by the people.
Under President Grant The Mon
roe doctrine has received practical
recognition. No European inter
ference has been allowed among
iAmriecan Republics, nor has any
system OF fillibustering from our
own shores been tolerated.
The policy Of the Government,
in the acquisition Of new terri
tory his been to treat all proposals
with respect, whenever such pro-
posals came from q pcnple who de-
sired peaceful annexation. The
recommendation OF the President
in his message on ST Domin 20 was
in keeping with this peaceful poll
cy OF annexation, As the Presi-
dents action 10 this m .tter has
been severely criticised by como
who, at the time, professed to be
his political friends, but VINO are
now his open enemies, We cs!l at
tentiop to the language used by
the President in his message &C.
companying the report Of the
Commissioners. Few State papers
can compare with this, for every
sentence breathes the wisdom of
the statesman and the nobility of
the patriot. As foreshadowing his
future policy on the question of
annexation it becomes doubiy in
teresting at this time. He says:
when l accepted the arauous
and responsible Office, which I now
hold, / din not dream Of insittut>
ing any steps for the acquisition Of
insular possessions. believed
however, that our institutions we're
broad enough to extend over the
entire continent as rapidly as other
peoples might desire 10 bring
themselves under our protection.
believed further that NE should
not permit any independent Gov
erLment, within the limits of North
America, to pass from a condition
Of independence to one of owner,
ship or protection under a Euro
pean power.
"Those opponents of annexation
who have heretofore professed to
] be preeminent by the friends o.
| the rights Of man, believed would
be ms aes.. violent assailan.s if
negl G. cd SO clear duty. Ac
corciaglr, after having appoint tee
Commissioners to visit the island,
who declined OH account of sick
ness, / selected second gentle
man in whose capacity, judgment,
and integrity, had and have yet,
the most unbonnded confidence.
"And now my task is finished
and with it all personal solicitudt
upon the subject. My duty being
done, yours begins; and / gladly
hand over tho whole matter to the
judgment Of the American people
And Of their representatives ir
Congress assembled. The fac
will now be spread before the
country and decision render
ed by that trihunsl whose co1vic
tions so seldom err, aud agaias
whose will l have no policy 10 Ell
force. My opinion remsias IN
changed; indeed, it is confirmed
by the report that the interests o
our country aad of San Domingo
alike invite tue anne xation Of thu
Republic.
i It is not only the the theory 0
our Constitution that the will ol
the people, constitutionally ex
pressed, is the supreme law, but
have believed thai '.all men ar,
wiser than any one man." and
the peot le upon full rresentatic
of the facts, shall decide that til
annexation of the Republic is no
desirable. every Department o
the Government ought to acquiesc
In that decision.
mo man could hope to perforl
: duties so delicate and responsible
as pertain to the Presidential ofie
without sometimes mourning til