The New York herald., 1873-12-03

tions ON Our Foreign and Domestic
Affairs.
The fifth annual Message of President
Grant submitted yesterday to the two houses
of Congress, is before our readers. In its
| report Of the workings of The government
during the year from December last, and in
the views and recommendations OF the Ex-
ecutive upon our foreign and domestic affairs
it is a most important State paper That 1t
! will command, to an extraordinary degree,
the public attention. we cannot doubt. con-
| sidering the universal anxiety manifested
| touching our critical relations with Spain, our
| existing financial emharrassInents and the
| general expectation of speedy measures OF
relief through the recommendations Of the
| President and the concurrent action OF
Congress.
Recent important events are grouped to-
gether in the opening I the Message. The
impress, if not to startle the reason. The
President says that in the midst Of great
national prosperity financial crisis has oc-
Cured that has brought low fortunes of
gigantic proportions; that political partisan
ship has almost ceased to exist, especially in
the agricultural regions, and that finally, the
capture upon the high seas Of vessel bearing
our flag has for some time threatened the
most serious consequences, but that this mat
ter is happily now in the course of a satisfac-
tory adjustment, honorable to both nations
concerned We are next assured that
excepting these complications with Spain,
nothing in our relations generally with foreign
Powers has occurred during the year calling
for special notice. Touching, then, upon the
Vienna Exposition, the reception by the young
Chinese Emperor in person of the representa-
tives Of the Western Powers the infamous
Chinese coolie trade, the disposition Of the
money awarded to the United States by the
Geneva Tribunal OF Arbitration, our north,
western boundary the awards made to British
subjects in pursuance of the Treaty OF Wash
ington by the Mixed Commission appointed to
adjudicate such claims, and passing over our
relations with Mexico Venezuela Turkey and
Egypt, we are arrested by the brief announce
ment in the Message that the Republic
of St Domingo has applied TO our gov
ernment to exercise .he powers of q pro-
tectorate over that Republic, and that this
application is transmitted for the considera-
ton and determination OF Congress.
We apprehe1d that an extensive conbina-
ton Of spectators and adventures is at the
bottom Of this movement that millions of
money viii be extracted from the United States
Treasury by these parties should this protee-
torate oe established over Dominica, and that
the mex. inevitable step viii be the annexation
of the Republic, with all the costs and annoy
ances of q troublesome white elephant. Gen
eral Grant, in having no recommendation to
make on this glittering but delusive PROPOSE
ton from Dominica, washes his hands OF all
responsibility in the premises (; and the two
houses of Congress VIII be wise in protiting
from his experience touching this "beausitul
isle OF the sea-"
In reference to certain ernbarrassrnents of
United States citizenship in foreign countries,
the facts submitted in the Message are entitled
to the early attention OF Congress. To our
controversy with Spain, arising from the Vir-
ginius outrages as set forth by the President,
we devote separate article, and another to
the remedies proposed by the administration
for our existing financial troubles
In anticipation OF an amendment to the
ratification by the States, reforming our present
method Of electing the Presidentand Vice Pres-
ident Of the United States, two other amend
ments are suggested in the Message, ''to
protect the public against the many abuses
and waste of public moneys which creep into
appropriation bills and other important meas
ures passing during the expiring hours Of
Congress" abuses which, under the constitu-
ton as itis cannot be prevented. These sugges-
tions are doubtless intended to apply, among
other things, to the Congressional back-pay
amendment added to an important appropria.
ton bill in the expiring hour Of the last Con-
gress; but if the President had vetoed that
appropriation bill on account of that amend
ment and at the hazard Of an extra session
Of the new Congress-, he would have been sus-
tained in his action by the country. Never
theless, the constitutional amendments sug-
gested on this ground, if adopted, would
serve for the future as an invaluable protec-
uon 10 the puonc treasury.
Having adopted the policy Of preparing
for war in time OF peace" the President REQ
ommends enlarged appropriations tor the
army and navy, as suggested in the annual
report from each Of these departments He
commends the activity OF the Secretary Of the
Navy in quietly putting some Of our most
effective monitors in condition for service,
whereby 'the exigency finds us in a much
better condition for work (that is, for the
contingency Of war; than we possibly
could have been without his action" For the
postal service the expenditures have exceeded
the revenues Of the department over five and
q quarter millions Of dollars which. under all