New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-19
SAN DOMINGO.
Fred Douglass at St. Louis.


We copy the suhjoined report from the
St. Louis Times of Tuesday:
Douglass commenced by a geographical
description OF the position of San Domingo,
stating that Hayti. the eastern section Of
the island. with an area of 10000 square
miles, had a population of 1000, while
Dominica on the west, had population u
900 on a territory OF ~, 900 square miles.
Ii was not his purpose 10 discuss this mat
ter in political or even patriotic sense, bus
| to awaken a spirit of inquiry among Ameri-
can people, which should make them more
Intimately acquainted with this beautiful
island. Itmight be- important to know what
San Domingo could do for us, but it was
vastly nobler inquiry to ask what we could
do for San Domingo. He invoked the SYM
patty OF America Tor San Domingo, saying
that no country was more greatly blessed
by nature or more cursed BY man. She
stood on the verge of civilization, and
whether she should be saved through en-
lightenment or sink into the measureless
depths of barbarism WAS the question.
Here WAS the first American soil trod by
the Hindu Caucasian race; she was the
cradle of American beginnings. ~ ann
said the speaker, "only distant relation
of the aucasian race, and have but little
to do with its achievements, but ! felt a
thrill when | stepped for the first time on
the shore of San Domingo, where Columbus
stood, and breathed the air that he first
breathed; to see the mountains and know
that these were the first lands to sOothe the
fevered eve OF the great discoyerer, should
be enough to gladden. the observer, of what
ever race, colsr or previous condition
Here was built the first Christian church in
America, and long before New England
heard the gospel, San Domingo was the
centre of missionary effort" He dwelt
eloquently on the beauty of the churches
with which the island is studded, most of
which are still splendid monuments of re-
ligious faith, though some have fallen ints
ruin.
In America destruction and creation ~
hand in hand. Chicago, ashes to-day, wab
granite tomorrow; 81 likewise with Boston,
but in San Domingo there seemed no sueh
power of recreation; destruction was per
petual. He then gave n vivid and interest
ing picture of San Domingo, the city
founded by Columbus, once wealthy and
possessing population of 10000, now poor
and squalid, with but 1000 souls within it's
bling walls. The people were constan@
and intent on their devOtiOns. They be-
lieyed as firmly in miracles to-day as did
the early Christians. In spite of their reli-
gion, they have been failure as a nation.
because the colored race had never had the
opportunity of cultivating their intellectual
powers.
San Domingo was not only the first 10
hear the Gospel, but the first also to adopt
the Christian institution OF African slavery,
and it was also the first to feel the terrible
storm Of blood and fire that surely follows
in the track of national crime. Some were
now trying to worry the negro back into 81
state of bondage in the Southern States,
and he warned such that evil must come
from this cause. There might be blows to
give, but there would also be blows to take
and woe to those who sought to commence
the work of determination of the negro.
Douglass denied having visited San Do
minge as a blind partisan. If he had any
bias, it waB toward the views of Charles
than whom no man i'll the United
States deserved more gratitude from the
colored people, while the other members OF
the commission, notably Ben Wade, were
al honest men.
Speaking of the proposed plan of annex
alton, after discussing the subject in various
aspects, the speaker GAME to the conclusion
that the true interests ot both San Domingo
and America required that plan to be
adopted, and that the island be annexed,
The remainder of the lecture was composed
of series OF arguments in support of this
view,