National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-01-17
THE AMERICAN WEST INDIAN COM.
PANy.

There Is little touch OF commercial and
International romance In the news which we
print this morning-that body Of American
merchants have, for good and valuable con.
siderations, acquired virtual control over the
best portion Of the island of San Domingo.
II Is exactly two hundred aud sevcnty-three
years since good Queen Bess granted q char
ter TO 4 number Of her well-bcloyed mer-
chants Of London, under the title Of "thc
Governor and company Of merchants OF Lon
don trading to the East Indies, authorizing
them, to the exclusion Of all other persons,
to trade for certain number Of years with
the vast region embraced between the Cape
Of Good Hope and Cape Horn, or In other
words, with the territory bordering upon
the Indian and Pacific oceans. The
hardy Portuguese had been in the field for
nearly one hundred years, following up with
keen commercial insight the discoveries Of
their great navigator, Vasco de Cana. The
sturdy burghers Of Amsterdam next bestirred
themselves and sent rival company into the
India seas, to bring home the bullion and the
diamonds, the silks and the spices Of the
East, leaving In exchange for Its treasures
little beside their vices and evil example.
The history Of the English East India Com
pany Is history OF crime and oppression.
Gaining strength and influence year by year,
II gradually grew in wealth and power until
It's agents and servants became the monarchs
and the princes Of the land; commanding
armies, wagng wars, holding princes aud
kings tributary to them.
II Is a sort Of a coincidence that the last
charter granted by the crown to the English
East India Company would have expired In
this very year Of 1873, when the Samana
Bay Company begins Its career, II the Indian
revolt of 1857 had not intcrfcred to challenge
the whole power Of the British empire to sup.
press II. But there Is this great difference
between the companies: They held CON.
missions from u power that had no authority tc
give them except upon the maxim that might
makes right, the principle upon which they
acted to the end, and upon which their sue,
ccssors, the England Of to-day, has steadily
acted since. The darkest pages In history /,
the page that tells Of Great Britains rule II
India. The Samuua Bay Company take
possession OF San Domingo, for II Is virtue
possession and nothing else, animated by III,
civilization and the republicanism Of the
nineteenth century instead Of the monarch
cal and tyrannical spirit Of the seventeenth
iney go 10 ouiiu SCHOOLS 10 erect ehurches
win inc printing press ana inc newspaper
~ the eau Oh the people themselves, ured
war ana roEoiuuon ana longing ior peace
ana the oleSsings oi peace Inc e'taohsh
heht Oh inc sahlaha bay company IN I'M
oay OF samaha forms new departure In TN
history Of that country. II marks the end o
the uioouy rue oi pepy chieithns' oi the ag
gressions oi hayu' ot the possible plots
SPAN or Prussia or England. IL marks ~
pcgihhihg oI u nc" era III Whlch murder ah'
ASSASSINATION ana exile ana banlshment shal
no longer throw their u"rk shadows acros
inc canvass
The company Is intrns'cd with more thai
Imperial powers WIN capital oi twent!
mlllohs oi doilars' II Is empowered TO buy