The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-01-25
The SANTANA BAY Purchase.


has struck lead Ever since, by a cast OF
The dice, or, what is equivalent in that island
the fortunes of war, Baez got the upper hand
Of his rival, Cabra, he has been ranging the
world around to "realize" on his Possession
III the way OF dollars and cents. He first went
to France and tried to get loan, but failed.
His ncxt effort was made in England, where
he succeeded, by disreputabis dodge of his
agent, then known as Hartmont, but now as
Fabens, in roping in the tirmuof Lawson &
Son tor some $4,000. The English firm, find
ing itself bit, conceived the project OF getting
their money back oy selling out to the Z. S.,
and by roping in President Grant, John A.
Logan, Ben. Butler and others, came so near
succeeding that nothing but the sagscity of
aroused indignation of the people of the Uni
ted States, prevented the contamination OF the
Speculation" The project having failed,
the English Victims by the assistance OF Baez,
have finally succeeded in finding a company
of New York bankers and spectators willing
to take the uncomfortable little kingdom Of
Baez off his hands, and pay him an equivalent
in the long sought dollars and cents.
The New York Company, which has just
effected so.calicd lease of SANTANA Bay for
80 years, consists of men like Alden B. Stock
well, Paul N. Spafford, Henry Clews, Oliver
Ames, Geo. NJ. Pullman, c. X, Garrison, S. L.
NJ. Barlow, W. G. Fargo, &c, all men Of
world wide reputation as shrewd business
men and milonaires. The lease, or rather
purchase, however, includes good deal more
than SANTANA Bay. 1t involves virtual pos
session of the whole Dominican half of the
island of Hayti, with the exercise not only of
proprietary rights but Of full political powers.
Baez may remain as nominal president, but
the President of the Company will be the real
sovereign, as the Governor of the East India
Company is sovereign at Bombay Or Calcutta.
The only reservation to Baez is, that he
shall receive $4,000 a year as rental. 9th.
erwise tho company are placed in the exercise
of eminent domain over the peninsula, the
islands of the bay, Cncluding John A. Losan's
famous Alta Vela,) the reefs and inlets. 1t
can frame laws for the government of its ter
ritory, and exercise all the other functions of
sovereign power, and, by the construction of
railroads and telegraph lines, can ultimately
become owner Of all the land, the company
getting grant of league of land for every
mile of telegraph. All grants and concessions
heretofore made by the Dominican govern
ment are repealedfn favor of this company,
which not unnaturally contemplates the ac-
QUESTION of the whole island. 1t has the ex-
elusive privilege Of constructing wharfs, of
imposing and collecting port duties on wharf
age, and harbor privileges. In fact, the Sa-
mana Bay Company is not merely great
commercial corporation, but sovereign gov
eminent under the act of its creation.
There can be little doubt but that this com.
pany, which was hardly organized without the
knowledge Of At least President Grant, Logan,
Butler, Fabsns, Babcock, and whoever else
composed the San Domingo ring year ago,
count largely on being protected IN their pos
session by the United States, Of which they
will still claim to be citizens But can they
reasonably ask such projections There is
for instance, Cabral to dispute their sovereign
ty; then Hayti claims never to have yielded
it's sovereignty Of the eastern half of the is
land and there are numerous old Spanish
grants that will necessarily be nterfered with
The project looks very much like San Domin
60 annexation in a new form, and its tardy dl
vulgencs goes largely to account for the sud
den apparent indifference with which thu
President dropped the scheme year ag'
after having shown how much he he'd set hi
heart upon it.