The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-22

Should Not Annex Them.
If the great interests of our nation occupy
the attention of the American journalist
good deal he is sometimes obliged to admit
that there are other continents deserving his
serious notice Political earthquakes which
shake down the thrones of emperors and kings
in Europe must be commented on, and the
genuine earthquakes which tumble the ten
ements of humber mortals in South or Gen.
trail America cannot be allowed to pass
without their word. France, struggling into
republicanism or something else between the
tuggings of the Right, the Leftand the Centre
is very interesting spectacle to Americans;
and Spain, in it's long revolutionary throes
trying to bring forth the blessed infant Peace
is equally moving. Germany bumptious with
military success and busy tying all Deutsch-
land into solid parcel. has wonderful attrac-
ton for millions of our citizens, who
look back with ilial love to Water
land. Austria, hanging the decorative
bunting Of her Exposition over the wounds of
her humbled pride, claims it's day of COM
ment and italy, with it's new kingdom and its
ancient Papal power, furnishes its occasional
theme. England, with its commercial great
ness and greed, its peaceful reforms, its I'M
easy Ireland and it's immense colonies, that
reach round the world, asks and obtains
need of journalistic thought From mighty
Russia we move easily through Asia; and
Africa, from the Nile to the Cape of Good
Hope, sends us topics that merit remark. 1t
is not, therefore, wonderful that we turn to-
day from the scope Of continental happenings
to the measure of human interest contained
within the sea line that marks out the island
Columbus discovered in January, 1893.
The SANTANA Bay Company will have done
one thing at least for the tropical island which
we hear of every now and then through
massacre or q revolution-namely, awaken
some interest here in it's people, its products
and its fortunes Heretofore it has occupied
place on the school maps, but little or none
of a lasting kind in the minds of Americans
Sometimes they call it Hayh and some
times st. Domingo Nearly all the school
books will give you your choice, like
the Snowman with the curious little boy
at the fair. Hayti is the old aboriginal name,
but the aborignes have gone where the wood
bine twineth, or where its roots strike in the
earth, so that the name is the only thing left
to remind us of the red men to whom the
coming of Columbus in his high-pooped cara
wells was of such fatal promise. Hispaniola
has prettier sound, but since Spain has
loosed her hold there it is not popular.
The name of Dominic de Guzman, through
the medium of his saintship and Spanish res
pect therefor, has given it title through
which it is better known among us to-day
namely, st. Domingo. Fought over and
squabbled over by Spaniards, French and
English in the past, it looked but
lately as though it would be one of
our quadrennial apples of discord, or
what with touching euphemism we call Presi-
Dental campaign question We have no doubt
the republican party is heartily glad that the
affirmative of the question of Dominican an
nexation was not taken up by their side in the
last election but we can point to at least one
individual who was peevish because the ques-
ton of the colored republics proved a
bete nore to politicians of every shade.
I
sensible enough in his late Inaugural,
while on. the Dominican topic, to say that he
would in future urge no policy unless the
people demand it This is as it should be,
and, so far as ST. Domingo is concerned, he is
likely to wait in vain for the voice of the peo-
pies longing. 1t would, at least be unwise
in him to put off his breakfast until he hears
the uor pop,di clamoring to give the Domini-
cans a spangle of their own on our starry
banner.
The letters Of our correspondent from the
black Republic will give our readers
lively idea of how the colored man who has
French blood in his veins and the colored
man who has the strain of CASTLE fertilizing
his African life-current play at republics.
Never were such unpromising subjects ex-
amined by the statesman's eye as are the rival
nations who hate each other in Hayti.
Placed side by side on an island
smaller than Ireland, they dislike each
other as heartily as Montague disliked
Capulet People who know nothing of their
idiosyncrasies wonder why they cannot join
hands and be happy. They have been joined
by the sword, but it all depended on who had
hold of the hilt to say how long they should
remain SO. They have been colonies and
Independent States. They have had bur-
lesque kings and opera bopfe emperors
as well as military dictators and regular re-
publican presidents They have in the end
insisted that, whoever was at their head, he
should not be stranger and, much
as we deplore their backwardness in
the arts and sciences of civilization, we
are constrained to admire something that
looks so much like rugged patriotism.
They resemble greatly two characters in sue
cessful French play s'Tricoche ct Cacolet"