The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-03-20
The Presidents Bad Memory.

AAAO - Il y . k1aNl ys
The Washington correspondent OF
the H Tfi6Hne says: zH'Considerable
CONNECT is indnlged In here among
The opponents of. the scheme for the
annexation of santo Domingo OH the
portion of the. Ffesidept's inaugural
Relating. to that question, and the
! President is severely criticised for his
poor memory i'll recalling the facts of
his own action with refcrance to that
Administration measure In his in
augural address the President said
the anhexation was not question oi
| hfs seeking. but that he believed il
was Tor the best interests of the coun-
! llryands bePeopleof Ssntoi Domin-
go that the annexation proposition
should be received favorably. In
closing ffie .snbjec. the President used
these words: SIt Qhe treaty. was,
/ however, rejected constitutionally and
therefore the subject was never
Bfoght' UP again by me-"
p 1t iwifl be remembered that the
treaty negociatedi by Gen. Babcock Of
the, military staff of Gen. Grant failed
OF ratification for want of the two
thirds vote of the. Senate during the
last week In . une, 1870.
Il In.iffs next ihessage to Congress-, in
December, 1870, tlie President devo-
ted more than column of space in
TIE COngreSsfonaE Globe to the SUBJ
ject of Santo Domingo, urging its ad-
vantages over all the islands of the
West Indies, and saying that he firm
fy believed that the 'smoment il is
known that the United States have
entirely abandoned the project of an
nexation, q free port will be negotia-
ted for by European nations in the
Bay. or SanaHa.o7 % He also says i'm the
same message ! ats possession by us
viii in a few years build up coast
wise commerce of immense magni-
tude; will 60 far toward restoring to
Us our lost merchant marine" After
citing other advantages to come from
Annexation, the message closes by say
ing :io"W With such. a picture it is easy
to see how our large debt abroad is
ultiIiiately to be extinguished.. The
acquisition Of Santo Domingo is. an
adh erence to the Monroe doctrine.
It is q measure of national protec-
tion. ~ In fconcluding the subject in
the message Of. 1870, the President
used the following language: SIN
view of the importance of the ques-
ton, l earnestly urge upon Congress
early action expressive of IFS views as
to the best means of acquiring Santo
Domingo. NY suggestion is that by
joint resolution of the two Houses of
Congress, the Executive be authorized
to appoint commission to negotiate
a treaty with the authorities of Santo
Domingo for the acquisition of that
,island,a and that an appropriation be
made. to defray the expense of such
eommissionss Theiauestion may then
be determined either by the action of
the Senate upon the treaty ol.the joint
action OF the two Houses of Congress
upon a resolution Of annexation, as in
the case of the acquisition of Texas.
SO convinced anu I of the advantages
to ifow from the annexation of Santo
Domingo and of the great disadvan-
ltages,, fmight almost say calamities,
TO flow from noh-acquisition, that /
believe the subject has only to be in
vestigated to be approved"
2 In obedience to this formal request
on the part Of the President, Congress
'pfovided for the appointment of q
Commission which went to Santo Do
hiingo and made report which the
President semitic Congress. This re-
port never met the sanction of Con-
gress, and thus the matter ended.
The enemies of the Santo Domingo
scheme now claim that the Presidents
m emory is not good when he says the
subject was never brought up by him
treaty in June, 1870 ii 2 q ......- :.