The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-06

est lii our language 10 acquire ssuficient
knowledge of it to enable them to
study the institutions and laws
. of the country intelligently.
l would not confer upon them the right
| 10 make srcn laws nor TO select those who
do
l append to this message for conven.
lent reference synopsis o. the admins
trative events and of all recommends
tions to Congress made by me during the
last seven years. Time may show some
of these recommendations not TO have
been wisely conceived, but it Is
believed the larger part will do no dis
credit TO the administration. One OF
these recommendations met with the
united opposition of one political party
in the Senate, and with 8 strong opposi-
tion from the other, namely, the treaty
for the annexation of Ssnto Domingo to
the United States, to which will
specially refer, msintaining, as ! do, that
if my views had been concurred in, the
couRtry would be in more pros
porous condition to-day both politi-
cally and financially. San Do.
mingo is fertile, and upon its
soil may be grown those tropical products
of which the United States use so much,
and which are produced or prepared for
market now by slave labor almost ex-
clusiveIy, namely, sugar, coffee, dye
woods, mshogsny, tropical fruits, tobacco,
&c. Almost per cent of the exports OF
Cuba are consumed in the United States.
A large per centage of the exports OF
Brazil also find the same market. These
are paid for almost exclusively in coin,
legislation, particularly in Cuba, being
unfavorable to a mutual exchange of
OF the products Of each country, flour
shipped from the Mississippi river TO
Havana can pass by the very entrance
to the city on its way 10 port in Spain,
then pay the duty fixed upon articles TO
be re-exported, transferred to Spanish
vessel and brought almost to the place of
starting, paying second duty, and still
leave q profit over what would be re-
ceived by direct shipment In all that is
produced in Santo Domingo, it
beng q part of the United States,
commerce carried on between the
Island and the main land would
be free there would be ne export duties
in hel shipments nor import duties
on those coming here. There would be
no duties upon the supplies, machinery,
&c, going from the United States. The
effect that would have been produced
upon Cuban commerce with these ad-
vantages to rival is observable at a
glance. The Cuban question would have
been settled long ago in favor OF free
Cuba, and hundreds of American
vessels would now be advantsgeously
used in transporting the valuable
woods and other products of
the soil OF the islands to
the market and in carrying supplies
and emigrants to it. The island is but
sparsey settled while it has an area
sufficient for the profitable employment
of several millions of people. The soil
would have soon fallen into the hands OF
United States capitalists. The products
are so valuable in commerce that the
emigration there would have been en-
couraged and the emanCipated race OF
the South would have found a congenisl
home where their civil rights would
not be disputed and where their
later, would be so much sought after that
the poorest among them could have
found the means to go there in cases of
great oppression, such as has been prac-
ticed upon them in many places within
the last eleven years. Whole commun
tiles would have sought refuge in Santa
Domingo. do not suppose the whole
race would have gone, nor is it desirable
that they should GO but the possession of
this territory would have left the negro
master OF the situation, by enabling him
to demand his rights at home on the pain
of finding them elsewhere. ! do not.pre.
sent these views now rs a recommends
ton for renewal OF the subject of annex
alton; but | do refer to it to vindicate
my previous action in regard TO 1t. With
the present Congress my official life ter
inmates. 1t is not probable that public
affairs wifi ever again receive attention
from me- further than as citizen of the
republic, and always taking deep inter-
est in the integrity and prosperity OF the
whole land.
rSigned1 L. 5, GRANT,
Executive Mansion. Fecemjer 18th, 1876.