Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-14

part will be no discredit to the adj
ministration. One of these recon-
mendations met with the united oppo-
sition of one political party, in the
Senate, and with strong opposition
from the others, viz: The treaty for
the annexation of Santo Domingo to
the United States, to which l shall
specially refer, maintaining, as l do,
that if my views had been concurred
in the country would have been in a
more prosperous condition to-day,
both politically and financially. Santo
Domingo is fertile, and upon its soil
may be grown just those tropical pro-
ducts of which we use 80 much, and
which are produced or prepared for
market now by slave labor almost
exclusively, viz: sugar, coffee, dye
woods, mahogany, tropical fruits, to-
baeco, etc. About rs per cent. of
the exports of Cuba are consumed IN
the United States. A large percent.
age of the exports of Brazil also find
the same market. These are paid for
almost exclusively in coin; legislation,
particularly in Cuba, being unfavor-
able to a mutual exchange of the
products of each country. Flour
shipped from the Mississippi river to
Havana can pass by the very entrance
of the city on its way to portion of
Spain, then pays duty fixed upon
articles to be re-exported, transferred
to Spanish vessel and brought back
almost to the point of starting, paying
a second duty, and still leave profit
over what would be received by di-
rect Shipment. All that is produced
in Cuba could be produced in Santo
Domingo, being part of the United
States. Commerce between the island
and mainland would be free. There
would be no export duties on her
shipments, nor import duties on those
coming here. There would be no
import duties upon the supplies, ma
chinery, etc., going from the States.
The effect that would have been pro-
duced upon Cuban commerce, with
these advantages, to a rival, is OBJ
servable at a glance. The Cuban
question would have been settled long
ago in favor of free Cuba. Hundreds
of Mexican vessels would now be very
advantageously used in transporting
valuable woods and other products of
the soil of the island to a market and
in carrying supplies and emigrants to
it. The island is but sparcely settled,
while it has an area sufficient for
profitable employment of several mill
lions of people. The soil would have
soon fallen to the hands of United
States capitalists. The products are
so valuable that emigration there
would have been encouraged, the
emancipated race of the South would
have found there congenial home
where their civil rights would not be
disputed, and where their labor would
be much sought after. But the poor
est among them could have found the
means to 90 thus in cases of great
oppression and cruelty, such as has
been practiced upon them in many
places within the last eleven years.
Whole communities would have
sought refuge in Santo Domingo. l
do not suppose the whole race would
have gone, nor is it desirable that
they should go. Their labor is desir.
able and indispensable almost, where
they now are, but the possession of
the territory would have left the negro
master of the situation by enabling
him to assert his rights at home on
pain of sending him elsewhere. l do
not present these views now as a
recommendation Of the renewal Of
the subject of annexation, but l refer
to it to yindicate my previous action
in regard to it.
IN CONCLUSION.
With the present Congress my Off
cial life terminates, 1t IS not prob
able that public affairs will ever again
receive attention from me, further
than as citizen of the republic,
always taking deep interest in the
honor, integrity and prosperity of the
whole land.
(Signed) u. S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Washington,
December ), 1876.