Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-09

reference. a synopsis of administrative
events, and of all Recommendations Con-
gress made by me during the last seven
years. Time may show some OF these rec
concentrations, not to have been wisely
conceived, but ] believe the larger part
will be no discredit to the administration,
One of these recommendations met with
! the united opposition of one political party
in the Senate, and with strong opposition
| from the other, namely: The treaty for
the annexation of Santa Domingo to the
| United States to which l shall especially
refer, maintaining as do that if my views
| had been concurred in. the country would
be in more prosperous condltlon To-Day,
| min2O is fertile, and upon its soil may be
grown Just those tropical products Of which
the United States use so much, and
which are produced or prepared for the
market now by slave labor almost exclu-
sively, namely: Sugar, coffee, dyewood,
mahogany, tropical fruits, tobacco, etc,
About seventy-hve per cent. Of the exports
of Cuba a e consumed in the United States,
a large percentage of the exports OF Brazil
also lind the same market. IneSe are pald
almost exclusively in coin, legislation, par
ticulaly in Cuba, being unfav0rabie to a
mutual exchange of products OF each coun.
try. Flour shipped from the Mississippi
river to Havana can pass by the very en-
trance to the city on its way to q port IN
articles to be re-exported, transferred to a
Spanish vessel and brought back almost to
the point of starting, paying second duty,
and still leaving profit over what would
be received by direct shipment. All that
Santa Domingo. Being a part fthe United
States, the commerce between the Island
and the mainland would be free. There
would be no export duties on her ship
ments nor import duties OF those coming
here. There would be no import duties
upon the supplies, machinery, etc, going
from the States the effect that would have
been produced upon Cuban commerce with
these advantages to rival, IS observable
at a glance. The Cuban question would
have been settled long ago in favor OF Gu.
ba; hundreds of American vessels would
now be advantageOusly used in transport
ing the valuable woods and other products
OF the soil OF the island to market and in
carrying supplies and emigrants to it.
The island is but sparsely settled while 1t has
millions of people. The soil would have soon fallen
into the hands of U. s. capitalists. The products
are 20 valuable to commerce that emigration there
would have been encouraged, the emancipated race
of the South would have found there congenia
home where their civil rights would not be disputed
and where their labor would be much sought after,
and the poorest among them could have found the
means to 90. Thus, in cases of great oppression
and cruelty such as has been practccd upon them in
many places within the last eleven years, whole
communities would have sought refuge in Santa Do
mingO. do not suppose the whole race would have
gone nor Is It desirable that they should go. Their
labor Is desirable and Indispensable almost, where
they now are; but the possession of the territory
would have lef the negro master of the situation by
enabling him to demand his rights at home pain
of securing them elsewhere. do not present these
views now q recommendation of the renewal of
the subject of annexation hut refer to Ii to vindic
ate my previous action in n gard to 1t.
FAREWELL.
With the present Congress my official life termin-
ates. 1t is not probable that public affairs will ever
again receive attention from me, further than
citizen Of the republic always taking deep inter
est In the honor and INTEGRITY aud prosperity of the
whole land. (Signed) T. 8. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, Dec. 5. 1876.