Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-28
SAN DOMINGO.

Blackwood, for March, opens with
an article styled, western Wander
ings; The Newest American Rail
road and description of a hurried
trip from the Territory of New
Mexico, through Texas, to New Orr
leans, and thence to the West Indies.
The writer stopped "beneath the
forestSclad mountains of San Do
mingo, the fairest land of the
Antilles" and devotes several COLI
umns to it. He describes it as
magnificent and fertile-one of the
fairest portions of the earth's sur>
face" but gradually lapsng into the
original batbarism. This lamentable
state of things he ascribes to the
90 disastrous effects of administration
by negro republic" "the bastard
civilization of negro republic" and
the Nemesis which must inevitably
follow the introduction of slavery :"
and intimates that it would be differ
ent ''were the island in the possess
sion of the English"
But what; pray, could we expect
from less than 100000 people (the
population of San Domingo), even
of the whitest and brightest, in an
attempt to establish and maintain an
Independent government, without
protection or moral support, against
host of opposing influences? 1t is
like trying to build house out of
one hundred and forty bricks. To
say nothing of the cost of internal
administration, the defense against
actual and probable foreign enemies
would keep them forever poor. The
wonder is that they have maintained
themselves so long; that they were
not wiped out or swallowed up gen
erations ago, like similar people in
the old world.
The truth is, feeble States, of any
race or color or form of government,
have, and always have had, a poor
showing in 4h~ --~-l1, r-AhAhls
always will have. The people of
San Domingo found this out many
years since, and attempted to put
themselves under the protection of
the United States, more sympathetic
with them, in their estimation.
than any of the other great powers.
The writer in Blackwood repre-
SCENTS 'fhe women tidier than negres-
es usually are and as the doors and
windows of their houses stood open,
had an opportunity of seeing that
the interiors were for the most part,
neat and comfortable looking Per-
sons he met united '.in giving the
country people a good character, SO
far as the treatment of foreigners is
concerned; they throw no obstacles
IN the way of their settling wherever
they please, and can travel in
any direction in the most perfect
safety"
1t will be remembered that Gene
raj Grant, when President, urged the
acquisition of San Domingo, and was
very severely criticized in conse-
quence. The experience of our
country during the late war and the
war OF 1912, alike demonstrated to
some of our statesmen the import
ance of a military and naval station
IN front OF our South Atlantic Coast,
and they favored the Presidents
policy. President Johnson had pres
viously negotiated with the Danish
Government for the islands of St.
Thomas and st. John, but the
treaty was defeated in the Senate
One day Senator Brownlow was
in seat listening to a debate upon
San Domingo, and a friend asked
him his opinion about it, he replied ::
There everlasting spring abides.
And ne'er whitening flowers,
IT'S but narrow sea divides
That happy land from ours,
| say, let us have it."
However, the opposition was so
great and the controversy so acrimo-
NOUS, that the President, who would
have mo policy in opposition to the
will of the people, reluctantly gave
up the scheme, and we must think
: unfortunately for San Domingo, if
not for our own country. After all
1t Is but question of time when all
1 the West India Islands, including the
Bahamas and the Antilles, will be-
long to us. Geography and com
5 merce alike require it.
: The commission consisting of OK
7 Senator Wade, Drs. White and Howe
Y and accompanied by Mr.. Fredericl
Douglass, sent officially to San Do
: mingo, made a report which is der
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