The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-06-17

assigned to that power. II was there
fore not Mt the time Of its acquisition
strictly contiguous to any territory Of
the United States. It was neyerthe-
less upon the continent: IL was not very
far away; it was unoccupied except BY
race OF savages; IL would be open to
occupation by the American people,
and in due time, II sufficient population
should be found there. would be pro-
vided with territorial government
and might become state OF the Anne
rican Union without seeming to conflict
especially with what w herciubetore
have claimed to be the true rnic of
constitutional construction on the sub
lect. Had it been annexed previous TO
the settlement of the Or, goi, i,o,;ultrv.
no one could have raised any question
OF constitutional propriety.
\ little while after the acquisition
! OF Alaska, while General Grant was
President, he made special efforts TO
| secure the annexation To the United
states OF the country known as Santo
/ Domingo. This was part of m island
/ III the Atlantic ocean some five humid
rcd miles away from us, very rich in
natural resources, and capable Of sup
! porting large population. and the
| President had no difficulty in finding
! SbiohS tuNONiltS lbf Iflc meas nre
among that class of people Of whom we
still have many among US. who seem 70
think any addition to the country
brings To its population n boon propor-
tionate to the estimated wealth of the
country added: rs if all that wealth
was to he apportionud among those
who were inhabitants of the country
when ii was received, leaving out NJ
view entirely the fact that the wealth
added is already appropriated by own
crs, and that with it, when taken in
by the country, are necessarily taken
burdens which my or may not be in
excess OF its value to the country ra-
ceiving it, so that whether il is TO be
an advantage or a disadvantage can
only be determined when both sides OF
the account are carefully considered.
General Grants anxiety to annex
the country did not however spring
altogether from the consideration Of
its natural wealth. II sprung rather
from IA desire on his part TO rid the
existing states of the Union a. much as
possible of an homogeneous element that
was already in their midst.
When the government was iOrlned, a
foreign race, different in color from
ourselves, and which we had assumed
was 80 much inferior that the people
might he held and treated as chattels
and forced to do the work of BEASTS in
house and field, was held in slavery
among us. The existence of this race
in that relation had been an element
of discord from the first. and il had
resulted finally in Il great Civil War
| from which we had but recently emer-
ged. We had taken two great steIs
toward relieving the country OF the
| incongruity. We had given the slaves
their freedom, and we had advanced
them To the dignity Of citizenship, but
the difference in race. in social peeu-
, liarities and habits and in mental quail
ties was still prominent. and there was
much rcpugnancc among the people
toward such assimilation of the two
races as could ever be expected to
make this difference cease to be the
occasion of discord.
When Santo Domingo was offered TO
us by the people. President Grant
looked upon the offer rs presenting II
, most desirable opportunity for ;pcquir-
ing territory which would be vo,un-
tarily colonized and occupied bv our
former slaves, and which in time
would become a rich and valuable
country under institutions managed by
themselves to thoir own great bensfft
and the great relief of thos states of
the Union where they were now most
abundant. He says in his Memoirs:
The island ismprn our shores; is very fertile,
aud is capable of supporting fifteen millions OF
people. The products of the soil are 80 valuable
that ltbor in her fields would be 40 comIpen-
stated MS to enable those who wish to go there to
quickly repay the cost Of their passage. ! took
great numbers SO rs to have Independent states
governed by their own race. They would still
be states of the Union an | under the protection
of tn" general govrrrm mt bat the citizens
would bc almost wholly coored"
1t is in this worry statement Of the
Presidents view Of the proposed an
neXation that ono may see the most
conclusive reason for declining to re-
ceivc the offered country. When
brought face to face with the question
whether it was ever contemplated that
the Constitution Of tho United States
should have capacity for expansion
that might extend il OYER Independent
states of colored people located upon
I'm island in tho Atlantic ocean, there
was an instructive feeling among the
American people that protested against
the thought. Its anticipated expaf-
sion was to embrace states whose citi-
zens would be homogeneous with the
people who had created it. The Union
was to be OF Omitted States Of Anne
rica.' and il it could roach out into the
sea for the bringing-in of IL people so
different from our own as were those
then occupying San Domingo, Or for
the founding of states OF colored rs.oes,
it might, so far ~ the constitutional
question was concerned, equally we'll
be extended to Cover colonies in Ara
bia or in Zuiulund which would even
tually become statss and send their
representatives to Washington to assist
in governing US. II might not be pos
sible To annul IL treaty to that effect
once made, but IL would be usurpation
to make it.
These reasons wore perhaps not in
terms nj the time assigned, for the
objections in point OF policy were so
decided that it was scarcely necessary
TO consider any other; but they were
nevertheless strongly felt and must
have been conclusive. had no others
existed.
Doctor-"Why, how is this, my
dear sir! You sent me letter stat
ing you had been attacked by mea-