The morning call., 1893-04-02

Bubcock. dated July 10, 1869, Secretary Fish
wrote that, anticipating the probable exc
cution OF these instruments (Which in
cuded treaty Of annexation and purchase)
the Navy Department will receive orders
from the President 10 place Mt your dis
poSal, In the harbor of San Domingo, a force
sufficient TO enable the United States 10
comply with their agreement in the pro-
posed treaty to protect the Dominican re-
public until the will of its people can be as
certained, and also TO receive possession of
the territories and waters leased by the pro-
posed convention to the United States"
General BabcOck also took with him
$50, 600 in gold, and arms and ammunition
valued at $4,000. These were TO be paid TO
the Dominican Government as a bonus.
His errAnd was entirely successful.
January 10, 1870. President Grant submit
ted message on the San Domingo question
to the Senate, transmitting Herewith copy
OF the proposed treaty. In the folio wing
year. January 16, 1871, President Grant sub
mitted further message TO the Senate on
the same matter, and at the same time
transmitted all the State Department papers
relative to the preceding negotiations with
San Domingo.
A resolution of Charles Sumner had
called for these papers. Senator Sumner
was at the head Of the Committee on For
elgn Relations. Through his influence and
backed by few other Senators who were
set firmly against annexation, the efforts of
President Grant and Secretary of State
Hamilton Fish to acquire San Domingo
proved as futile as those OF their pTede-
cessOrs.
private corporation of American cap
italists. with Dir. S. G. Howe at Its head.
then gained possession of SANTANA Bay and
its surroundings and President Grant fa-
vored the plan of the United States acquir-
Ing this desirable harbOr from them. But
all these plans nave failed. San Domingo
Is still an independent republic and the only
island In the West Indies not owned by
some European power.
But while American statesmen were
reaching out for naval stations and strategi-
cal points in the Atlantic Ocean. they were
not Reglecting the opportunities afforded
for these purposes by the many iflands of
the Pacific.
While President Pierce and Secretary
Marcy were trying in various ways to ac-
quire the island Of Cuba. they also con-
sidered the possession Of the Hawaiian
Islands by the United States Of command
ing Importance.
kamehameha III was on the throne. He
favored the annexation of his little kingdom
TO the United States, and had 1t not been
LOT his sudden and unexpected death on the
very eve Of signing the annexation treaty
Hawaii would to-day be an integral part of
the Union, and Secret Envoy BlOuut would
have had no mission there for the Govern
ment.
az L. GlGHe Va lllllOlS WAS SENT Dy
the Pierce administration to negotiate the
treaty Of annexation. His mission was
highly successful. Kamehameha had ap-
pointed December 16 1854, for signing the
treaty. On the preceding evening the King
had been down TO the club or keeping a
lonely vigil by the sick-bed of a friend, or
In some other way, not authenticity noted
In history, imbibed too freely of the "rosy.''
In the morning he awoke with thirst that
would discount the fires Of Msuna Loa.
But they kept "eye-openers" from him,
Tearing that he would prOlong the debauch.
While being bathed in bay rum he drank
the contents of the bathing basin and heart
failure" ensued.
His successor, Prince Alexander, was
hostile TO the United States and refused to
sign the treaty. A few weeks ago THE
CALL published in detail the interesting
circumstances connected with this diplo-
matte venture.
During President Hayes administration
an attempt was made to establish a naval
station on the Chiriqui Belt, a narrow strip
OF land between the Lagoon of Chiriqui on
the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Darien
and GulfO Dulce on the Pacific side. Two
naval vessels, the Adams and the kearsarge,
were sent down there and operations COM
menced and continued for some time, de-
spite the opposition of the local republics,
from which an American corporation, wears
before. had obtained the grant OF the pro-
posed site for two naval stations.
When the ground was cleared and soma of
the buildings erected Secretary of State
THOMPSON became converted from his ad-
Voeacy OF the Monroe doctrine to an official
In the Panama Canal scheme, lie resigned
his Cabinet position and bis successor re-
called the Adams and the Kearsarge.
During President Grants incumbency 4
futile effort was made to secure a naval sta
ton in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of
Central America. Minister of the United
States TO Nicaragua g. n. Riotte wrote to
Secretary Of State Hamilton Fish in March,
1870, calling attention to the desirabiltY of
The United States establishing naval sta
tiOn on the western coast OF South America,
With this letter he Enclosed a note from a.
I. a. ToTbett, United States Minister to
San Salvador, upon the same subject-matter
Nv Ill you unite with the rest of the Min
listers IN Central America" wrote Minister
Iorbett. Ito press upon the home Govern
ment the importance of having naval sta
ton In the Bay of FoDseca, on Tigre Isl
and? We have no station between San
Francisco and Panama. and the place Iname
is the best barber between the two points
and the most convenient 10 all the repub-
lies"
This plan died In its infancy.
In 1877 the harbor OF PagO Pago, in the
Samoan Islands. passed under the pr0tec-
ton OF Uncle Sam. This is probably the
most valuable station in the South Seas
and General Grant, when President, as well
as other Presidents, exhausted much diplo-
macy in the hope of ultimately annexiug
the entire group of islands.
II was Captain Mead who hoisted the
stars and stripes over Page Page. And
about this time it was that President Grant
sent Colonel a. B. oteiuberger on a secret
mission to Apia, the capital city of the
group. He first went to the Samoan Islands
in 1873 in the capacity of special agent of
the United States Government to make OBJ
servations aud report upon the character
and COld itiOQS OF the islands and fhajr in
habiGauts.
Secre' airy Fish's note of March, 1873, first
authorizing Stelnberger to visit the Navi-
gator Islands, contained this sentence
You are to bear in mind that you are OF
a regular diploma agent formally
accredited to another Government. but an
informal one of a special and confidential