Year: 1873

The fuller particulars of the Samana scheme
which we publish this morning, including
the full text of the treaty, show that our
first statement of the privileges granted to
Messrs. Stockwel, Hazard, SpOford, Fabens,
and their associates was in no wise exag-
gerated. The concession transfers to them
not merely the ownership of the public lands,
but almost complete political sovereignty
within the limits defined by the treaty. and


gives them such extraordinary grants in the
rest of the Republic that if the adventure
succeed they may easily become the controlling
power of the whole island The Peninsula of


Samana comprises about $50 square miles OF
fertile land on the northeast end of the island,
and along its southern length, sheltered from
all winds, lies the Bay to which the commerce
of the West Indies is expected hereafter TO
resort. The old capital Of Santo Domingo, on
the southern coast of the island, has no
harbor and is not in the path of trade.
But Samana Bay is at the opening of the
Mona passage, the chief eastern entrance to
the Gulf of Mexico, and directly in the route
which, if the Panama Canal should ever be
opened, would be followed by the ships
of Europe and the Atlantic States of the
mon Ill attempting oliOlO Sub w thO q"
cific. Samana has, therefore, advantages of
situation for an entrepOt of commerce, and
the expectation of the Company that it will
soon be resort for the vessels of many na-
tions and the center of thriving cOastng
trade with the various West India Islands is
not extravagant Neither is it impossible that
the productions Of Santo Domingo itself may
be rapidly developed by Yankee skill and en-
terprise. The island is well known to be rich
in coffee, sugar. tobacco, indigo, costly woods,
iron, salt, and perhaps it is rich in copper and
gold 1t wants nothing but men, money, and
roads. All these, say the new Company
we can supply it. The promoters of
the scheme are not confined to the
Bay and Peninsula. They have the ex-
elusive privilege of building railways, tele-
graphs, wagon roads, and other internal i'm
provements in all parts of the Republic, and
they are to be aided with enormous grants of
public lands. The result can easily be pre-
dicted. If the business pay at SANTANA all the
most valuable portions Of the country will
soon be in the hands Of the Company. They
are to be exempt from taxes on their improve
ments. They are to make their own laws and
appoint their own rulers. Thus rich, active,
well equipped, aggressive government will
grow up side by side with petty and poor
one, until the weaker goes to the wall.


This is the side of the picture which the
Company holds forth 10 the public. The
Brooklyn Eagle, however, points out some of
the features of the reverse The American
people have emphaticelly declared against the
annexation of West Indian territory, and here
is annexation thrust upon them under a
scarcely disguised pretense. Nobody doubts
that the first object of the Samana Bay Com
pany will be to obtain the formal protection
OF the United States; the next will be to lease
10 our Government naval station in the Bay
where Congress has decided that we do not
want a naval station, and so to make the Ma
tional Treasury pay the whole or nearly the
whole expense of the venture. And then an
nexation will be pressed as matter of course.
Stock will be "placed where it will do most
goodn Congress will be manipulated as it
was in the Pacific Railroad case. We shall
have new gigantic scheme Of jobbery and
new scandal.


We trust that the people and the Govern.
ment will take firm stand just here, and let
the Santo Domingo adventures know that the
United States takes no part In their enterprise.
They have bought their lease from potentate
whose power to sell may be questioned. Mr..
Baez holds Office at present by no title except
a simple resolution of the Senate the term for
which he was chosen expired some time ago,
and he thought 1t best not to allow another
election. IL the title of the Samana Bay Com
pany should hereafter be disputed, they must
look for protection not TO us, but to the laws
and courts Of Santo Domingo. If Mr. Baez
find himself in trouble, Messrs. Stockwell.
and Spofford, and Oliver Ames must not
ask the President TO send few men-of-
war to his relief. There must be no United
States protectorate over either the Samana
Bay merchants, or the Dominican Republic
from which these gentlemen hold their
charter They have made their purchase a. |