| Show T EXPANSION IN 1869 History Concerning Grants Grant's Attempt to Annex San Domingo In the early summer of 1869 an accredited accredited ac ac- ac- ac credited rep representative from San Domingo Domingo Do Do- mingo Informed the President that the g government and people of that republic favored annexation The President apt ap- ap l t pointed a special agent to visit the island isi- isi f and and obtain Information but after acceptance owing g to illness the gen- gen I j tieman was obliged to resign J In Inthe a the mea meantime time the office having rec re- re c bed hed an intimation of the movement 1 from Washington the writer received a a dispatch Come to New York prepared to 10 go abroad e h 1 Early In June an an ancient ark the Tybee Tybee Ty- Ty bee tee steamed out of New York harbor with the representative referred to and the writer among its passengers After touch touching In at the island capital T and becoming involved in a sea fight light In r P 1 Samana bay between the schooner Navy Tavy N vy of Buenaventura Baez the PresIdent President Pres Pres- ident and the i revolutionists evolutionists under Cabral Cabral Cabral Ca- Ca bral the writer left the steamer at Puerto Plata on the north coast and by hore crossed the island to the capitali capital i eOne One day flay Just before the arriving time of the Spanish mail steamer Senor Gautier Minister l of Finance called at the hotel with an invitation to a Cabinet Cab inet met dinner explaining that the President President Pres Pres- ident desired a conference and at the rame ame arne time requested the full name of the President of the United States Those present were General President G ez Gen Minister l of War Var Senor Gautier and several other members of the government I j 1 j The repast recast was tropical topical t and bounteous ous The President explained that he had hadan an Important communication to the President r of the United States which he i felt w was as not safe on a Spanish steamer steam steam- er as their mails had been tampered J 4 L with As th tho w writer liter had his own disy dis- dis Xv y patches to forward he consented to be J the bearer of the communication but 4 f g as his Instructions required him to extend ex- ex v r tend his journey as far as Brazil Bra to re- re jr r port progress of certain monitors which 1 had bad been sold to Peru he would deliver dellver them to the United States Gen Consul eral at Havana to be forwarded in the 1 official pouch The The- next day Senor GautIer Gautier Gautier Gau Gau- J tier delivered ered a formidable documentary F- F parallelogram about I ten by fourteen inches which bore the superset superscription penned In letters suitable for a handbill Ulysses Simpson Grant President of the United States Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington America 1 It was a matter of considerable eni en en- i f r and sleepless nights t to safeguard safeguard safe safe- guard so much superficies of official stationery stationery stationery sta sta- be bering bearing ring the broad red wa wax disc emblazoned with the arms of the mulatto mu- mu j latto republic against Spanish surveillance survell- survell s sf 7 lance Arriving at t Havana a dispatch at the 1 I consulate announced Come to New I I i- i York important matter here With I this change of the writer sailed forthwith taking the official communication with him Arriving in York and receiving instructions to join the President at Long Branch the writer with his charge the proceeded same day to that destination The President had hid come from his r rooms oms to file a dispatch on his way to a a. walk In his quiet quiet way vay he remarked 1 I I 1 thought you ou were in San Domingo So I Iwas was about a week ago I have been called back to accompany you to the White mountains and Saratoga I Ibave have bave a communication for foi the President from the government of San Domingo Very good hold it Babcock has Just sailed I go go to Garrisons Garrison's Secretary Fishs Fish's country seat on tie the Hudson to tomorrow to- to morrow Deliver Deli it there It is in Spanish I picked up enough in m MexIco Mex- Mex I leo Ico during the war perhaps we can make It out out v This was the beginning of the San annexation negotiations Gen Babcock Babcock U. U USA S. S A. A was substituted I t for the special agent originally named and left for the island about the latter part of July a few daj days s before the del delivery delivery de de- de- de l livery of the official communication x referred to rt ui 4 The Generals General's return was followed by 1 a a. treaty reaty of annexation and as an alterI alter- alter I I I n na te e proposition a lease of the peninsula and bay of f Samana to the United States fc a as a naval station both dated November Novem Novem- ber bex 29 21 1869 1860 As the time limit was approaching th the President transmitted to the Senate additional article extending the time and fixing certain financial obligations This forced the fight with Senators Sumner the two Edmunds and others of that coterie of leaders It goes without saying that the contest was s brilliant and stubborn The President President Pres Pres- ident was deeply in earnest On s sev several say say- eral occasions he repaired to the Presidents President's Pres Pres- ident's ints nt's room at the Capitol to confer with fth Senators Secretary Fish was a aie amore more ie frequent visitor on the same erthe er- er r. r d the afternoon of June the climax cli cli- max was reached While the vote in m exe executive ex ex- ex- ex e Uve session stood 28 to 28 21 a tie with l 1 12 not hot voting and absent the supporters support support- ers of the measure stood 36 while its J j were 32 a majority but not la thirds two required I The Presidents President's list showed the number The point was to as- as the names of those who failed 1 COme come up to expectations The necess' necess s' s iary fy two-thirds two was wa's was 48 the result allowed r owed a shortage of 18 a considerable sM lump mp of Senatorial noses counted Gen ace ce Porter then the Presidents President's tsi e and now Ambassador to torance France rance was at the Capitol having come iio ito deliver nominations He was unable ito ito obtain the information desired and he writer it then being a very im- im part of a Washington correI corre corre- I duty to obtain executive seCrets seI se- se cr Crets ts undertook the task at Gen Porters Porter's request with the understand- understand in that he would submit his dispatch v he President before putting it on the Jr s. s h effort was successful Hastily I arl driving Ing toward the White hite House and the President walking on the av avenue ue In front the writer alighted It V was s a a avery very hot da day and Grant Giant wore a alinen alinen linen duster The rhe President receiving th dispatch remarked Walk w with me met meto meto t to the houseAs house As' As As swe s' s we went thither Grant glanced clown the list of nays As his eyes met meta a name name nameon on the list he made his com corn ments Amon Among the tie number particularly 4 referred to were of New Hampshire Hamp Hamp- fl i shire Scott of Pennsylvania Pool of North Carolina and Ross Hoss of Kansas The he last named he mentioned as haing having haying hay hav ing called that morning with assurances assurances assurances assur assur- ances of distinguished consideration Norton orton of Michigan Lewis Le of Virginia and Ames of Mississippi and three others others others' oth oth- ers ers' were ere absent Ames however being pa paired i Sherman did not vote but had been expected to vote yea sea ea Among the others counted on but appearing in the thenay thenay thenay nay list were Ferr Ferry Ferrs' of Michigan Fowler Fowler Fow Fow- ler Jer of Tennessee Huston of Virginia Sawyer of South soum Carolina Anthony of Rhode Island Carpenter of Wisconsin Yates of Illinois of Kansas Buckingham of Connecticut Kellogg of Louisiana and the two Texas Senators which would have made two more than required The e expectation had been four more than the required number The President quietly r remarked I 1 I think these gentlemen will see the their r mistake take It was unfortunate Seward failed to secure the Danish islands The C commercial Interests of th the United States tates a and the course of Spain Spam demand demanda lookout 0 in the West Indies 1 We e may a tL be ohP-id ohP h ad d' d of f time But it must come A strong s tr pO position down there will wUl W war ar some day aver avert Informed of the when d en t Baez ae ce d the fact of his coun- coun result coPY of which in a me ted d ip President Grant was prophetic words hese con a The measure will nevertheless nevertheless' succeed in the end for it is a necessity in the pi progress ogress of humanity whose unseen agent is Providence itself The only present member of the body was William M M. Stewart the venerable I senior Senator fro n Nevada he voted aye Arnon Among the great Senatorial names n live In our c country s history in inthe inthe inthe the list 1st of yeas seas were Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania Zack Chandler and his colleague Howard of Michigan Roscoe Roscoe Ros- Ros coe COP Conkling and his colleague Reuben ReubenE E E. Fenton of New Y York rk Hamlin of Maine the Vice associate of Lincoln Morton the war Governor of Indiana the genial Nye of Nevada the colleague of ot the present Senator Stewart Stewart Stewart Stew Stew- art Revels the colored Sen Senator tor from Mississippi l Sprague the war Governor of Rhode Island Parson Brownlow of Tennessee and Henry Wilson of Massachusetts Vice President during the second term of President GrantOn Grant On the negative side were Sumner of Massachusetts l Edmunds of Vermont th the two 1 of Vermont and Maine the latter afterward called to the second second sec see ond Grant Cabinet Indicating that the President harbored no enmity where conviction controlled and no promises were made Schurz of Missouri and Scott of Pennsylvania The others other abSEnt absent absent ab ab- ab- ab sent or not voting have been mentioned The Democrats voted nay As a sequel President Grant In the following December in his message to Congress regretted the failure of the treaty and strongly urged the acquisition tion of th the island as a national necessity sity ity Senator Sumner reopened d his is op opposition op- op position in one of his strongest flights of oratory orators This led to an open rupture with the President Secretary Fish and the Republican S Senators The august 1st Senate perhaps s was never more vehemently vehemently vehemently disturbed The issue terminated In the following March 1871 in the deposition deposition deposition de de- de- de position of the great Senator of the old Bay State from the Ole chairmanship h of the Committee on Foreign Relations a a. apost apost post he had so highly honored through a long series of yea years He declined equal honors on another leading committee Here we are on the threshold of th the the- tw twentieth century carrying forward the same manifest destiny of our country now at the head of the great family of nations Randolph Randolph Kelm Keirn in New York Sun |
