630 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



Should the pending negotiationSj unfortunately and 

 unexpectedly, be without result, it will then become 

 my duty to communicate that fact to Congress and 

 invite its action on the subject. 



The long-deferred peace conference between Spain 

 and the allied South American republics has been 

 inaugurated in Washington, under the auspices of 

 the United States. Pursuant to the recommendation 

 contained in the resolution of the House of Repre- 

 sentatives of the 17th of December, 1866, the Ex- 

 ecutive department of the Government offered its 

 friendly offices for the promotion of peace and har- 

 mony between Spain and the allied republics. Hesi- 

 tations and obstacles occurred to the acceptance of 

 the offer. Ultimately, however, a conference was ar- 

 ranged, and was opened in this city on the 29th of 

 October last, at which I authorized the Secretary of 

 State to preside. It was attended by the ministers 

 of Spain, Peru, Chili, and Ecuador. In consequence 

 of the absence of a representative from Bolivia, the 

 conference was adjourned until a plenipotentiary from 

 that republic could be secured, or other measures 

 could be adopted toward compassing the objects. 



The allied and other republics of Spanish origin 

 on this continent may see in this fact a new proof of 

 our sincere interest in their welfare ; of our desire to 

 see them blessed with good governments, capable of 

 maintaining order, and of preserving their respective 

 territorial integrity ; and of our sincere wish to ex- 

 tend our own commercial and social relations with 

 them. The time is not probably far distant when^ in 

 the natural course of events, the European political 

 connection with this continent will cease. Our policy 

 should be shaped^ in view of this probability, so as to 

 ally the commercial interests of the Spanish- Ameri- 

 can States more closely to our own, and thus give the 

 United States all the preeminence and all the advan- 

 tage which Mr. Monroe, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Clay 

 contemplated when they proposed to join in the Con- 

 gress of Panama. 



During the last session of Congress a treaty for 

 the annexation of the Kepublic of San Domingo to 

 the United States failed to receive the requisite two- 

 thirds vote of the Senate. I was thoroughly con- 

 vinced then that the best interests of this country, 

 commercially and materially, demanded its ratifica- 

 tion. Time has only confirmed me in this view. I 

 now firmly believe that, the moment that it is known 

 that the United States have entirety abandoned the 

 project of accepting as a part of its territory the 

 Island of San Domingo, a free port will be negotiated 

 for, by European nations, in the Bay of Samana. A 

 large commercial city will spring up, to which we will 

 be tributary without receiving corresponding bene- 

 fits, and then will be seen the folly of our rejecting so 

 great a prize. The Government of San Domingo has 

 voluntarily sought this annexation. It is a weak 

 power, numbering probably less than one hundred 

 and twenty thousand souls, and yet possessing one 

 of the richest territories under the sun, capable of 

 supporting a population of ten millions of people in 

 luxury. The people of San Domingo are not capable 

 of maintaining themselves in their present condition, 

 and must look for outside support. They yearn for 

 the protection of pur free institutions and laws, our 

 progress and civilization. Shall we refuse them ? 



The acquisition of San Domingo is desirable be- 

 cause of its geographical position. It commands the 

 entrance to the Caribbean Sea and the Isthmus tran- 

 sit of commerce. It possesses the richest soil, best 

 and most capacious harbors, most salubrious climate, 

 and the most valuable products of the forest, mine, 

 and soil, of any of the West India islands. Its pos- 

 session by us will in a few years build up a coastwise 

 commerce of immense magnitude, which will go far 

 toward restoring to us our lost merchant marine. It 

 will give to us those articles which we consume so 

 largelv and do not produce, thus equalizing our ex- 

 ports and imports. In case of foreign war, it will 

 give us command of all the islands referred to, and 



thus prevent an enemy from ever again possessing 

 himself of rendezvous upon our very coast. At pres- 

 ent our coast-trade between the States bordering on 

 the Atlantic and those bordering on the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico is cut in two by the Bahamas and the Antilles. 

 Twice we must, as it were, pass through foreign 

 country to get by sea from Georgia to the west coast 

 of Florida. 



San Domingo, with, a stable government, under 

 which her immense resources can be developed, will 

 give remunerative wages to tens of thousands of la- 

 borers not now upon the island. This labor will 

 take advantage of every available means of transpor- 

 tation to abandon the adjacent islands and seek the 

 blessings of freedom and its sequence each inhab- 

 itant receiving the reward of his own labor. Porto 

 Eico and Cuba will have to abolish slavery as a meas- 

 ure of self-preservation, to retain their laborers. 



San Domingo will become a large consumer of the 

 products of Northern farms and manufactories. The 

 cheap rate at which her citizens can be furnished 

 with food, tools, and machinery, will make it neces- 

 sary that contiguous islands should have the same 

 advantages in order to compete in the production of 

 sugar, coffee, tobacco, tropical fruits, etc. This will 

 open to us a still wider market for our products. The 

 production of our own supply of these articles will 

 cut off more than one hundred millions of our annual 

 imports, besides largely increasing our exports. With 

 such a picture, it is easy to see how our large debt 

 abroad is ultimately to be extinguished. With a 

 balance of trade against us (including interest on 

 bonds held by foreigners, and money spent by our 

 citizens travelling in foreign lands), equal to the en- 

 tire yield of the precious metals in this country, it is 

 not so easy to see how this result is to be otherwise 

 accomplished. The acquisition of San Domingo is 

 an adherence to the " Monroe doctrine," it is a meas- 

 ure of national protection ; it is asserting our just 

 claim to a controlling influence over the great com- 

 mercial traffic soon to flow from west to east by way 

 of the Isthmus of Darien ; it is to build up our mer- 

 chant marine ; it is to furnish new markets for the 

 products of our farms, shops, and manufactories ; it 

 is to make slavery insupportable in Cuba and Porto 

 Rico at once, and ultimately so in Brazil : it is to set- 

 tle the unhappy condition of Cuba, and end an ex- 

 terminationg conflict ; it is to provide honest means 

 of paying our honest debts without overtaxing the 

 people ; it is to furnish our citizens with the neces- 

 saries of every-day life at cheaper rates than ever be- 

 fore ; and it is, in fine, a rapid stride toward that 

 greatness which the intelligence, industry, and enter- 

 prise of the citizens of the United States entitle this 

 country to assume among nations. 



In view of the importance of this question, I ear- 

 nestly urge upon Congress early action, expressive of 

 its views as to the best means of acquiring San Do- 

 mingo. My suggestion is that, by joint resolution of 

 the two Houses of Congress, the Executive be author- 

 ized to appoint a commission to negotiate a treaty 

 with the authorities of San Domingo for the acquisi- 

 tion of that island, and that an appropriation be 

 made to defray the expenses of such commission. 

 The question may then be determined either by the 

 action of the Senate upon the treaty or the joint action 

 of the two Houses of Congress upon a resolution of 

 annexation, as in the case of the acquisition of Texas. 

 So convinced am I of the advantages toflowfromthe 

 acquisition of San Domingo, and of the great disad- 

 vantages, I might almost say calamities, to flow from 

 non-acquisition, that I believe the subject has only 

 to be investigated to be approved. 



It is to be regretted that our representations, in 

 regard to the injurious effects, especially upon the 

 revenue of the United States, of the policy of the 

 Mexican Government in exempting from import du- 

 ties a large tract of its territory on our borders, have 

 not only been fruitless, but that it is even proposed 

 in that country to extend the limits within which 



