686 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



is but sparsely settled, while it has an area sufficient 

 for the profitable employment of several millions of 

 people. The soil would have soon fallen into the 

 hands of United States capitalists. The products 

 are so valuable in commerce that emigration there 

 would have been encouraged ; the emancipated race 

 of the South would have found there a congenial 

 home where their civil rights would not be disputed, 

 and where their labor would be so much sought after 

 that the poorest among them could have found the 

 means to go. Thus in cases of great oppression and 

 cruelty, such as has been practised upon them in 

 many places within the last eleven years, whole 

 communities would have sought refuge in Santo 

 Domingo. I do not suppose the whole race would 

 have gone, nor is it desirable that they should go. 

 Their labor is desirable indispensable almost 

 where they now are. But the possession of this 

 territory would have left the negro " master of the 

 situation" by enabling him to demand his rights at 

 home on pain of finding them elsewhere. 



I do not present these views now as a recommen- 

 dation for a renewal of the subject of annexation, 

 but I do refer to it to vindicate my previous action 

 in regard to it. 



With the present term of Congress my official life 

 terminates. It is not probable that public affairs 

 will ever again receive attention from me further 

 than as a citizen of the republic, always taking a 

 deep interest in the honor, integrity, and prosperity 

 of the whole land. U. S. GRANT. 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, December 5, 1876. 



Impeachment of 'William W. Belknap. 



On the 2d of March, 1876, Mr. Clymer, of Pennsyl- 

 vania, chairman of the Committee on Expenditures 

 in the War Department, submitted to the House of 

 Eepresentatives the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That William "W. Belknap, late Secretary of War, 

 be impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors while in 

 office. 



Resolved, That the testimony in the case of William W. 

 Belknap. late Secretary of War, be referred to the Committee 

 on the Judiciary, with instructions to prepare and report 

 without unnecessary delay suitable articles of impeachment 

 of said William W. Belknap, late Secretary of War. 



Resolved, That a committee of five members of this House 

 be appointed and instructed to proceed immediately to the 

 bar of the Senate, and there impeach William W. Belknap, 

 late Secretary of War, in the name of the House of Eep- 

 resentatives and of all the people of the United States of 

 America, of high crimes and misdemeanors while in office, 

 and to inform that body that formal articles of impeachment 

 will in due time be presented, and to request the Senate to 

 take such order in the premises as they deem appropriate. 



The resolutions were unanimously adopted, and 

 the Speaker appointed, as the committee called for in 

 the second resolution, Mr. Clymer, Mr. Bobbins, of 

 North Carolina, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Bass, and Mr. 

 Danford. 



March 3d. A message was received by the Senate 

 notifying it of the action of the House, and there- 

 after the committee of the House, having appeared 

 at the bar of the Senate, demanded that the Senate 

 take order for the appearance of the said William 

 W. Belknap to answer said impeachment. 



The President pro tempore : " Mr. Chairman and 

 gentlemen of the committee of the House of Eepre- 

 sentatives, the Senate will take order in the prem- 

 ises." 



The committee thereupon withdrew. 



Mr. Edmunds offered the following order : 



Ordered, That the message of the House of Represent- 

 atives relating to the impeachment of William W. Belknap 

 be referred to a select committee, to consist of five Senators. 



The resolution was agreed to. 



By unanimous consent, the President pro tempore 

 was authorized to appo'nt the committee ; and 

 Messrs. Edmunds, Conkling, Frelinghuysen, Thur- 

 rnun, and Stevenson,- were appointed. 



March 6th. Mr. Edmunds, from this committee, 

 reported the following, which was agreed to: 



Ordered, That the Senate will, according to its standing 

 rules and orders in such cases provided, take proper order 

 thereon (upon the presentation of articles of impeachment), 

 of which due notice shall be given to the House of Bepre- 

 eentatives. 



Ordered, Th:t the Secretary acquaint the House of Eep- 

 resentatives herewith. 



March 8th. As Mr. Caleb P. Marsh, the chief wit- 

 ness against the Secretary, had fled to Canada, on 

 report of the Judiciary Committee the House recom- 

 mitted the resolution to proceed with the impeach- 

 ment, and instructed the committee to take further 

 testimony. At the same time, a bill was passed to 

 protect witnesses against being held to answer for 

 any act concerning which they may testify. 



March 80th. The Committee on the Judiciary of 

 the House reported articles of impeachment, which 

 were ordered to be printed, and which ere adopted 

 on April 3d, with resolutions appointing managers on 

 the part of the House, and directing the articles to 

 be presented. On the same day the Clerk of the 

 House appeared at the bar of the Senate, and said 

 that the House had agreed to the articles of impeach- 

 ment, and that the House had appointed Mr. Scott 

 Lord, of New York ; Mr. J. Proctor Knott, of Ken- 

 tucky ; Mr. William P. Lynde, of Wisconsin ; Mr. 

 John A. MacMahon, of Ohio ; Mr. George A. Jenks, 

 of Pennsylvania; Mr. Elbridge G. Lapham, of New 

 York; and Mr. George F. Hoar, of Massachusetts, 

 managers to conduct the impeachment against Wil- 

 liam W. Helknnp, late Secretary of War. 



April 4th. The managers of the impeachment on 

 the part of the House of Eepresentatives appeared 

 at the bar of the Senate and exhibited the following 

 articles. Proclamation being made, Manager Lord 

 read the articles : 



Articles exhibited by the House of Representatives of the 

 United States of America, in the names of themselvet 

 and of all the People of the United States of America^ 

 against William W. Jielknap, late Secretary of War, 

 in maintenance and support of their impeachment 

 against Mm for high crimes and misdemeanors while 

 in said office. 



ARTICLE I. That William W. Belknap. while he was in of- 

 fice as Secretary of War of the United States of America, to 

 wit, on the Sth dav of October, 1870, had the power and au- 

 thority, under the laws of the United States, as Secretary of 

 War as aforesaid, to appoint a person to maintain a trading- 

 establishment at Fort Sill, a military post of the United States; 

 that said Beiknap. as Secretary of War as aforesaid, on the 

 day and year aforesaid, promised to appoint one Caleb P. 

 Marsh to maintain said trading-establishment at said military 

 post; that thereafter, to wit, on the day and year aforesaid, 

 the said Caleb P. Marsh and one John S. Evans entered into 

 an agreement in writing substantially as follows, to wit: 



of America, of the first part, and Caleb P. Marsh, of No. 51 

 West Thirty-fifth Street, of the city, county, and State of 

 New York, of the second part, witnesseth. r.amely: 



Whereas the said Caleb P. Marsh has received from Gen- 

 eral William W. Belknap, Secretary of War of the United 

 States, the appointment of post-trader at Fort Sill aforesaid ; 

 and whereas the name of said John S. Evans is to be filled 

 into the commission of appointment of said post-trader a( 

 Fort Sill aforesaid, by permission and at the instance and re- 

 quest of said Caleb P. Marsh, and for the purpose of carrying 

 out the terms of this agreement; and whereas said John S. 

 Evans is to hold said position of post-trader as aforesaid 

 solely as the appointee of said Caleb P. Marsh, and for the 

 purpose hereinafter stated: 



Now, therefore, said John S. Evans, in consideration of 

 said appointment and the sum of one dollar to him in hand 

 paid by said Caleb P. Marsh, the receipt of which is hereby 

 acknowledged, hereby covenants and agrees to pay to said 

 Caleb P. Marsh the slim of twelve thousand dollars annually, 

 payable quarterly in advance, in the city of New York afore- 

 said ; said sum to be so payable during the first year of this 

 agreement absolutely and under all circumstances, anything 

 hereinafter contained to the contrary notwithstanding; and 

 thereafter said sum shall be so payable, unless increased or 

 reduced in amount, in accordance with the subsequent pro- 

 visions of this agreement. 



