AS COMMISSIONER TO SANTO DOMINGO-1871 487 



question which appealed both to reason and to patriot- 

 ism. His argument as to the danger of extending the 

 domain of American institutions and the privileges of 

 American citizenship over regions like the West Indies 

 carried great weight with me ; it was the calm, thoughtful 

 utterance of a man accustomed to look at large public 

 questions in the light of human history, and, while reason- 

 ing upon them philosophically and eloquently, to observe 

 strict rules of logic. 



I also had talks with various leading men at Washington 

 on the general subject. Very interesting was an evening 

 passed with Admiral Porter of the navy, who had already 

 visited Santo Domingo, and who gave me valuable points 

 as to choosing routes and securing information. Another 

 person with whom I had some conversation was Benjamin 

 Franklin Butler, previously a general in the Civil War, 

 and afterward governor of Massachusetts a man of 

 amazing abilities, but with a certain recklessness in the use 

 of them which had brought him into nearly universal dis- 

 credit. His ideas regarding the annexation of Santo Do- 

 mingo seemed to resolve themselves, after all, into a 

 feeling of utter indifference, his main effort being to 

 secure positions for one or two of his friends as attaches 

 of the commission. 



At various times I talked with the President on this and 

 other subjects, and was more and more impressed, not only 

 by his patriotism, but by his ability ; and as I took leave 

 of him, he gave me one charge for which I shall always 

 revere his memory. 



He said : ' ' Your duties are, of course, imposed upon you 

 by Congress ; I have no right as President to give you in- 

 structions, but as a man I have a right in this matter. You 

 have doubtless noticed hints in Congress, and charges in 

 various newspapers, that I am financially interested in the 

 acquisition of Santo Domingo. Now, as a man, as your 

 fellow-citizen, I demand that on your arrival in the is- 

 land, you examine thoroughly into all American interests 

 there; that you study land titles and contracts with the 



