Mr. Sumner's motion of censure on the President for his
action, in the matter of the San Domingo annexation was made in the Senate on the 27th March, and on the 29th March was " laid on the table," i. e., defeated, by 39 votes to 16. Mr. Sumner, who read his speech, as he always does, and (as is also usual with him) read one far too diffuse for the highest effect,—though he is said to reads very well,—appeared to command a great deal more popular sup- port than the vote would indicate. It is said that not even- his speech on the Trent question drew together so crowded an. audience, and that few speeches ever delivered in the Senate have commanded more signs of eager sympathy from the strangers pre- sent. His object was not to argue against the treaty for annexa- tion, but to show that the President had broken through inter- national and constitutional principles in the policy by which he had secured it, and was still trying to force it on the- Senate. He had supported a usurper (President Baez) against. popular indignation ; he had threatened with war the Republic of Hayti, without even asking the authority of Congress ; and he had indirectly described the policy of the Senate,—a branch- of the Legislature co-ordinate with himself,—as " folly " for re- jecting last year the treaty of annexation. And then, after the rejec- tion by the Senate, when the President ought at once to have re- treated from his San Domingo policy, he persisted in protecting- Baez and threatening Hayti with American ships-of-war, in the hope of persuading the Senate to retrace its steps. The replies- to Mr. Sumner consisted chiefly in producing precedents for a similar line of action on the part of the then President in relation to the annexation of Texas, and in deprecating discussion till the report of the Commission sent to San Domingo, and which had just returned, should be presented to Congress. On the whole, Mr. Sumner seems to have had a decided moral victory, in spiteof his political defeat. The annexation of San Domingo is clearly not popular.
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