Azua to this city, in accordance with the desire I expressed to you in my communication of the 31st of last August.
So it seems our men-of-war were, to a certain extent, governed by instructions received from President Baez!
I take advantage, therefore, of the occasion for expressing the necessity at present of a man-of-war in this port, and that none would be more convenient than the Yantic for the facility of entering the river Ozama owing to her size. I hope that on your arrival at Samana you will determine what you may deem most convenient in this matter, assuring you that I confide greatly in your good disposition.
There, then, is President Baez thanking a naval officer of the United States for what? Not for the protection afforded him against invaders from a foreign soil, but for having transported troops to be used against his own fellow-citizens within the walls of the very capital of that republic; and yet the Senator from Indiana asserts that the naval forces of the United States have not been used against the citizens of the very country that we were to annex!
Here is still more:
Lieutenant Commander McCook to Commander Irwin, Forwarded
in Rear-Admiral Lee's Letter of January 10th [9th?]
Yesterday the captain of the Raccoon called officially to ask me how far our Government protected the Dominican Government. He said that in making his report to his admiral he would like to be able to give some statement about it. As the Englishman has been exercising his boats and small-arm men a good deal, I thought it possible he might intend to take some summary action here, so I concluded to give him a pretty strong hint that I would disapprove of his taking any action whatever, and informed him that we would protect the Dominican Government against any internal enemies, or
