Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1871 — The President’s Impartiality. [ARTICLE]

The President’s Impartiality.

Before leaving Washington to embark for San Domingo, President White, of Cornell University, had an interview with President Grant concerning the mission on which he and his colleagues, Dr. Howe, and Hon. B. F. Wade, were about to depart. In the conversation which took place, Gen. Grant especially enjoined President White to investigate all charges of corruption and bribery, land speculation, and jobs, with a particularly sharp eye for town lots marked “ Grant ” and “ Babcock,” and to expose in full what personal interest, if any, American officials have in the annexation of the island. The President further instructed Mr. White that it was the commissioners’ duty to study the object of their mission to San Domingo minutely, giving personal attention to tlie ascertaining of the views of the people, and not accepting statements thereon at second hand. The President was very explicit in declaring that, although he desired the annexation of the island, believing its union with the United States an advantage to this government and au advantage to the people of San Domingo, he did not desire its annexation if the people of the island preferred to maintain their independence. This honest, practical and thoroughly American view of the question will command for the President the hearty approval of sensible men of both parties. It will even increase for him the respect of those who do not believe in annexation at all. It will do something more. The virulence with which avowedly friendly papers like the Chicago Tribune attacked the President'm connection with the Sah Domingo scheme, cannot he soon forgotten. The New York World did not hesitate to accuse General Grant of direct personal intrigue and intended fraud; the Chicago Tribune talked “job ” in the same connection to such an extent that its readers could hot escape drawing a like inference. With a dignified contempt for shaft from open foe and defamation by pretended -friend, the President places the scheme in the hands of the people and selects from them three men whose reputations are national, and whom every man, Republican and Democrat, will trust. These men unite as a commission the highest culture and eminent business tact, with an integrity beyond shadow of suspicion. They are not personal friends of the President, save as his fellow-citizens; Dr. Howe and President White are unknown in partizanship, and Ben. Wade’s worst political foe will honor his honesty and admit that he is a sagacious, wise and practical man. The membership of the commission is an unanswerable rebuke to the President’s enemies in and out of Republican ranks; and his instructions, on tlie eve of their departure, to the gentlemen who compose it, and who cannot be bought by money or prejudiced by patronage, prove him possessed of the single wish that their action and his own shall be conducive to the welfare of the two countries.— Chicago Post, Jan. 20.