Santo Domingo
to the United States. This question presented itself during the first
term of General Grant's administration. The proposal for annexation was
made by the President of the Dominican Republic. General Grant, with the
forethought of a military commander, desired that the United States
should possess a foothold in the West Indies. A commission of three was
accordingly appointed to investigate and report upon the condition of
the island. The three were Hon. Benjamin F. Wade, of Ohio, Andrew D.
White, at that time president of Cornell University, and Dr. Howe. A
thorough visitation of the territory was made by these gentlemen, and a
report favorable to the scheme of annexation was presented by them on
their return. Dr. Howe was greatly interested for the Dominicans, who
had achieved political independence and separation from Hayti by a
severe struggle, which was always liable to be renewed on the part of
their former masters. Mr. Sumner, on the other hand, espoused the cause
of the Haytian government so warmly that he would not wait for the
report of the commission to be presented, but hastened to forestall
public opinion by a speech in which he displayed all his powers of
oratory, but showed something less than his usual acquaintance with
facts. His eloquence carried the day, and the plan of annexation was
defeated and abandoned, to the great regret of the commissioners and of
the Dominicans themselves.

I shall speak elsewhere of my visiting Santo Domingo in company with Dr.
Howe. Our second visit there was made in the spring of the year 1874. I
had gone one day to inspect a school high on the mountains of Samana,
when a messenger came after me in haste, bearing this written message
from my husband: "Please come home at once. Our dear, noble Sumner is no
more." The monthly steamer, at that time the only one that ran to Santo
Domingo, had just brought the news, deplored by many, to my husband
inexpressibly sad.

In the winter of 1846-47 I one day heard Dr. Holmes speak of Agassiz,
who had then recently arrived in America. He described him as a man of
great talent and reputation, who added to his mental gifts the endowment
of a superb physique. Soon after this time I had the pleasure of making
the acquaintance of the eminent naturalist, and of attending the first
series of lectures which he gave at the Lowell Institute.

The great personal attraction of Agassiz, joined to his admirable power
of presenting the