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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC02095.18 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection relating to Charles Sumner |
| Title | Charles Sumner to [Edward W.] Kinsley regarding the president of the Dominican Republic |
| Date | 10 March 1874 |
| Author | Sumner, Charles (1811-1874) |
| Recipient | Kinsley, Edward W. |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Criticizes Buenaventura Baez, President of the Dominican Republic. Kinsley apparently informed Sumner of a dinner for Baez. He states in full, "A Dinner to Baez! Why not invite the murderer of the Virginius crew? At least please read an authentic account of him. Doubtless he is one of the worst men of our time." Marked Senate Chamber. |
| Subjects | Politics Latin and South America Caribbean Criminals and Outlaws Global History and Civics Military History |
| People | Sumner, Charles (1811-1874) Kinsley, Edward E. (b. 1829) Báez, Buenaventura (1812-1884) |
| Place written | Washington, D.C. |
| Theme | Foreign Affairs; Government & Politics |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | Sumner references the 1873 Virginius affair, which almost led to war between the U.S. and Spain. The Virginius, a filibustering ship fraudulently flying the American flag, was carrying arms to the Cubans. It was captured by the Spanish, who then executed the captain and 52 crew and passengers. This letter was likely written to Edward W. Kinsley, a Boston businessman and abolitionist. In 1870, President Grant strongly urged annexation of the Dominican Republic. Sumner opposed the project on many grounds, including that it was not the wish of the "black republic" and that the negotiation had been irregularly conducted with Baez. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |