“Nor have they been the work of Spanish emigrants who have penetrated the territory of San Domingo; nor has the superior authority of Havana, nor the forces of sea and land at its disposition, contributed to them. The Captain-General of Cuba has not separated himself, nor could he depart for a moment, from the principles of the Government, and from the policy which it has followed with regard to them. _Not a Spanish bottom or soldier was on the coast or in the territory of the Republic_ when the latter by a unanimous movement proclaimed its reunion to Spain.”[12] It will be observed with what energy of phrase the Spanish Minister excludes all suspicion of force on the part of Spain. Not only was there no Spanish ship on the coast, but not a single Spanish bottom. And then it is alleged that “the first condition” of reannexion must be “the unanimous, spontaneous, and explicit expression of the will of the Dominicans.” No foreign influence, no Spanish influence, was to interfere with the popular will. But this is nothing more than justice. Anything else is wrong. The Spanish Government, not content with announcing this important rule in the dispatch which I have quoted, return to it in another similar dispatch, dated at Madrid, 26th May, 1861, as follows:-- “The Government of the Queen, before adopting a definitive resolution on this question, sought to acquire absolute assurance that the votes of the Dominican people had been spontaneous, free, and unanimous. The reception of the proclamation of the Queen as sovereign in all the villages of the territory of San Domingo proves _the spontaneousness and the unanimity of the movement_.”[13] Here again is the allegation that the movement was spontaneous and unanimous, and that the Spanish Government sought to acquire absolute assurance on this essential point. This was openly recognized as the condition-precedent; and I cite it as unanswerable testimony to what was deemed essential. On this absolute assurance the Ministers laid before the Queen in Council a decree of reannexion, with an explanatory paper, under date of 19th May, 1861, where the unanimity of the Dominican people is again asserted, and also the absence of any influence on the part of Spain:-- “Everywhere was manifested jubilee and enthusiasm in a manner unequivocal and solemn. The public authorities, following their own impulses, have obeyed the sentiment of the country, which has put its trust in them. Rarely has been seen such a concurrence, such a unanimity of wills to realize an idea, a common thought. _And all this, without having on the coast of San Domingo a single bottom, nor on the territory a soldier of Spain._”[14] Such is the official record on which the decree of reannexion was adopted. Mark well, Sir,--a unanimous people, and not a single Spanish bottom on the coast or Spanish soldier on the territory.