Buenaventura Baez, president of the Dominican republic, born at Azua, Santo Domingo, early in this century, He inherited a large fortune from his father, a mulatto, who was prominent in the revolution of 1808; cooperated with Santana in the establishment of Dominican independence; and was president from 1849 till 1853, when he was supplanted by Santana, who expelled him from the country. After the deposition of Santana in May, 1856, Baez, who had spent the interval in New York, resumed the presidency, Oct. 6, 1856; but he was once more ousted by Santana June 11, 1858, and obliged to remain abroad till after the evacuation of Dominica by the Spaniards in 18(55, and in December of that year he was elected for a third presidential term. This was interrupted in March, 1866, by an insurrection led by Gen. Pimentel in favor of Cabral, in consequence of which Baez was banished to St. Thomas. A new revolution in December, 1867, drove Cabral from power and restored Baez. After various direct and indirect negotiations, he signed on Nov. 29, 1869, two treaties with President Grant, one for the cession of the bay of Sa-mana and the other for the annexation of the Dominican republic to the United States, subject to the approval of the people of the republic, which was ostensibly obtained in an election (decreed by Baez Feb. 16, 1870) held under the protection of American men-of-war. The United States senate, however, refused to ratify the treaty.

A commission was appointed by President Grant, under authority of congress, to visit and examine the island, and reported in April, 1871, in favor of annexation; but the measure was pressed no further. Its failure encouraged Cabral and Pimentel to renew the civil war.