New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-07

sa@7 BROWNSVILLE, April rs, 1860. N
Mr.. Edaor-To dspel any debut as to the posi-
ton OF affairs this river, short historical rela-
ton of facts may not be out of place. Before the
annexation Of Texas, Mexico always claimed that
her eastern boundary extended to the Nueces.
President Polk found the question an open one
when he came into power, but between her own
opinions and those Of the immortal Gen. Taylor,
the conclusion was arrived at that Old Zach should
move from Corpus Christi and occupy the east
bank of the Rio Grande, and " take the chances"
That movement brought about the battles Of Palo
Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and the subsequent
war, in which the boundary dispute was settled,
and we were allowed to hold dominion on the right
bank of the Rio Grande. .@a
This settlement did not conform to Mexican no.
tons, and ever since the Dexican population have
labored under two very considerable errors-one
as to how this valley was lost to them and the
other as to its destiny. Honestly and truly the
ajority Of the Mexican population think they
were sold and not beaten out of this country; and
very honestly and foolishly they believe that the
programme can be 30 altered that the Nueces in
stead Of the Rio Grande can be yet made the
boundary. You may say all this is absurd; but
/ ask you what IL to be expected from SO ignorant
people, when there are thousands Of men in the
United States who believe that the South would
fail to sustain itself If cut loose from Boston. Men
will be monomaniacs on some subjects, and the
peculiar idiosyncracy of the Mexican is that he is
a terrible fellow in the tented field! 4
The idea Of recapturing the country between the
Rio Grande and the Nueces is peculiarly the idea
with Cortina, and it has been his pothouse boast
for the last ten years that it was his destiny to
accomplish this result He has boosted of it in the
presence of Americans, and many of them, am
sorry to learn, have assented thonghtlessy to his
| bragadocio We have such a faculty for trading
| that rather than "spile bargain u some of us
will affirm the most preposterous assertions; and
in many instances l have heard it charged that
Cortina has often declared in the hearing of Mexi-
| cans, when Americans were present and not deny
| ing it, that Gen. Houston and his friends were in
| favor Of giving up this section to Mexico. When
such stories have been uttered year after year in
Matamoras and throughout the State Of Tamauli-
| pas, what more was to be expected than that the
| people who heard them should be in favor Of fill
\ clustering part of Texas. - ~ 49,
The project ripened as time grew on, but it re-
CURED just such man as Cortina to attempt the
execution Of the scheme. He did not go into ii
foolishly either, for he played safe game, having
two objects, one of which he intended should not
fail if the principal plan did fall through He is
| bold, desperate, shrewd and commanding man
his plan partakes of all these characteristics. In
| order TO make himself popular with his own coun-
trymen, he becamea bully, carrying his six-shooter
regularly, fighting when required, and maintaining
at his mothers rancho rendezvous for all the des
perate Mcxicans he could find. At that rendezvous
Americans were habitually and additionally hated
and despised, and none of the forbidden race could
hope for civil treatment unless under peculiar
circumstances. He next became politician to
the extent of carrying all his clan with him to the
polls and buying favor with the candidates by the
strength of his influence in an election. He thus
made party with the Mexicans and with the
Americans, whereby he became so powerful tina
he walked the country with impunity, while thu
archives of the District Court of Cameron county
contained an Indictment for murder of an Ameri
cam and two indictments for stealing against him
for which he was never even arrested. In fact, on
of the slices of this county is known as the Plaque
mine of Cortina.
With these indictments against him, and witt
grave suspicious in the public mind that he wa
| guilty of other crimes he yet came and went a
r the most innocent did All this consolidated hi
strength to such an extent that when the America
: garrison was withdrawn from here, he prepared t
carry out II his idea.''
He collected large number of Mexicans at hi
rancho and there armed them; for on no other sup
position can it be accounted for how he so sud
denly appeared in the field at the head of $50 men
/, To bring about the final catastrophe, he came int
Brownsville on the 18th of last July, with fo
t lower of his. The latter soon became intoxicate
a and commenced row in the streets. He was al
rested by the City Marshal, Mr.. shiers and starte
. to the lock up. Cortina came up and told tn
Marshal to release the man, which was refused
5 Cortina then stepped back, drew his revolver an
!, deliberately shot the Marshal twice. one ball grs
g zing his head and the other taking effect in hi
1 shoulder. The Marshal FELL and Cortina the
e mounted his horse, took his drunken accomplc
, up behind him. and Furnishing his pistol, deied tn
! town to take him, while he rode away to h
rancho. ==
: After the above offense he lived at his ranch
and in Matamoras, all the while defying the la
and still committing crimes. Ultimately part
was made up to go from this place and captur
him, but he made his escape into Mexico. In Sci
Q TENDER he suddenly reappeared on the other sid
: Of the river and made an attack upon this plac
h the 2sth of that month. He brought with him 0
h that occasion body of 100 men, more or less an
surrounded the town. and his demand was that til
!. citizens who had volunteered to go out and cal
!, ture him should be given up to death. Not fndin
!, all of them, he proposed to burn down the tow
It and actually murdered in cold blood five either
!. who were running away. One of these men, Ge
}. Morris, was killed by the United States flag sta
!. inside of Fort Brown barracks Cortina was
n last persuaded to leave town by the Mexican
d from Matamoras, whose property would have bee
involved in the general conflagration.
u You are acquainted with the remaining facts
the case so far as this immediate city was col
h cerned-how it was besieged-how it was ga
! lantly defended for two months-how mighty, a
a tacks were made upon it-how out-houses wei
h burned-how terror prevailed everywhere; bl
you cannot know, for it has never been told, ho
q the country along the river has suffered.
/ As said, Gortina had two plans, one of whie
= was to harrass the people in such way that the
would leave, and another was to steal and re
a enough to pay him well even if he failed. Tho
). sands of horses and cattle have been robbed al
,f run off: scores of farms have been devastated, Il
houses burned the fences torn up and the crol
J, trodden down, and as last resort, the Me1ica
10 who served our people in every capacity, we
m driven off to the other side of the Rio Grande |
e this means he paid his men and discouraged U