, 1860-01-12
Drtss 4 Triitttttc.
TIE DISTURBANCES on THE RIO
CIR A NElE -
Report Of The Grand Jury OF Cameron
County.

The report Of Tue Grand Jury of Cameron
County. Texcs, is Il document Of much interest,
lrescnli3g, us it does. tho conclusions at which
that bosly l.ns arrived in regard 10 the origin,
Brownsville and the adjacent country have teen
disturbed:
The Gruud Jury reports that On the 18th Of
last July CortinAs rescued prisoner from the
Marssul CT the city Of Brownsville, carried of
the prisoner, crossed the Rio Grande into Mex
leo, where he represented himself to be recruit
ing soldiers for the MeNic:n army, unJera cap
tain's commission. A.ieiward, On the asth Of
September, l1e recrosscd the Bio Grnnde, &C.
compapied by about sixty armed Mexicaus,
some OF whom resided east Of the riyer, madca
descent on Brownsville, broke open the JUL, re.
leased the prisoners, who united with him,
killed the iuiior a:d four other persons, sezed
all the arms he could find iu the s:orcs, armed
Ms many Of the Mexican rabble as he could find,
and threatened oil Americans with DEATH From
the facts exhibited during this attack and from
The investigations Of tic Jury, it is assumed
that this affair was an invasion Of American ter
rsorv By armed Mexicans, under the Mexican
@ X. vita hostile iutentlops3 against the State
ID Federal authorities. It is stated that a,l
Cot uas' nd we'c Mexicans, and that his
wsose fore. continued to Le composed Of Nexi-
cans-all Ct then, by birth, and most OF them
by residence. Nevertheless, the Grand Jury,
in view Of The zealan actirisy With which boil.
the clvil ant! military authorities Of the Stale Of
Tauauljpaa, aad especially Of the city Of Mata-
u,oras, cs1uc to tie relief Of the people OF
Brownsville, are unwilling to beliere that they
cyAutcuAneed Cortinas' Invasion.
After this exploit i'e returned to tue rancho
Of lis mother, nine miles Rbove Brownsville.
whence Le 1neuaced the city With destruction il
rot allowed to wreuk his vengeance OH such
for destruction. On the 4th Of October, lie
eros ed tho Rio Grandc to Mata1noras, and there
remained with his principal mcu till the 18th,
W.T. be reinraded the American side, ut the
head Of f:rty armed men, Since then he has
subjusatcd i he neighboring country, driving nG
aud attempting to I'LL a1i the American inla5i-
tants, and psisaging their houses and taking pos
session Of their herds of horses and cattle.
During this time his force in garrison alone was
augmented to three hundred men, and bis total
force was estimated by many syell informed per-
sans at athousand in addition to which he could
count on thc sympathy and 1norc Or less active
cn-olcration Of tie eutirc Mexican population.
III relation to his motives, the Grand Jury say
that Immediately uftcr his first attack upon
brownsville lie published proclamation in
which lie claimed private revenge to be bis sole
object, M. more than six OR eight being the
nua,bcr OF those he desired to kill, and made
IN attempt 10 shield Mexico from bearing the
charge ot his invasion OF American territory,
by rcnEon OF the i:n1nl lg1ation al flimself anu
,nc OF his followers since t1.e celebration
.f the treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo, though ad-
m ting that their families had returned to the
anrmer country, and making IN especial chArse
that be and the members Of his band had been
des:oilet OF lands and other properties.
Tn the 43d. III November he issued another
proclamation in which he boldly appeals only
to The Mexican inhabitants Of the State ii
Texas, u1akingno claim Of Citizenship far him
self or for others, declares himself orduincd Of
Heaven to The ~ DISCRIMINATING tlcir tyrants. !"
meaning evidently the American authorities Of
Cameron md other counties III tllat pnrtiouof
Texas and the citizens who uphold them.
The gr:nl jury thea state Ihat on the 14t1l Of
the month Of November, 1862, the Chief Justice
of Cnmcrcn county issued Il notice calling up0n
atl we'll affected persons Of Mexican origin resi-
ding in tie counties of Cameron and ujda!yo to
come without delay with their arms 10 manifest
their lcyaltr and assist in restoring order; but
SO few of tle verv large Mexican population
within these counties hare responded to the call
IS 10 leave no doubt but taat the syn,pathics, il
moi .l4n arms Of the grea!cr part Of them, are
with the C1arauderS.
letthe testimony hcrnre The grand jury abun
4'ant!r prGrcs tnat tiree-fnur.b8 Of The men iu
the ca,nrof Cortinls have hitherto altogether r.
sided il, "x o, anl that la:e}y tif:y men, in one
body, under au officer cnusint, from 1he neigh
borhopd 0f Monterey, i'll tho interior of Mexico
unG not long agn smother body OF from thirty Il
sixty iron, tie t;.y al |ctoria the capital OF thu
a,l;uinlaE St.:c cf Tatsa:1sipas, Mexico, crosse
The riyer and united themselves will his othe,
forces; that lie la. had his men under regular
military drill conducted by ciliceFS who hart
! acquired their knowledge IN u.eay,nics Of Mex
leo, and TINT be ilpiss a',orc his camp and car
| RES with him upon his various expeditions ths
| flag OF the republic of Mexico.
| From these facts the Jurors say that they cal
derive no Other conclusion than that the most o
| the Mexicnn inhabitants within the State 0
1