New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-10-29
NRW.mExHCAN BOUNTY LAND
CLAIMS.
important Decision-0ne Of Jake Thofnp-
SONS Frauds Rxposed-Neariy Wilton
SaHed TO the Govegrmept.

New Mexico on account of alleged services lenue
In suppressn0 Indian disturbances In thai territory
Nearly an equal number of cases, OF similar chaIac
Ter have been FOR good white pending in the PEN
sion Office Mr. Barrett the present Commissioner, not
having authority to override decision OF the Depart
ueut of the Interior, some time since submitted the
ouesion ia the suboined letter, 70 Secretary Smith,
who il will be seen reyerses the action OF his pre-
decessor Whether the original allowance OF these
claims was from worthy aud honorable motlvos or
without even plausible show of right and good
faih may be judged FROM the Official papers here
with published The value Of the lands thus granted,
estimated at the Government price, exceeds 900.
This leak-wlich there were persistent efforts to
keep open-hss at length been stopped;
PKxsloN ovfIcs, Oct. Q. 1902.
Hon. CALEB u. SMITH, Secretary 81 ths !nte'igr.
SIR: beg leave respectfully to invite your atten-
ton to large class of claims fox bounty lands fled in behalf
of citizens II New.Mezco portion Of which allowed
nader decision Of your immediate pTedecessoT These sp
pos,ons ere made under the bOuntyand acts Of March
lsss and Of day a. 1885, and particularly under the h Sec
tiou Of the extending the provisions Of the former
all persons who served volunteers with the armed
force, Of the United sp,es slsct to military orders for Che
spscs Of fourteen days in any the specified ia the m
Section the said sc whether such were CT were
moi mastered into service of the United Stsies"
All claimants ia the character OF Territorial mis VOL
rutess have served Secon ). sct Of 1857 with the
srned forces the United States subject to military orders
(of course United States commanded come one Of the
which this country has been engaged since l'o or
thoy belong the class section &C. Of 1859 Of
militia or volunteers State troops Of any state or Terri
tory called into military service, ind regularly mastered
sheren and whose services have been paid by the United
States"
Asto TIE cases under confederation this a. claim Is not
oct up the fc being the services alleged never
r.d 70, b. TIE United States 10 comply with the oeTnsiive
requirement the law therefore to having hen engaged
70 war Il is claimed that portion Of the spIh'
eants the Mexican and that another PORTION
whose ale ed service after the eOso Of that were
eugssej ~ ssppIsng Indian Disturbance such as this
Office should rscagn4e least sufficient to
ste the claimants bounty land for bsteseice Ia
srucve ground for claim based upon the third section CT
the set 1855 bat which to forced end unns
turl construction a. bes held be equivalent to ser
vice
So many these applicants claim the o. ssyi
&c. rendered the Mexican War must: order to mntae
their claim have serving In the proper ami that
500 as American citizens allies Uniform precedent re-
qures tina. the cssns should have bean ct tie seat Of
end In these pa-ticGsr they s. Mexican ci'i
Eens the seat Of haviug been In Mexican territory they
were certainly portion Of the enemy. To oov,;e
this difficulty fatal ale cation Il made that these
nyths Navsjoe Indians This Introduces entirely dis
connected war-if wa -ani places sI the applications
whether for service rendered during the Mexican War a.
Ter close the footing to the character Of the
botes alleged But , leaves the question to be de-
termned whether these EswMexicsn henso-ents
were not during ell til. period American citizens For
snssty St the intent Of Congress TO give Soun
ties for rendered by Mexican citizens IA protecting
Mexican soil and Mexican property though oil uey have
come within tie United domain sni jurisdction
Wa. the United States Government exercising civ jnris
dction territory Of New Mexico during he period
under and engaged accordingly, in repeuna
the incursions Of savage enemy ssns its Peplei o.
was this territory still part Of the ACKNOWLEDGED domdn Of
Mexico IT. citizens under allegiance 70 the Mclean Govern
men. and its soldiers merely protecting iAeir own
lives and possessions Mexican ozensl Not oaly does
this seem cardinal point In the whole investigation,
but treated such 10y ho attorneys or these claim
ants 1t being nnsinsined that SswMexico was this time,
g province Of the United States by conquest,
That this view is wholly uDiousbls. to evident
oni the history having relaon this subject. and
especially from the Of Tho treaty which olosed tao
with Mexico
The purpcss Of our Govsgrnen in prosecuting hls
officially declared by the President In his annual message
Copgss Il December, 1916 TO holt military posses
sion Of al The provinces which have been akeu
California AID New Ms1ico" zn definite treaty Of peace
shall have been ooncuad and ratified y the two co7D.e
And be distinctly affirmed In the document: TIE
has not been wsged with view TO conqVest.p
Historical IL regard the occupation Of
New Mexico by he United States forces Cen Ktsrnsy
advancing into tina. territory August 1885, opposed by
eh. Mexican General AToo with force Of from 1900 to
<o volunteers from tia, territory estiltd DO
conquered ard Kesrney possession fsautaF6 beng
ureously received BY the Lieutenant Governor. Vigil
who had remained after ArnjOs flight" By sheer tsuup.
ton Of authority Kearney oen5y or-guizei civil gov.
sraent pToaoureins the inhabitants Of the teoryvh.
Gu. cersroay-Arnsricsn citizens. That lie had neither
right color Of from bis Government 90
this is admitted by Ripley, whose concessions taking
into account he an.t hi which peryadss hs History Of
the Wa with Mexicol may well be received authority
this point These his wods In establishing the gov
eminent he Kesrney) claimed tho inhabitants citizens Of
the United s.ates and gave to them nights s1ch, which
could legally given only the scknonlelge4 scqu
ton oftsToy under sanction Of the esynssing pow
ofhe Congress Of the United States In this particular he
exceeded his Instructions" &c. Vol l.. p. 2e3)
In four five months this fictitious Government he'd entire
~ fallen pieces ending with the ssnson OF 3r Bent.
the civil head delegated by Keaney. According al ecog-
rzed constitutional International principles Of ccuue it
ronentsy from the out,e. From the s Of Benrs
des.h lieut. Gov Vigil the regular New Mexican executive
power when Kesrney took poeson appears (oven tho
paper, led ia there bounty land by his PROCLAMATION Of
February r. l3i7l the acting Governor Of be IeIlory
deserves notice in passi1g that tie papers jet referred
O. sso chow that the people u NewMexico simply
given permission" b. Gen KesTrey "to form parties
sgsnss the Nayoes AID that chs Mexican Gov
Nisi they simply Au;hoiized and esGey invited TO
make volunteer campaigns" against the savage enemy
were regularly In sny specific numbers ouhonta
sivey called out Nor did they IN with the
armed forces Of the United States subject to military orde
OF any American ofcer. They Away, went ont alone no
United States Goops assisting The enemy fought was
chen solely the enemy Of MeIco with which Government
cur own was q, war
As TO the political sssus o. the Territory Of y1co