The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-24
eeneraI sheridan,s explanation.

General shoridan's Explanation.
From the zSibWae.
Among the Mexican documents transmitted by
the President TO che House, In answer TO ther
request, Is the report of General Sheridan to the
War Departnont, giving his reasons tor the arrest
OF Senior Ortega wnO claims to be the constitutions
President OF Mexico by virtue of the fundamental
law of that country and the free vote of its people.
Senior OrteRas protest against the arrest is based,
first, upon the wrong violently done to him per-
sonally, In disregard of individual guarantees.
Seoondly-and tins Is the point that chiefly con-
Germs the American people, upon grounds OF inter.
national law-he says;-"I protest, In the name of
the Mexican republic, whose powers l exercise as
indirect LnteTt renee by the armed forces OF the
United states IN the solution OF local Mexican ques
mons. again protest. as President OF Mexico,
against all acts which directly or indirectly lead by
forcible means 10 impose upon tae Mexican people,
In the character OF government the factions repre-
sented by Mr. Benito Juarez," etc. etc;
General Sherldan's attempted Jgstiheauon OF the
arrest rests upon these erounos That the acknow-
iedged head o. the lib raj Government during the
recent events in Mexico was President Juarez, and
that Orte9s had fed the country. 2. That 0rtega,
while in foreign country did as much as he could
to oounteract them tthe eventsl by the publication
Of real or & Tights s as SS pre
but he resolved on appeal to arms to enforce his
claims, and combinations were formed at New YORK
and BTownsVllle That General OrteRa was
about 70 cross the line of our frontier, and was
arrested on the same principle that the Fenians
the INVASION OF Canada. g. That the American
people have suffered in trade from the disturbed
condition of affairs the Rio Grande, first by In
perialism and then by foreign merchants in Mata-
moras. who set up such men as Canales and Ortega.
9 made DC Se1sFs a9 Sheridan sG
evidence enough tnat his arrest was violation OF
international neutrality absolutely ipdefensible
Senor 0rtegs, elected to high office by the people
OF Mexico, claims to have become the President of
the Republic by the express terms OF the Constltu
tion, upon the expiration of the term Tor which
BonitO JUaTeZ elected, lt question not OF
fact but of construction one which belongs wholly
and exclusIyely to the Mexican people, who, dis.
turbed by tine INVASION of the French, have had no
time to devote to 1t, ana the authority of Senior
Jusrez, who, being to certain extent in possession,
has claimed to hold over until new election, has
been more or less acquesced in. Senior Ortega,
although power ess to enforce his claims has not
ceased TO ma ntaIn them, and Gen. Sheridan makes
1t point agnInt MN that he has counteract. the
EFFORTS OF Juarez by The publication of real or pre-
tended rights as constitutional President OF Mexico,
and has looked forward to the enforcement of his
alleged nights by an appeal to arms 1t is not
been actually done or attempted by Senior Ortega
but Genera Sheridan, LOOKING at the contest
between the two claimants for the Presidency, pre-.
fers Juarez being, IN his view, the acknowledged
head of the Liberal Government, and repudates
Ortega inter ering with Juarez and with the in
teIests OF Americans; and so, on the same principle
that the EenIans were arrested in attempting to
invade Canada, he arrests Ortega as he was quietly
entering Mexico with his Presidential suite and
General Sheridan sue gests that this was done 'to
counteract these machlnatlons, and to prevent our
neutrality laws from being violated" " but item of
proof is given that our neutrality laws were being
violated, and the tone and character of General
Sheridan's report shows that he expects to justify
his action on the other grounds which HAYES pc
Cited Had oenor Ortega been arrested for the
crime OF violating or attempting TO VIC ate our neu-
traty laws, the General would have advised him of
the charges, and the Government would nave
ordered hIs trial. Assuming that General Sheridan
has better defense than that he has submitted he
should be advised that he and not Ortega has
violated the laws OF international neutrality by
intermeddlng IN the domestic affairs of the people
OF Mexico. The American Government is pre-
at the first opportunity the pledges and
principles which Mr.. Seward, so long as
neutrality was OF importance to ourselves, unceas'
ingly repeated 10 the courts of Europe "Our policy
of non-intervention," he declared straight abso:
Lutte and peculiar, has become q traditional one"
While the echo of our boastiul devotion to this policy
yet fingers IN the diplomatic atmosphere, we cele-
brate our restoration to power by an interference
with the concerns of our weaker neighbor an act
that is open violation of international right and
international courtesy. Our Government seems
emulous OF that inso ent disregard for all law eX.
cept the law OF the stronger which the great powers
OF Europe too often betraY IN their intercourse with
the lesser
The act which we are compelled thus to denounce
is indeed the act of General Sheridan, but th5 re-
sponsibity for it rests not upon him. but upon the
authority at Washington from which proceeded his
instructions. The country wei knows what hand IS
kept upon the helm OF our dip omacY. General
Sheridan does not, IN any letter which Mr. Seward
has permitted TO the light seek to relieve him.
self of his personal responsibility for the arrest OF
Ortega. He IS soldier. and obeys orders. Chival-
rOus TO fault, no prefers to bear the odlum OF a
policy Of which he is probably not the author, but
the instrument He may well think he can afford to
trust his reputation with the American peop o,
who honor and confde in him. But Mr. Stewards
popularity will not be much increased by the dis
coverY that he is willing to saddle on General Sherl
dan so much OF his diplomacy as he understands to
ha q hundar