The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-25
FROM THE RIO GRANDE.

EAfuCUNWEH W hmO OhntmE0 Oh tm0 AhAho-
raj Party now under Sentence Of
Death-ReOccupatiOn OF Monterey by
the FFeneh--COndltiOn of the City and
It's IDhabitaDts-A Reign OF Terror
The News or President Juarez's and
General NegFete's Crossing into Texas
Received tD MntamOrRs - What is
Thought OF the MOvement' There
Firing Across the RtO GrRnde-A Sc.
FfOus Affair.
MATAMoRAs Mexico, January 4.-"Shall we
have q war in Mexico?n is the question over the
border. own the United States assist us in ex-
pelling the invaders OF our soilW ask the Lib
erals. "Will America declare war against Maxi.
milianW inquire foreign powers. Who can
answer these quesionsy 1T IS reported that
General Grant SAID that Macmillan must leave
Mexico That looks like war, surely, from
military point of view. I'VE shall have no war;"
said the Secretary of State to friend recently.
That is not a warlike view, surely, from an ad-
minstrative point OF view.
One reports waited to us from Washington,
that all the troops in Texas with the exception
OF three or four regiments) are to be mustered
out Immediately, while at the same time regi-
ment OF engineers, with pontoon train, are
under orders at Galveston to proceed to the Rio
GTande What is the use of a regiment of eIlgi-
neers and pontoon train on the Rio Grande
without troops, and what use is made Of troops
mustered out, except return them to their homes9
Several officers over the river have been pro
NOTED recently, for what?-to be mustered out
WlIn IuelT GOfOOraIS
guard lett on the Rio Grande, and superintend
the engineers and the laying OF the pontoons.
Among the officers promoted are Maior-G enerals
WeitZel and G. A. Smith, the former breveted
BTigadier General in the regular army, and the
latter q full Maior-General OF Volunteers. All of
the above questions leave to be answered by
your readers, as your correspondent is unable to
"solve the problem"
am enabled to give you the full particulars
of the recent capture of party of Liberals near
this city, which has caused the correspondence
between Generals Weitzel and Meia relative to
their execution. Two or three days ago thirteen
laden wagons left this city for San Fernando,
under small guard. When some ten or twelve
miles from Matamoras the guard was surprised,
and the wagons captured. Unfortunately, one
man escaped, unknown to the Liberals. This
man fastened to Matamoras, and laid the facts
before General Meiia, who instantly despatched
squad OF cavalry in pursuit, who overlook them
about daylight the next day, about thirty miles
from the city. The Liberal party were COM
pletely taken by surprise, the first news of the
presence Of an enemy being severe cross,fre
from the imperialists, which killed and wounded
fifteen or twenty of the party. After a slight
skirmish the remainder were captured, and with
the recaptured wagons brought to Matamoras
a court was Immediately ordered to be con-
,onod and the report is that every man has
Eonr +or "ed TO be shot. Hence the protest of
General Weitzel. al Tie short and independent
reply of General Mejia, wGH LOOKS up upon y these
men as "bandits and highway No9oels, au
aIrdlQ 6enSTdl WGlUZClb KIM
will not save the poor fellows from "ealn, as
trial. sentence, and execution follow fast IN
Mexico to those who are fighting for country AM
liberty. Mejia probably acts on the principle
that two liberal parties or policies cannot agree
in Mexico, and SO uses all his power to extin'
guish the one for the existence of the other.
You have probably heard ere this of the reoc-
cupalion OF Monterey by the French. Monterey
appears to be of considerable importance to the
opposition force outside its walls; but of no use
to those in possession o the city, except to levy
"forced loans" ahd then evacuate; when the
other party enters, takes possession, continues
the same game, and so the play goes on-sport
10 the ''sons of Mars" but financial death to the
pockets of the unfortunate citizens
Indeed, SO alarming has the state OF affairs
become in Monterey, that the better portion of
the population are removing from the city to
San Luis Potos taking with them their specie
and all valuable movable goods Not unfre
quently these parties are waylaid by rowing
bands of guerillas or deserers from either party,
robbed of all they possess, and sometimes MUIR
dered because they do not have more to give
these cold.blooded cormorants. / need scarcely
state that with this state of affairs in Monterey,
business in that city is almost entirely destroyed,
| the inhabitants living in perpetual reign OF
| terror"
We have Just heard the news here of Juarez,
! Negrete, and other generals and officers of the
| Liberal army crossing the Rio Grande into Texas
| at Eagle Pass. This news has caused constdera-
| BILE excitement and no little speculation among
the Imperialiss as to the cause of this important
visit on the part of President Juarez and some
| of his most distinguished officers to your soil.
| From their actions and conversation, it is easy
| to see that it "bodes them no good;" and, to
| tell you the truth, / am little uneasy myself
| about this movement, and believe that Washing.
| ton is their destination.
The night before last an affair of very serious
| nature occurred, which may result in declara
ton of war from one power or the other on
either side of the Rio Grande, if not imme
| diately attended to. / refer to an exchange oi
shots across the river, in which it is stated that
one or two persons were wounded. 1t appears
that shot was fired from the American side
when the pickets on this side immediately dis
charged their pieces.
AS might be expected, an answering volley
rang from the Yankees" which was kept uI
by the parties for some time until the affair ter
minated by authority" At first it was sup
posed that one of the American pckets fred al
one of the Imperial" pickets, but news arrived
yesterday from over the river that a party o
General Crawford's command acting under hii
orders, were In the act of embarking for thi,
side, for the purpose of capturing a gunboa
moored near the city, and that a musket was
accidentally discharged which resulted as de
scribed above, and of course frustrated the in
tended capture OF the gunboat.
! learn also that several Of the parties en-
gagged IN Sne affair were arrested by Genera
WeitzePs orders.-.NelC Orleans Times, l7h