New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-07
Tile MEYICAN TRAGEDY.


Toward tbe close of August, last year, Gov.
Patoni, a prominent politician ana soiuier VI
Mexico. was taken out of his bed after MD
night and shot, under circumstances OF Mucous
Crime Patoni belonged to the Ortega iaction,
and had just been Internationally releaseo
from prison along with his chief. Ills assassin
WAS Maior-Gen. Benigno Canto, second IN COM
mond to Gen Corona in one of the most I'M
nortant military divisions of Mexico. upon
benp reproached with the murder, he ac-
knowledped that he did it under sealed orders
of the Government of Juarez. This the GOV
ernment Indignantly and even yehemenuy
denied. Canto, under its orders, was
brought to Mexico, where, after proper hear
ing. he was expelled from the Congress OF
which he was a member elect, and directed TO
the civil courts Of Durango. 1t was many
months before he was sent to Durango, his con-
sicnment thther being stopped by plea for
the legal protection known in Mexico as
Amparo. Aniparo is literally an asylum under
the law, and has often been afforded mas
criminately, by bad Judges In Mexico, to ROD
beers and assassins of the vilest order. The
Government intcrfered to prevent Canto from
being too boldly cloaked from the penalty OF
his crime, and insOmucb saved the Republic
from greater shame aud scandal.
Five months after the murder Gen. Canto
was sent back for trial to the town in which he
committed il. We have since heard vaguely,
never definitely, that the murderer had preyar-
icated over the allegation of the sealed orders,
and more lately had confessed his guilt in the
murder. News to this effect reached us in a
shane so uncertain that we have never been
able to make ont what was the precise nature
of the assassns confession-whether he admit
ted his own sole responsibility in the affair, or
reaflirmed that he had done it under orders
We are now at length informed that Gen.
Canto is to be tried by military
commission, the civil judges of Durango
fearing assassination should they adjudicate his
deserts. Strange to say, the case has come
round TO the point whence it started. Nearly
n wear ago Canto made his own motion to be
tried by court-martial Pending or after refu-
sal, he married, to the mingled astonishment
and indifference of his countrymen. Then he
WAS given over to the civil courts, it being
understood that, however palpable and shocking
his crime lis fellow soldiers might acquit him.
OF the last stage of this extraordinary case no
detailed or ample Information has come to hand.
The name of CantO has once been mentioned
i'm connection with that of his friend the kid
napier Gutierrez, condemned to death month
ago. Why il is that assassns and friends of
assassins come to find themselves ut the head
of military divisions in Mexico, requires a
longer chapter than We have now time or
space to give to the question. Of
all who have achieved wretched emf
-, al, &c 60 phono
no one has been moro subsequently wicked
than the assassin Canto For the place and
deed of this man the rulers of Mexico have not
been held mt once responsible, and we are far
from wishing to throw shade of unmerited sus-
picion upon men who have sustained difficult
and desperate work with what seems to have
been a rigid singleness Of purpose and stoical
courage and endurance. But the world surely de-
sires TO know something more of a case where
i'm whole Government originally stood accused.
Not less for the sake OF justice to the man so
cruelty and cOwardly murdered, than for the
fair fame Of the Government itself, is it reason
able TO demand that some atonement shall be
made to the worlds opinion. At the time of
demanding Canto to trial, it was said in
these columns that the Mexican Republic stood
on trial with him for murder. We did not
wish to PREJUDICE what at the worst conception
would seem to be infinitely more shocking
than the sharp and sudden, though, as some
contend, right act, by which the Archduke met
his DEATH But, until the Mexican Government
can satisfy us that justice has been done in the
case of Canto, and its own good name vindi-
Gated, we hold it still on trial for his atrocious
crime
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