Arizona citizen., 1871-06-24
TROUBLE AHEAD.

rob and murder upon American soil ] We call the serious attention of the
 public to the letters ill THE CITIZEN of the State Department of Mexico to the Governor of Sonora and United
 States Minister. It Is true, farcical examination isdirected, but if thou sand bloody crimes are proven on the parties ill arrest, and all of them were committed in Arizona or on American soil, the Mexican Government says such criminals must be liberated. D This is only commenda ble because of its frank defence of crime. Mexico says to her citizens, by this act Murder and rob on American soil, and return to satS asylum under our flag. The Mexican Minister declares that 1t will not and cannot punish its citi- zens fol crimes committed in the United States.
 With this bad decision comes the tidings of the unprovoked murder of Hon. Rees Smith near the Sonora line, and undoubtedly by Mexicans who are terror to their own people in Sonora as we'll as to the citizens of Arizona. Ever since the refusal of Pesqueira, early this year. to punish or surrender for punishment well known criminals, their attacks have increased for distance of 300 miles along the border. All station keepers on the Gila, live in constant dread of being murdered or robbed. Since the Mission Camp slaughter and pillage, these bandits have stolen many horses anC mules; murdered without cause, man at Mohawk Station, and have often boasted that they intended to kill or drive off every American along the Gila river.
 In the light of these facts, we would inquire, in all candor, how long can or will such a state of affairs continue? Can and will lawless bandits be en- outraged by one government and per mitted by another to prey and mur- der with impunity under neighbor- ing flag? Must unofending Ameri- can citizens be robbed and assassinatad by Mexicans and vice versa :? Mexico says her citizens may without fear of punishment maltreat Americans; now what does or will Uncle Sam say :? He can assume but one of two posi- tionS with honor. American citizens must be informed that they will be held guiltless of any crimes perpe- trated on Mexican soil when they es- cape to our country, or the Mexican interpretation of the extradition treaty be denounced, and a prompt demand made that when criminals escape to Mexico, they must be punished there or given up for punishment by our Courts. Our frontiersmen must be on an equal footing, and will be if jus tice Is not thing of the past.
 It has been and is now the earnest desire of the people of Arizona to cul- tivate and maintain the most friendly intercourse with the inhabitants and authorities of Sonora. The reasons why are manifold. The Indians are our common enemies, las the said out laws should bel; we have a large, gr6wing and mutually beneficial trade; large number of our citizens are Mexicans by birth and are still related to citizens of Mexico; thereis a common safety and prosperity de- pendent upon it, etc.
 Suppose this lawless state of affairs continues on the border, does any one suppose retaliation will not ensue? Will unoffending humanity, when so outraged, forget or abstain from self defence? Will not the Mexican and our own government avert inevitable international difficulties by adopting and practising the true spirit of the extradition treaty? It can easily be made to suppress border bandits. We did hope that each government would in the interest of its unoffending citi- zens and honor, make the treaty what it was apparently intended for, a blessing instead of curse. If the pres ent interpretation stand, we might as