The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-30

The Mexican Border-The Texan OeIegatieu
10 the White House and the Promise Of
General Grant.
| A strong delegation of distinguished citizens
of Texas waited upon the President the other
day In reference to Mexican outrages upon
the soil of Texas, and for the purpose of ask
ing protection against the Mexican marauders
concerned in these acts of war against the
United States. Senator Hamilton, in behalf
of said delegation, informed the President
that he was in possession of numerous trust
worthy communications from Western Texas
setting forth the frightful condition of affairs
on the frontier, caused by armed bands Of
Mexicans invading the soil of Texas,
driving off into Mexico thousands Of
cattle, and destroying the property of
our citizeus that the raiders are Next
can soldiers, believed to belong to General
Cortinas' command, attached to the gov
eminent Of Juarez, and that against these
bands Of moss-roopers the border people of
Texas are powerless. Accordingly, through
this delegation, they asked the Presidents
Intervention for their protection. General
Grant appeared to be deeply impressed with
the representations made, and promised the
protection requested.
In relation to this General Cortinas our
special despatch of March 26, from Browns
vile, Texas published next day., furnishes
some specific information of considerable i'm
portance. 1t thus appears that the Grand Jury
of the United States District Court at Browns
vile has indicted this Juarst general, Cortinas,
for levying war against the United States and
for encouraging robbery, murder and treason.
The prssentment states that the Mexicans have
been carrying on predatory border war since
1865; that Mexican officials, civil and mill
tary, have taken part in these outrages upon
the property and the lives of the people Of
Texas; that reign Of terror prevails along
| the Rio Grande that informers against those
| freebooters being threatened with death the
names Of witnesses against them are sup
pressed; that the Mexican markets are open
for the sale of cattle stolen in Texas; that
Cortinas, in this border warfare, has murdered
citizens and soldiers and robbed the nails
tina. on application President Juarez has re-
fused to remove this brigaud; that his COM
mand are always mounted on stolen horses,
and that since 1865, on an average, five
thousand Texas cattle have been stolen
monthly, equal to total loss of six million
three hundred thousand dollars, exclusive Of
the depredations Of the "Kickapoo Indians"
who are Mexican citizens.
We are not surprised that, with this pre-
sentiment, the Grand Jury making it, suggests
the necessity of an efficient force Of United
States cavalry on the border as the only
remedy for these evils. At the same time it
appears there have been number of con-
victions for smuggling and for violations of the
Internal Revenue laws before Judge Morrell
at Brownsville, but that he has been lenient
to the guilty parties because their crimes in
comparison with the depredations of the
Mexican raiders, had come to be regarded as
''venial." In other words, these Mexican forays
upon Texas have so terrified our border
people that they look upon smu ygling as fair
play against their government, which has
denied them protection. But the question
may be asked, How is it that the State of
Texas which could send 80, 900 armed men
into the field to fight for ysff Davis and his
Southern confederacy, is now unequal to the
task Of protecting It's own border against a
few hundred Mexican border ruffians and
Indiansp 1t is because the State of Texas,
impoverished by the rebellion and robbed
since the war from year to year by the carpet
baggers, is not equal to the task Of maintain
ing body of two or three thousand cavalry
men along the Rio Grande; and. moreover, it
is because this frontier duty belongs to the
United States.
Where, then, lies the grave responsibility
for the neglect Of this duty on the part of the
general government for all this long period of
seven years since the close of the rebellion
1t may be said that the President has de-
pended upon his official subordinates for
information on the subject, and that they have
neglected from time to time TO report to him
the exact condition Of affairs. 1t may be said
that Mr.. Secretary Fish, taking his cue from
Mr.. Seward, has made it his policy to help
rather than embarrass the government of
Juarez, and that so he has ignored these
border troubles as the passing accidents of
Mexican revolutionary wars thus keeping the
President in ignorance Of the facts. 1t may
be said that the Secretary Of the Interior
has been too busy in his Evangelical expert
ments with Red Cloud, Spotted Tail and
Standing Bull to give any of his attention to
the Mexican "Kickapoos,' who are outside of
his department, and that the Secretary of the
Treasury has been so much absorbed in the
affairs of the New York Custom House that
the smuggling operations across the Rio