Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-10-15
THE TEXAS BORDER.
Arrival OF MessTs. R0bb and Savage at
WashingtOn-Tbeir Interview
with Grant and Fish.
DepredatiOns OF Mexican Cattle Thieves
The Notorious BObber, COrtiHs,
and His Bandits.
The Free Zene g Place Of Refuge for
the RObbers-TrOOps Required for
the Protection Of Texas.


Thomas p. Robb, of Georgia, and Major
Richard ii. Savage, of CalifOrnis, men,
bers Of the Border Commission, arrived
here this morning from Brownsville,
Texas, and during the day called upon
the President and had a long converse
tion with reference to their late investi-
cation into Mexican outrages upon our
citizens in Texas and their forthcoming
report. They are to meet the President
again tomorrow, the conference to-day
being interrupted by the pressure OF
other business upon the Executive. Mr..
~ Fabius ]. Mead. the other commissioner,
did not accompany his colleagues to
Washington. but will rejoin them here
after spending two or three weeks at
home, in Natchez. The Commissioners,
who were appointed by virtue Of
an act passed during the late ses-
sion OF Congress, left New Orleans
for the Rio Grande frontier on the Fourth
Of July and remained there till within
the last two weeks. They sat at Browns
vile, Rio Grande City, Ringgold Bar
racks and Rockport, and nave brought
back as the result OF their lsbOrs, and in
addition to a vast fund Of personal in
formation, great quantity Of testlmo-
nv. taken chiefly in border Spanish, and
reduced 10 English by themselves with
the aid OF the army interpreter at Fort
Brown. The earlier part Of this testi-
mony relates to the general state OF at-
fairs along the Bravo, as the Rio Grande
Is locally designsted, and the response
hilitv Of Mexican officials Of all grades
therefor. The rest constitutes the ample
proof Of a small part Of the individual
losses Of the Texan rancherOs that Mex
leo in some manner viii have TO pay.
roRTINA AND THE HOME OF THE CAT
TIE sTEALERs.
The country between the Bravo and
the Sierra Madre. varying from twenty
i've To seventy-fve miles in width, and
constituting what is known as the Free
Belt. is the home Of the cattle steal
ers, who enjoy the powerful protection
Of General Juan COrtna, Of the MeXi-
can army, who has large ranches on
both sides Of the river though be does
not venture to visit his Texas property
in person. COrtina was retired from ac-
dive service by his government some
two wears ago, at a time when the Her
aid was directing public attention TO the
Injuries inflicted on our citizens by his
bandit; measure which, though in
tended TO relieve the government from
responsibility for his acts, afforded no re-
lief 10 the plundered Texans. He has
lately been assigned to service, and is
understood to be organizing force with
which to collect and guard beef cattle
for the Mexican troops, who are short OF
-upplies in consequence OF the severe
drought Of the past summer.
SECURITY OF TIE FREEBOOTERs.
BY reason Of the participation Of him
seIfaud the various state and municipal
officers in the profits Of the plunder from
Texas. the Mexican and Indian cattle
thieves are secure from the moment they
reach their own side Of the river with
rhe stolen herds Of horses and -beeves. {
Comparatively little stock being raised
on the Mexican ranches, whose owners
are mostly poor and lazy, and the
Mexican revenue system levying duties (
on exports Ouly, the freebOOters have a |
lucrative market for their captured /
droves. II is only when some energetic 4
Texan traces the thieves and his pro- /
Derrv TO Matamoras or CamargO that
show Of administeringju jusJicei Is made by |
the Alcalde, but the stolen cattle are /
never recovered nor the robbers ever 1
punished.
THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT POWER /
LESS.
II is conceded by all with whom the |
Commissioners have conferred that the 4
central government is pOwerless, even II |
yyeIl disposed, so that the disposition Of 4
mat government is not regarded as be- 4
ing a question Of much practical cOnse- /
quence. The only effective aid that it /
could give toward the suppression Of the 1
depredations would be to grant the re- /
peated application Of our own govern |
mcnt for permission to follow the ma /
rauders into the free belt whenever their /
Irail was struck by our troops; and these I
requests il has always refused or evaded. /
liz is understood that as measure OF 1
Immediate relief the commissioners 4
will urge the picketiug OF the river by I
Larger cavalry force than the detach- /
meut now there, with, perhaps, few
steam launches % be kept on the rivera ]
s. part Of the customs establishment.
But such an arrangement could not be
accepted a. a final remedy for the pres
ent insecurity of life and property; and
the Commissioners will in all probabil-
itv fall in with the popular demand in
Texas for the extension Of our frontier /
from the RIO Grande to the Sierra MadTe, /
including the mountain itself, which is 4
--outed 10 be piethoric in gold and silver, 4
and which, II we only held the base, /
would still afford a safe refuge for the 1
l,aHditti
INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT.
The Commissioners are not very COM I
r!uuicative concerning their interviews I
to-day with the President and the Sec |
retary Of State, but they seem exceed |
inglv well pleased with the reception l
given 70 themselves and their views ST !
the White House, and intimate that, 30 /
FAR a. they are concerned, the hopes OF 1
indemnity and security raised by their |
presence among the people Of Texas
yri.l not be disappointed when publicity /
snail be given 10 the report they are to
prepare and submit for the information
Of Congress on their return from brief
visits 70 their homes. The economical
organization Of the Commission for
whose expenses but six thousand dol
lars were appropriated, afforded them
neither secretary, stenographer nor in
fe-preter, in consequence Of which all
the work Of collecting information, hear
ing testimony and reducing il to writing
fell upon themselves, and their detailed
notes are not a. full as might be desired
FEELING or THE BORDER
The prevailing hope Of the settlers,
thai they may return to complete their
Investigations, will probably be taken
into consideration here, anu should lDey
go back for that purpose, the President
may conclude 90 withhold any conelu-
-ive action or recommendation to Con-
gress till f1rther evidence and infOrma-
ti0u are secured. But the Commission
ers themselves are confident that the
policy instituted in the passage
u the resolution Of COngres under
which they were appointed viii
not eventually fail to materially advance
the solution Of our pending Mexican
question, and they acknowledge the
great services Of the Herald and other
Journals in evoking a public sentiment
so the support Of whatever proper steps 4
may be taken by the government in de
tense Of tie lives and property OF our /
citizens on the Bravo. The various 1
articles in the Herald on the subject I
have been read with avidity, and /
,.idaIy circulated In the troubled dis i