American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-22
THE RIO GRANpE TROUBLES

Sam Houston before Texas gained
her liberty at San JacintO in 1886.
The oil fellow has ranch over on
the Rio Grandp, about IL days
horseback ride to the west from
San Antonio. Here said [, as the
old fellow mounted his horse i'll
front of the Alamo, here is a man
who knows more about the troubles
on the RIO Gran,le than Gen. Grant
and all his Cabinet. SD, handing
him twenty cent Henry Clay Hava
Ma, which had been smuggled out
from MatamorOs for ten cents, l
asked the old fellow to tell me what
trouble they well having with the
Mexicans over on the river.
''Truuble, stranger, TO Il b lie r
he replied, examining me from head
to foot "whO, the only trouble we
have is because the damn Marshals
and soldiers wont let us go over
and clean out the Greasers-wOnt
let us sail in and kill every Next
Can son Of a-whO swims the Rio to
raid our stock. That's all the trOu-
ble We have"
It's it really the only trouble You
have-the fact that you are not per
mitted to kill the Mexicans !" l
asked.
Amt that trouble enough, stran-
CERT Didn't 500 greasers cross the
river last month March 2O) down
near Brownsville Opposite Mata-
morsl, and didn't they divide into
ten squads ami go rObbing and
stealing through the towns and ran
ches Didn't one band go to
Nueces, twelve miles from Corpus
Christi, and rob the stores and
banks and stage cs.,ches Didn't
they c4'me up on John y ,rden in
the night, get the drop on him, and
rob him of $3.50 in Mexican do lars
Didn't the samn party rob Sam
Moody OF 925, O0O-money tn 1t Sam
had been twenty years earning
honestly selling struggled goods !
Didn't they waylay anl rob the
Postmaster of Nuecps? Didn't
they round in our best beeves, and
then all swim back over the river
at MatamOrOs, CamargO, and Lera-
dot You bet they did! And
when q crowd of us Texans stsked
out to go after the greasrrs, as
Davy Crockett and Bowie-knif-
Bowie used to 60 after them. what
did Col. Mackenzie do? Why, he
told us to hold on, that the Mexican
would tend to 'em and
if it didn't, why, the United States
would take it up. just as if the
Mexican government had anything
TO do with it, any wayl Didn't we
all know that the Mexican auth0ri-
tics themselves are all mixed up in
these raids Don't We know that
the raiders go straight back and
divide beeves aud mail bags and
stOlen pocketbOoks with the mayors
and marshals of Matamoros and
Lerado -
.'Do you think the Mexican Off
cials are really interested in these
rObberies I" / asked.
eOf course I do Why, there
ain't u Mexican officials in the free
zone from Matamoros to Lrrado,
who is nOta professional smuggler.'
"What do You mean by the free
zone 2" / asked.
"The free zone sir, is a streak of
country for 500 miles up the Rio
and two leagues back from
the river, where foreign goO.ls came
in free from duty. They don't pay
no duty. The Mexicans don't in
Reynora, Camargo,
Mier, Guerro and Lerado. On the
Texas side of the Rio Grande we
have to pay high duties, that is we
have to if any thing ever
landed here, but Instead all the
goods imported land on the Mexican
side free, and smugglers bring 'em
across. They used t' smuggle
goods across openly when Cortina
was in command, but since he was
they are little more pri
rate about it. But even now you
san buy velvets and brandy ami
cigars aud coffee IS cheap in
as you can in Europe"
"DOn't this free zone damage the |
,ther Mexican cities Z" / asked.
s.Of course it does sir. 1t has !
ruined TanpicO and crippled Mons
,erey and Vera Cruz. There is Just
~ much smuggling inlO Mexico
rom the free zone as Into the Uni
ed States. But Mexico can't b. In
ITSELF. They are afraid of those free
Zone fellows. The free zone is only
,llOwed to them to keep them iu
he Mexican republic. Abolish the
rec zone and these fellows would
;Ome over to the United States in
,ear. and lick the whole Mexican
lrmy to do it, too. In fact, the Rio
irande fellows established the free
:one themselves in '5S, and Nj exicO
rad to recognize it IN '61, and now
here amt power enough in the
whole empty meal bag of the Mexi-
IAN republic to put Custom House
,ffioer there again.
"HOw can these troubles ever he
'ettled 2" asked, finding the old
Rio Grander knew 30 much about
They can't be settled, sir. They
lever will be settled while the Am
,ricans live alongside of the Mcxi-
,ans. These AZtec-Spauish-In Indian
Iiexicans are as proud and brave
Il the old Narragansett Indians,
md as dishonest and lazy as the
lirtiest COmanche who will assas
mate IL soldier TO steal the crus:s
rom swill barrel. The United