New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-06
The Responsibility of Mexico for Cor.
tina's CRimes.

oAuAAouS LOU soieScA NOg tlu6 JrO1n us con
mand 81 Mstamoras, and ordered him ,
report in person at the capitalization orde
he refused to obey-sn adpission was mad
by she higher Mexican authorities Of thei
responsibility foy bis actions. which ha
been sepeatedly denied by the Mexica
minister at Washington. The followin
letter to the Chicago Tribune was write
before the srres. Of Cortins, but refers {
this matter:
1t was in The summer Of 1873. The Mex
ican Border Commission had made thei
first report to Congress in the Decembe
preceding, and the commissioners wer
present in Washington arranging til
vouchers, and the testimony, 10 the claim
which they had heard. Minister Nelson ha,
been recalled from Mexico, and Iturbide
the child heir to tho Mexican throne.
there shall over again be throne il
Mexico, in the line Of his fathers, was stor
ping with Nelson b re. John w. Foster, Q
Indiana, chairman of the Republican Stat
Committee of that State. and Morton
campaign, had been sent to repre-
sent us at the halls Of the Montezumas
Shortly before shis time, the member
of the Mexican Border Commission vert
assemb blsd with NJ. Mariscsl. Mexican Min
lister 20 this country, in the Office of thu
Secretary of state. Ono of the specia
purposes for which the meeting had beer
called was to consider the responsibility q
the Mexican government for the acts of the
Mexican General j. N. Cortina. The evi
dence taken by the Border Commission
seemed to sustain their charge that Cortins
was the chief Of the robber bandits which
kn thn oHoti ha
the lower Rio Grande. The conversation
as it was repeated to me- by person who
was present, was something as follows:
One of the ommissioners-"Mr. Secretary,
there can be no possible doubt that General
Juan N. COrtina is a full general in the
Mexican army on half pay and under wait
ing orders. By far tho greater portion of
the Mexican raiders in the Rio Grande
country are under his immediate command.
The evidence is incontrovertible that sol.
diers, wearing the uniform of his command.
60 to the banks of the river at the fording 2
places 70 receive the stolen herds OF horses
and cattle which the Mexican bandits have
collected on the Texan side and driven
down to the river. The testimony in one
case taken by the commission shows that
Cortina himself has been often seen to
cross the river and 60 enter Texas, and
there to lift the calves into his own wagon
and to .rive back to Mexico, the mothers
Of tho calves following. All of this 10
printed in the eyiden ce accompanying the
report"
II was hero urged that Cortina was an
old-time friend Of Juarez, that he was q
man Of great influence as politician in all
Of the Mexican border States; that he had
much to do with securing those States for
Juarez; and that the latter, while conscious
a (sOrfInn a hod INIT tkoI I'D
cretiOns along the border. had forgiven him,
On account OF his valuable political and per
sOnal services.
The Mexican minister, Mariscal, preserved
. diplomatic silence throughout this con-
versation. At the close, he said that Gen
eral COrtina was not in the service of
Mexico, on half pay or under waiting
orders, and that the Mexican governments
n the diplomatic correspondence had fre.
Iuentiy SO asserted.
Cortinss record. as given 10 the repor: of
The border commission, shows that he is
beyond doubt, the person Who has con-
he raiding incursiOns upon our soil. the
in the course of their report,
present evidence upon tho subject, Of which
he following extracts are illustrations. The
say:
''fhe Mexicsn bank Of the Rio Grande
3ravO il occupied by numbers of ranches,
furnishing convenient rendezvous for
hese Marauders, from whence they carry
n openly their operations, often leading to
Onticts. Pursuit to the river banks, in
oaDy cases, has been Knocked at; the in
ffectual efforts OF customs officers and in
pectors have been jeered at, and this region
lade to suffer from the continual scOurge
+ these thieves. The butchers of the
h<,1l :.>
many cases, the heads Of the various
anches on che Mexican side, have partlei-
ated in the profits, encouraged the work,
nd protected the offenders. The Mexican
ocah authorities, as rule, civil and
Military, have been eognizant Of these
utrages, and have. with one or two honor |
bic eXceptiensS protected tho offenders,
efeated with technical objections at
smpts at recovery Of the stolen property.
ssisted in maintaining the bands of |
aieves, or openly and directly have dealt |
l the plunder, or appropriated it to their I
ersonal uses. In all cases coming before
1 by personal and official notification and |
ublic notOriety Of this serious and con. !
nual breach of International rights, they !
ave either protected the criminal and |
Jared with him the property stolen, or else /
ave confessed an inability to check tho /
ltrages and punish the offenders.
THE local authorities of Matamoras, Mier,
agdad, Camargo and other frontier Mexi- |
IN, towns, have been repeatedly notified of !
ese complications; the United States and
exlcan military authorities have CORE
ODded thereon; the supreme government
Mexico has been duly apprised of the
ate OF the border by earnest correspond
zee OF the United States civil and military
icers, transmitted through the American
mister. and in tho opinion of the commis-
sners, with the exception of the tardy re-
II OF General Juan N. Cortina, in March,
y, no step tending toward an amicable
q honest vindicatiOn of tho Mexican
ople has been taken. While to evince |
T good faith and earnest desire for the |
torcement OF the laws, the State of Texas |
8 lately organized and maintained a
stem of cattle and hide inspections, in |
lich undertaking she is ably seconded by |
Stock Raisers' Association Of Western
xas. Private parties have appointed
al agents to protect their interests, the
al press has appealed Intellectually to
reason OF the MexicaEs, and called in I
IN for the execution of the laws. IL
That tho action of the local Mexican c
thorities has been characterized by du- +
city. cohnivance at fraud, or q complete
'servlency to corrupt military rule, !
re SCENE to be but very little room left $
doubt; while the record of the military f
Of Mexico occupying the from.
;, especially the regime Of General Juan
pomucene Cortina from 1870 to 1872, is !,
which calls for immediate action on the q
t OF the Mexican government in disavOw- :
the acts, disgracing the offenders. and .
citing with the victims of these high \
!ded outrsges such sn adjustment of =
II claims as impartial justice requires.
The establishment OF the free zone, per &c, r
itated against the commercial interests of :,
United States; and when followed ap \
The appointment of Bcigadier General -
n N. COrtina to the command of the line | :,
he Bravo, in 1870, where he remained in g