The New York herald., 1875-11-24

/ The Troubles on the Mexican Border.
II is a serious national misfortune 70 have
a President in whose management of our
foreign relations the people do not repose
confidence. The public mind has recently
been disturbed by Cuban excitement, to
| which the unwonted and unexplained
activity in our navy yards supplied
fuel, and as it is now confessed
that there is nothing in our relations
with Spain to Justify SO much preparation
public attention is turned in another
direction in search of a cause for the sudden
| hustle in the navy yards. A fresh outbreak
Of the troubles on the Rio Grande suggests
the possibility Of hostilities with Mexico and
the employment of a feet on the Mexican
coast Of the Gulf President Grant has only
himself to blame that the country 50 dis
trusts him. If lie would allow the
people 10 have a fuller knowledge Of
their own business which he Is their
mere agent to transact, every slight com
piication with foreign Power would not
unsettle the public tranquility and injure
the business OF the country. The fact that
President Grant is supposed to be scheming
for reelection brings his motives into sus-
picion, and adds TO the uneasiness occasioned
by warlike preparations Of which there is
no adequate explanation.
50 far as the public has any knowledge
there is nothing in our relations with
Mexico to justify war, or even to
afford good pretext for one. The
raids and cattle stealing on the Rio
Grande are an evil Of many years standing,
and however exasperating they may be to
people on that frontier they do not call for
extreme measures. They are susceptible Of
peaceful remedy, and until peaceful means
have been tried and exhausted no resort
should be had to any other We have care
fully looked through the diplomatic CORE
spondence published by order of Congress
last winter, and find nothing in that part Of
it relating to Mexico which evinces dispo-
sition on the part of either government to
evade its obligations to the other. 1t is clear
enough from the correspondence that there are
two sides to this question Of cattle stealing,
and that the Mexicans are not the sole
offenders. Our Minister at Mexico, Mr..
Foster, gave candid statement of the Mexi-
can side Of the case in a despatch to Mr..
Fish, communicating the results Of the in
Vestigation by a commission authorized by
the Mexican Congress. Mr.. Foster indorsed
the character Of the commission in very
decided language. ''The result Of the labors
Of tile commission" Mr. Boster said,
''has not disappointed the expecta-
tions expressed by this legation
as to the amount Of close research
which it displays and the apparent consci-
entiousness and moderation with which its
conclusions are stated" The Mexican Com
mission invited Texan claimants to
appear before it and testify, but
they all refused to do So and the
evidence it gathered is therefore &c pdrte
but our Minister did not doubt that it was
honest. Being obliged to derive its facts,
he said, chiefly from Mexican sources, it
was natural that the report should give
prominence to the losses and outrages
suffered by Mexicans at the hands of
Texan malefactors, and, while presenting
but little in confirmation, should contain
much in abatement of the large loss alleged
to have been suffered by American citizens.
Mr.. Foster seemed to entertain no doubt
that the statements Of the Texans were gross
exaggerations, nor any doubt that many
prominent persons in Texas were engaged in
robberies Of cattle, who, nevertheless, zap
peared before the American Border Commits
sion presenting claims against Mexico for
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars in
each case" Ii was proved by docu-
mentary evidence 'that the number
Of cattle alleged to have been stolen in spe-
cifc years is vastly in excess Of the entire
amount ever owned in the counties in
question; that the entire official valuation
of real estate in those counties forms but a
fraction Of the alleged losses, and that there
are several instances Of persons who have al
legged losses Of thousands Of cattle who have
either paid no taxes on cattle or paid them
on but few scores or hundreds" The fact
that our Minister At Mexico was inclined to
credit these statements, or at least indorsed
the care and conscientiousness Of the com
mission that made them, is a reason why our
government should exercise great caution in
demanding redress for injuries which, if not
fictitious, are enormously exaggerated
Mr.. Fosters despatch to Secretary Fish
communicating this information may perhaps
be one Of the reasons why the President
refused to send to the frontier the troops
requested by the Governor Of Texas. 1t is
said in the despatch that ''the excitement
upon this subject promoted for two or three
years past by the residents Of the American
frontier, is attributable in great measure to
q desire q involve the two republics ia war
ior purposes Of annexation" This is the
\ Mezican view, and the Mexican Commission
4 proposed, as practical remedies the strength
\ ening 81 the penal laws of Texas and Of the