, 1876-05-10

retreated with precipitancy into the open
country as soop as a few troops OF rebels
arrived before the walls, nor did these
heroic defenders of the public presume to
return to their quarters until all the dis
possible gold and horses OF the inhabitants
had been l%eisurely secured by the plumber
ers. Nor, indeed, are the citizens who are
directly exposed to such incursions much
more unfortunate than their fellows.
Under the system of official eXaoti0ns, the
corruption of Justice, the multiplication OF
yeXatious imposts, trade and commerce
are at a stand still, and men Of even COM
p%arative honesty may be pardoned tor
thinking that the industry of the highway
is at once the least disturbed end the
most productive Of all occupations.
Perhaps an exception may be made IN
favour of the trade Of The regular soldier.
lie, it seems to be generally admitted, Ia
not oaly in the receipt d pay, or its cqui-
ya.eNt, from the inhabitants he IS supposed
to protect, but whom he prefers to terro-
rise, but at the same time, is the rewarded
confederate ol the local Insurgents, Who
pursue Che chilling of patriots By tho me
t.glz ofl4udl,u.
The 80 .tgi5Q.i9aa Il. tha Congress
towards the improvement Of the public
condition may be passed over 10 silence.
they mainly consisted IN lurtherine.ea
1t me already enormous duties, and NAV
accordingly deserve the thanks Of the
various smuggling couilatcrultIes, but call
Tor notice in no other respect. lie IS not
q wise man in Mexico who declares the
value Of his goods to the Customs autb0ri-
ties. In the first place, be has 10 pay the
tax and in the second place, II his
commodities are really costly, the odds are
that the next band OF brigaads on the way
of his further progress will have received a
friendly iutimation to be on the lookout
ior an acceptable prize. The public
misery being so aggravated, it was surely
a work of supererogatiou i0r the CBJclal
gazette to denouuce the formidable P0r-
hrio Diaz as engaged in reasonable trans
actions with the United States Govern
ment for the c.ssion Of Mexican border
lands. The mutiuous iree-Iance had shown
sufficiently in the Franco Mexican war
that ifregdy TO conyulse his native land,
he would never betray her. " Mexican
sentiment" was keenIy affected by this
official outrage on a patriotic though IN
subordinate soldier, and Poririo Dlaz be-
came at once the innocent victim Of an
undeniabIo insult, and entitled, according
to all Mexican traditions, to use every
means to viudicate his honour on his
calumniators. Ia that z0na libra, that
frontier territory Of freedom aud freeboot-
ing which stretches its upcartain confines
between Mexico and the United States,
along the banks Of the Rio Grande, the
Injured leader has found sympathisers and
avengers. Former companions in arms
have united with chiyalrous horse-stealers
from the Texan line to proclaim the down
fall ofLerdo de Teiada's Government andif
possible, to effect it. The detection Of the
. garrison " of the important town of
M8tamora8 has thrown that provincial
capital into the hands Of the insurrection,
and even if Potflio Dio2 does not succeed
in assembling troops enough to march on
Mexico, it is quite as probable that LerdO
de Teiada will not fad troops to march on
Matamoras. Lerdo wants to be President
for the new term, which commences
towards the close of the year, and besides
the circumstance that a good many OF the
regular troops are too probably employed
in "going shares" with the provincial
banditti, it is awkward tdat Meiia, the