The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-02
OUR BORDER TROUBLES.

L
It is well known that for long time the
authorities at Washington have been engaged
in the discussion of the question how to pre-
vent the continuance Of the depredations and
ou;rages committed on the Texas border by
the Mexican cattle thieves Mr.. Foster, our
Minister to Mexico, is now in Washington
giving information and making suggestions 10
M Fish in reference to the subject His ad'
vice is that the United States negotiate
treaty with Mexico authorizing the troops OF
the United States to pursue cattle raiders and
other criminals across the border, arrest them
on Mexican soil and bring them back for trial
and punishment. The New York Herald OF
December 20, commenting upon this idea,
says:
This is one of the most absurd proposals
we ever heard of as emanating from an Official
source. Such treaty would be equally dis
honoring to the government OF Mexico ana
the government OF the United States. Every
nation properly regards its territory as sacred,
and resenls, as one of the most offensive OF
insults, any intrusion into 1t by a foreign
power. The sharp controversies we have had
with other nations respecting the right OF
i
tons.
| If a foreign government wants crimina-
who has fled within our jurisdiction it can
get possession of him only under the prol
visions of an extradition treaty. The reason
| why ex tradition treaties are necessary for the
rendition of criminals is that every govern
ment regards its territory as inviolable, and
permits no foreign authority to pursue per-
sons charged with crime beyond the limits OF
its frontier. No government can surrender
this principle of inviolability without sacrl-
fee of national honor. 1t is, therefore, alb
surd and Quixotic for Mr.. Foster to recon-
mend such treaty as he proposes.
The counter-propostion made by the Herald
will be found in the following extract from
| the same article:
But these border difficulties and the bad
| blood they engender can not be permitted to
go on forever, and the proper remedy is
| very grava question. We have no doub.
| that the ultimate and only successful remedy
| is rectifca,ion of the Mexican frontier
| Broad and deep rivers form suitable enough
| boundary between conterminous nations; but
the Rio Grande, though broad, is not Deep
and for several hundred miles of its course it
is easily fordable, presenting no obstruction
to incursions from either side. Cattle could
not be hurried across the st. Lawrence on our
Canada frontier, even if the people on its
banks were rs wild and lawless as the settlers
on the Rio Grande.
Droves of stolen cattle can not be made to
swim q pavigable river, put can easily be
t4ken across a fordable stream. The Rio
Grande is wholly unfit to be boundary, and
troubles will never cease in the present state
Of civilization, along its banks SO long as it
continues to be the frontier. 1t is tor the
mutual interest of both nations that the
boundary line should be changed; but to &C.
complish this requires patience, foresightand
diplomatic tact Mexico is unwilling to part
with the narrow strip of territory which
would carry back the boundary to the unset
tied and uninhabitable mountain region,
which would interpose secure barrier be-
tween the settled portions Of the two coun-
tries; but it must ultimately come to this it
the two countries are to maintain peaceful
relations.
Our government can accomplish this
necessary rectifcation of the boundary with
out a resort to nostilities if it is prudent and
forbearing. 1t must watch for opportunities
and avail itself of them when they occur.
The Mexican Government is poor; its
finances are in a state Of chronic weakness.
Some eXigency is certain to arise when the
addition Of several millions to its treasury,
without levying oppressive taxes on its peo-
pie, will be a strong temptation to its rulers
Ii we acquire strip of lis territory we shall,
of course, expect to pay liberal compensa-
ton, and If we should give double its value it
would be bagatelie in comparison with the
cost of a war. Until the proper occasion |
arises we must wait and be patient, for there
is no method by which q rectiication of the
boundary would be SO expensive as by a war
between the two pations.