The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-12-22
Ghe Bulletin.
THE BORDER TROUBLES.
Gen. John a. McCIearnHRd Gives bfs
Idcps OH the Hsrder Troubles,
Open Letter to Honorable w. nj.
Springer.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Dec, 10 1877.

|
the discussion Of both.
The issue Of the existing crisis must be
judged in the light Of reason and expert
ence. In 1919, we had q dispute with
/ Mexico, turning upon tho, south atstsrn
boundary OF Texas. President Polk was
pledged by his election to insist upon the
| line OF the Rio Grande. After some delay
on his part TO assert that line, he was pres.
| sed by many Of his friends Of his admins.
| tration to do so. On the other hand, the
leaders Of the opposition party protested
| against ii, a. an act Of war In Its conse.
quences, II not in itself. Between con-
hlcting influences, he adopted q middle
| course, sending simply military corps OF
observation 10 the vicinity of the Rio
| Grande. The weakness Of the corps, and
Its advanced position, melted the Next
cans, In ignorant hardihood, to pass that
| river and TO preclpitate an attack. A war,
'hus begun, was accepted rather than pro.
claimed by the president, and the RESPONSE
bility ofinitia,ing 1t attaches to the enemy.
But what was thus gained in one sense
was more than counterbslanced in anoth.
er. The war lasted for years, whereas a
holder couse might have ayerted or crushd
1t by single decisive stroke, in lis incspt.
ion. What is the deduction;
Now We have border trouble, II not q
boundary dispute. In some respects, it Is
quite as irritating; in others, more otfen-
siye than ito predecessor. Our territory 70
habtually entered by lawless Mexicans, to
plumber an alarm it, peaceful citizens. Re
mons,rances falling to arrest these Outra.
ges, detatchments OF our troops have cross.
ed into Mexico in pursuit Of the banditti
and 10 recover their criminal spoils.
War, then, in degree and irregular form,
already exists, which Of its own course,
alone, must sooner or later eyentuate In
regular, formal war. One Of the peCuliari-
ties Of the situation is, that the adoption Of
suitable provision TO meet that event may,
and must almost certainly, promote It.,
Hence, there is danger in standing still, or
In rcceding or advancing. what Is trans
piring, however, must soon resolve the del
emma. Both sides are snow assembling
jealous and rival armies unnn the fror tiet,
These armies confronted, and only separa.
ted by the narrow bed Of the Rio Grande,
can hardly avoid embodiment. Accident
or the wilulness OF one may serve to bring
II abont.
Then, since we are lnyoluntarily, il not
irresistibiy, drifting warward, what does
common prudence and patriotism dictate
This question has been variously answer
ed. Among other things it has been inti-
mated that the order TO our troops to pur.
sue, across the border, intruding Mexican
robbers, should be revoked. To DO this
would be not only to impeaeh the validity
OF that order, but to incite these robbers to
persist in their outrages.
Again, 1t has been suggested to increae
the number OF military posts upon the Dor.
der, or to connect those already established
| by series of environments, which Is prac.
tically the same. This scheme appears TO
| me to be liable to several objections
While degrading the army to the office OF
rowing constabulery, unsupported by q
| strong force, it must prove Intellectual in
| the present emergency. Its purpose ii
purely defensive, and TO contiue co-evslly
| with Mexican lawlessness. 1t must be
attended, in the meantime, with heavy OK.
penss, which the sense and spirit of the
American people will lily brook. 1t per.
verts the design Of Notifications and gar.
risons as barrier against organized and
formidable invasion to the use of pickle,
against the inroads of struggling and vaga'
bond thleves, whose crimes should chal
lenge the care and cognizunce of their OWL
domestic authorities.
More wisely, in my judgment, it has beer
advised by. experienced and distinguished
military men, that the regular force on the
Rio Grande be increased. Obviously, thii
Is proper, whether to overawe or to con.
quor hostile outbreak. But the increase
must be timely and adequate, and, il not
within the limit of the regular army, with.
out uncovering other portions of our ex.
tended frontiers TO Indian butchery, Their
out side Oft by the addition OF volunteers
Above all things, let there not be dishon-
oring sacrifice of handful Of. brave and de
voted men sent forth upon rude and rash
enterprise.
At the same time, Think our policy TO-
wards Mexico should be essentially chang
ed, Temporizlng and negative expedient,
have been long tried In vain. Henceforth
let our couse be firm, vigorous and pos.
tive. Self.preservation is the first law O
nature. The rights and duties Of natior
are correlativs. These rights concern eth
er the.nation in its collective capacity, OF
the individuals composing 1t, and, among
other things, impose upon the nation tn,
duty OF maintaining both its boundaries
and the lives and property Of Its citizen.
inviolate against e.lawless incursiols o
banditti. Therefore, upon notice to tn,
Aexlcan authorities Of this purpose, ant
their neglect or failure to restrain and re
dress such wrongs, 1t would be competent
with the cosent of congress, to resort to
system Of special reprisals to punish ant
indemnify them; and the resort might b,
punished, consistently with the laws o
nations, to the seizure aud appropriation
NOT only Of tho proncrty hslanpinu "a III,