New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-22
the difficulty, and the disgrace of leaving it so
long to be dealt with at hap-hazard.
TEY4SOppOsED no AYVFXATTONPROJE I

long to be dealt with at hap-hazard.
TEXAS OPPOSED no ANNFXATIONPROJE
Among other sensible things said by Senator
Maxey, in "a recent speech on the Army Dill and
the Texas Border question, was protest
against the current idea that the people Of
Texas desire to annex slice of Mexican ter
ritory beyond the Rio Grande. We have all
along suspected that the only active support
ers of annexation projects are certain
Northern spectators who have bought
ND the border raid claims for few
cents on the dollar, and who are not likely to
profit by the transaction, or even to get their
money back, unless our Government assumes
the debt ana gives Mexico quittance in return
for few thousand square miles of sage-brush
and banditti. There has seemed to be some dam
ger however, that the adventurous and ambi-
tious settlers along the frontier would take
mp the cry of moro territory. and give
it the force of popular demand
Senator Maxey furnishes the welcome assur-
ance that the people of his State take SEN
sible view of the border troubles. and have no
desire for Il new boundary line. He says:
"What good, ask, would it do to remove the
cline from the Rio Grande to tho Sierra
"Madre? 1t would simply be removing the
cline of contention, not the cause We are
"too wise TO want anything Of that kind. We
"bove territory enough of our own. We are
"seeking TO settle up our own territory, our
Gown country and we want no more. Why
"NIr. President the territory of Texas to-day
sis as large as all New-England all the Middle
Estates Ohio, Illinois, and several thousand
"souare miles thrown in for good count. What
"we do want is peace and an enterprlslng, ener-
getic hardy immigration to fill up our waste
"places, and add to the wealth, prosperity, and
"political influence of our great State. War
evil not do this; peace and protection most
certainly will"
Tn discussing the causes of the perennial
border troubles, Senator Maxey puts the IONA
Libre in the foreground II will be remembered
that President Grant called the attention Of
Congress, during his first term, to the evil
effects Of this free zone and that there was
talk of diplomatic efforts to secure its abol-
tiOn-talk which came to nothing because no
Mexican Government was stable enough to at
ford satisfactory assurances of executing any
promised new policy upon the Rio Grande. The
IONA Libre is a belt of country about seventeen
miles from its mouth. Under a law pro-
mugated in 1859, this region is outside of
the Mexican custom-hOuse line, and goods can |
be carried to any of the towns in il without |
the payment of duty. The effect Of this singu- |
lar arrangement is to aggravate the naturally |
bad character of the population of the country, |
by making this free belt the rendezvous of |
smugglers and adventures Of every natiOnali- !
tv, and to diminish the commerce of the towns |
on the Texan side of the frontier. The snug |
slers practice their trade on both sides Of the |
river, and are ready on occasions to take a |
hand IN cattle stealing or highway robbery.
The true solution Of the border troubles ap- |
pears to be, in the opinion of the people of !
Texas themselves, who ought to know best, |
the same to-day as General Grant recommended |
in 1871. First, the Mexican Government !
should be required to abolish the IONA Libre, |
and to advance its custOm-hOusc line to the
Rio Grande; and second, orr Government should
maintain a sufficient military force along the
river to prevent predatory ncurSiOns until the
population of the Mexican States on the other
side becomes civilized to such a degree that it
will no longer practice robbery as profession.
As to finding a remedy by annexing the re-
gion where the thieves harbor. the idea is alb
surd They would only retreat to the Next
can side of whatever new boundary might be
established, and could conduct their fOrays with
less danger than now, because, instead of
river to cross, they would only have to ride
over an imaginary line to reach our territory,
or to escape with their booty.