The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-16
NEW ORLEANS SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER l6, 1877.


ed decided opinion that he was trying to
be good neighbor. Several questioDs
were asked General Ord upon this point,
and all brought out answers showing dis-
tinctly that in the opinion of q man better
able than any of our public men to under
stand the Mexican question, DiaZ, whom
the Secretary of State has refused to recog-
nize, is the best ruler who has recently
been in power in Mexico. Ord said that,
while it was difficult to put the slightest
confidence in the utteIances or intentions
of q Mexican, he believed that Diaz was
working in good faith to secure peace and
good order on the frontier. Diaz has been
forced by public sentiment to announce
that the disciplined troops he was moving
from the interior to the frontier were set in
motion to repel the expected irruption Of
American troops, bnt it was Ord's opinion
that these troops, which replaced the ill
trained levies of the frontier provinces,
would be ready to cooperate in keeping
the boundary free from marauders, and
would be used to control the bitter feeling
existing in border provinces.
At the request of the Commission Ord
went into an extended recital of the causes
and character of the cattle raids in progress
from time to time between Texas and Mex
leo. He said that they were principally
carried on by Indiana, with an occasional
Mexican and renegade American, who were
market exists in all the Mexican towns for
the fruits of these forays, and property
there was equally at the mercy of marau-
ders, who plundered with the same i'm
partially shown upon the eRetern bank OF
the Rio Grsnde.
The entire number of incursions into
Mexican territory by our troops had been,
so far, fourteen, OF which the last, under
Lieut. Bullis, was still on Mexican soil,
searching for marauders. The result OF
an encounter, in one of these expeditions,
with Mexican troops in force, would large
ly depend, General Ord said, upon the
character of the American omcer in COM
mand. elf was there, think l should
very soon have Mexican officers at dinner
with me-" he said. For the present he saw
no reason to anticipate serious consequent
ces from the policy pursued, because he
had confidence in the honest purpose OF
the Mexican Administration to prevent a
collision, and thus secure the recognition
of their own Government.
General Ord went at length into his con-
ception of Mexican character, and gave a
general dissertation on Mexican politics,
under which fifty six men had held the
office of President in q time equal to four
teen Presidential terms, and in which no
President had lived out his elected term.
For the future protection Of tho Texan
frontier, Ord judged two more forts only
necessary, one above ana Cne otner DeioW
Fort Duncan. With the forces already
upon the ground and those recently de-
tailed to his commend, Ord eaid that the
com plete military protection of the bound
ary was possible. At the close OF his testi-
mony he went somewhat at length into the
subject of negro regiments, of which lie
drew an unfiattering picture. He strongly
advised that the number of oMcers 10 these
regiments be increaeed, as it was difncult
to preserve discipline in them with the
came number as in white regiments, owing
to the absence of material from which
good non COM miseioDed eflicers could be
made.
Ord's examination was concluded to day,
and he returns at once to his command.
The examination of the question will con
tinue in his absence. His testimony clearly
establishes these facts:
First-The strong efforts Of DiaE to keep
the peace and protect the frontier in good
faith.
Second-The existence of sufficient force
in the army as now constituted to police the
frontier.
Tbird-That the border troubles have O
home on both sides of the line.