The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-24
Military and Mob.

Chewing Gen SHERIDAN's urgent instrr,-
tions 10 occupy san Elilario vii Lnut delay
Col HATCH has marc.,.r1 into the village
with two companies Of cavalry and a howit-
Ger. The people Of that region have no
quarrel with him. They rose TO crush a
swndling Salt Ring; having done this,
wreakng their vengeance Oh its leaders,
though not with the wholesale massacre
which the Texas newspapers predicted their
armed gathering dispersed. Col. HATCH
found the rangers whom he went to rescue
comfortably ensconced at Fort Bliss, and
there was no mob for his howtzer to play
upon
The quickness with which the populace
rose and the quickncss with which IL dis
persed are alike noteworthy. Its singlcness
OF aim was shown in both riots The private
claims on the public salt ponds were located
last July, but prosecutions for trespassng
were not undertaken until the end Of Sep
TENDER. On the very first arrest by How
ARD, he was seized, and his allies with him;
the moment ne agreed TO abandon his efforts
to deprive the people Of their old natural
rights, he was released. All parties were
then presumably willing to allow the Legis-
laturc, at its regular session. to take steps
TO make the salt ponds public property
Whcn in violation Of the agreement, How
ARD reappeared on the scene, the populace
rose again, and killed him. On neither
occasion does the mob seem TO have de-
stroyed any property. Lieut.. RUcKER re-
ported that in its first rising no act OF
violence was committed, He thinks that a
prcstimo was considered but it Is certain
bat t.,
manner, Judge BLACKER said that the rich
McXicans were even more scared than we "
at the prospect of "A renewal of the riot upon
| HowARD's return; but the reports which
| have SO exaggerated the other performances
of the mob have never accused ii Of wan
tonly destroying property
Nevertheless, the Governor of Texas Is
| plainly resolved TO treat the whole affair as
a Mexican invasion, to be punished accord
| ingly. He has never yet sent word to Wash
ington, so far as his published kilograms
show, what the riot was about 1t is more
than week since he announced 1t to be a
Mexican invasion, and neither he nor the Ell
Paso county Sheriff, nor the people who send
dispatches TO Congressman MILLS, have
ever taken back or qualified that announce
ment, or 50 much us whispered the word
| "Salt."
Attempts so persistent at conccament
and Misrepresentation of course have def
mite purpose. Though the mob has long
since dispersed, we find the game still kept
up. Major JONES, of the Texas rangers, "by
direction of the Governor" sends word to
Washington that certain "reliablc lieu
tenant of his at III Paso informs him that
no fewer than $50 Of the mob were Mexican
citizcns from Mexico" though how with
dress, language, end the general appear
ancc Of people on both sides OF the Rio
Grande SO similar at that point. he ascer-
taincd this, is not mentioned. We have also
had, since the close Of the affair, the story OF
"a regular Mexican officer drilling the
mob, but with no name given.
II 1t be any way possible, the rising al
San Elizario will be used to forward Tho
! plot against Mexico; aud, with q large body