The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-09-25

The Ttco Republics, q paper of
considerable influence, published in
the city of Mexico, has a long article
upon the relations between Mexico
aud the United States, in the course
of which it quotes some Of the say
ings of President Diaz, which, if cor
rectIy stated, prove that it is con-
scious weakness, and not pure friend
Iy feeling, which prevents q declara-
ton of war against Us. Thus it is
said that when Col. Mackenzie last
entered the territory of our neighbors,
and was met by Coils. Valdez and
Nuncio at the head CT o combined
force of only $50 men, he would have
been at once attacked, in spite of the
great disparity in numbers, had the
Mexican troops been regulars instead
of raw volunteers. The President is
also said to have alluded, in strong
language, to the glory which would
cover his name il. be died at the head
of his soldiers fighting against Amer
lean invaders, aud the protest against
the orders to pursue raiders across
the Rio Grande, presented by Signor
Zamacona, is certainly couched in
more vigorous language than is gen
orally expressed in a diplomatic COM
mubication between two friendly ma
lions. Much Of the evidence, also,
which was taken by the House Com
mittee upon Military Affairs, and
which has just been published ct
Washington, shows that Signor Val
~lenzs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and the other Mexican authorities are
taking measures to prepare for the
possibilities Of war.
Gen. Sheridan, being a good soldier
and calculating nearly the prospects
of success in a military point of view,
seems unable to imagine that the
Mexican Juror can go so far as to pro-
woke our hostility or active reprisals.
Bat this method of reasoning, how
ever operative it might be between
two civilized peoples, is in~couclusive
as regards Mexico. of its total pop
ulat;on OF 9,343,470, as stated in a re-
port ia the Diario Official of June,
1875, no less than 5000, 600 are pure
Indians. OF the remainder. a mel
aDge of various races, scarce SOC, 900
are of European descent. With such
a nation as this it ia the very height
of absurdity to treat upon such q sys-
TEN as would properly enough actu-
ate our dealings with any civilized
people of Europe, or even with Bra
zil. Mexico is 10 fact but a den Of
savages, aud the frontier provinces
but little better ihal q lair of tige's
and wild beasts like the wild denizeus
of the jungles Of India. Protocols
and formal treaties, ~engrcssed, signed
and sealed, are with them of but lit
tie avail. The questions we have to
discuss with.them must eventually be
settled by the sword. The Gordian
knot will accept no other unraveling.
Gen. ORD, Capt. Lewis johnson, and
Col. Shafer, all men with long exper-
fence upon the border, recognized this
condition of affairs. Like most good
soldiers, they speak in moderate
terms, but it requires no great skill in
reading between the lines of their ev-
idence to see clearly that in their
opinion, retribution for the manifold
misdeeds of the hybrids must be ex-
acted by the strong arm, u%ngloved,
and bearing a rifle and a bayonet
Sooner or later it must come to this,
and, if 80, why not the soone the bet
ter ?-GlObe-D Democrat.