Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-01
OUR TEXAS FRONTIER.

What an ! Ranger Thinks About the
Situation Of Affairs.
From the N. o. DEMOCRAT.
Col. John s. Ford, of Texas, whose repu.
tation az a ranger has extended beyond the
limits OF his state, was in our city Yesterday
his way to Washington City, 10 testify
there regarding the d%epredations commit
ted by the Mexicans on the border.
On the lower Rio Grande, in Colonel
Ford's opinion, cattle stealing is still car
ried on with little, if any, abatement; but
it is not prosecuted by as large parties "a
formerly. In that particular section Of
country these raids are made by very small
parties, 30 that too much attention will not
be attracted to them.
Regarding the recent concentration Of
United States troops in that locality he
stated that it was done to give protection TO
that very extended area of country between
the San Antonio and Rio Grande rivers,
which territory, without such protection,
would in a very short time be almost COM
pletely devastated by the incursions of the
Mexicans in case Of any difficulty with the
administration in the city of Mexico. Col
onel Ford said that the Texans do not 20
much complain Of the thievery of these
raiders as they do ofthe fact that they these
parties) are regularly organized within
Mexican boundaries, and sometimes largely
composed ofthe regular troops of that coun-
try. Since the close of our own troubles
these raids have been kept up with a re-
markable pertinacity, and our government
has suffered in millions of money and many
valuable lives and herds Of cattle.
The latter have been carried to Mexico
and sold in her public markets. The Off
GERS of the Mexican army and the civil au.
thorities have participated in the profits pro
proceeding from the raidings. In number.
of instances Mexican custom-house guard.
have seized cattle stolen from Texas, con.
demned and sold them. and paid the pro.
ceeds into the treasury of Mexico, notwith.
standing they knew they had been felonious
ly acquired, and they refuse to deliver then
when demanded by the proper owners o,
their agents, on The pretext that the ANIMAL
had been introduced into Mexico contrar,
to the revenue laws thereof. Such instance,
occurred in Reynosa, Camargo, and othe
points.
Referring to the present condition Q
affairs on the border, the colonel says tina
the people there have made complaints ii
every possible way. State officials, fedora
ohiCiais anu SEduu Jurles nave Deen applle
to for aid, but without avail. There ar
now ~pigeon-holed in Washington more tina
1000 a1idavits setting forth the extent {
the depredations; the completely of tn
Mexican authorities in the raids on ever
occasion, in conjunction with the Indian,
the commission Of savage atrocities, til
murder Of citizens regardless of sex, tn
outraging Of women, the capture Of childre
and the selling Of them as slaves, were col
clusively proved while the United Stat,
!, commissioners were in session at San Al
tonic.
I Colonel Ford states that,there is no desi1
for war in Texas, but what the people wal
E is a sure guarantee of protection. The
are satisfied with the present boundary
the Rio Grande, but they want to see it pr
served.