Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-05-16

General George Crook, commandn
the Department of Arizona, is about To
march into Mexico with force of In
dian scouts and company of regular
cavalry. there to cooperate with the
Mexican troops i'll the endeavor To eN-
terminate the hostile Apaches, who have
lately been devastating the border. 1t
is further asserted that, in accordance
with the suggestion of General Sherman,
the senior Mexican officer present viii
command all the troops of both cOun-
tries which operate south ofthe boundary
and the senior American officer those
that may operate north of il or on the
United States side.
This expedition marks an era IN the
military history of this country and a
new departure i'll its international affairs.
To have said ten years ago that Anneri-
can troops would one day conduct an
Indian campaign under a Mexican otli-
Ger would have seemed a wild prediction;
and like prophecy i'll regard To Mexican
troops serving under an American officer
would almost have preSuppoSed the pre-
limmary of anneXing the Rio Grande
States, or Sonora. Specially worthy OF
note is the total change of diplomatic
policy on this subject which las taken
place within three years. Early i'll Presl-
pent HAYES Administration the question
of repressing the plundering and muir
dering raids of Indians on the Mexican
border came up. The main scene of
cattle-Stealing and Scalping WAS then the
Lower Rio Grande, and the criminals
were Lipans and MeScaleToS, who made
practice of crossing into Texas. In
stead of inviting or accepting the CO.
operation of Mexican troops III checking
these Iaids, their proffers of and were re-
| iected, and intimations were expressed
| in official dispatches from Washington
| that either municipal authorities III the
Mexican river towns or some Of the III
habitantS We're i'll cnlluSion with these
thieves. and that without their aid or
convenient negligence the raids would
not lie possible. Acting on this theory,
against the indignant complaints of
Mexico, and with an airy diSdam OF her
pleading that her express treaty guaran-
tees were violated, the War Department
directed General Ord to send his troops
!. upon Mexican soil i'll pursuit of raldmg
Indians when on hot trail. And 1t IS
a matter of history that United States
troops. of all three arms, did frequently
intrude upon Mexican territory without
permission and against protest.
The abandonment of this policy seems
to have been due to the logic of events.
Mexico, having the good sense to per
ceive that she could not afford To be
drawn into boundary quarrel with her
powerful neighbor, especially while fill
clustering designs upon Chihuahua and
Sonora were rife. exercised great SELF
restraint and took care to avoid all pos
sibility of conflict between her troops and
ours. But she did more. Not only did
every expedition of our troops into MeNl-
co totally fail. but some of the Teserva
ton Indians in New Mexico ana Arl-
/, zona broke out, and, after committing
great rayages on the American side of
the line, crossed over the border INTO
Mexico and continued their devaStatlOnS
there. The Mexican forces of General
Trevino had meanwhile, i'll several COM
bats. almost annihilated the Lipan>
and Mescalero thieves, so securing tC
, the Texas ranches the almost complete
tranquility which they have now enjoyed
during four wears. The MeXicanS, bOtl
volunteer militia and the regular army
next turned their attention to the Varl-
ous bands of Apaches that had escaped
) from the United States, and they over
+ whelmed III successive years the band:
f of Nictorio and Mana, killing both ol
: these famous leaders. At last the Wash
inrton Government abandoned In,
theory that Mexican communities los
tered these common pests OF the border
: and the War Department reScmded III
order sanctioning and commanding the
armed invasion of Mexico. The lattel
country was then invited to help to de
: stroy the hostile ApacheS Oh the Arizon;
! frontier, but it refused to allow its owl
I troops to cross the line, or To approve o
, the presence of our troops upon Its ter
!, ritory except under an express treat,
: such as should beft two friendly coun
: tries.
The result was an agreement, made Il
= july of last year. providing for the re
. ciprocal crossing of the mternationa
q boundary line - in the unpOpulated o
h desert parts " by the troops of the tw'
n countries /" in pursuit of savage, hostil
: Indians - By modification subSe
quently agreed upon in September las
o il was stipulated that the convention wa
i to remain i'm force until the 18th of Au
V gust next. though terminable by fou
: months notice. 1t is under this treaty
which prescribes the conditions of cross
n inc. that General Crooks campaign be
/ comes possible. There never has bee
any doubt that the boundary should ne
be barrier to check pursuit of India
thieves and murderers; yet never unit
now has creditable mode of surmouni
= ing that barrier been effected. The tol
L mer plan of violating the territory OF
4 weaker neighbor, without cOncedmg
le her a mutual right, was diSreputable, b1
I. under the present friendly plan of c'
II operating there is good hope OF perm;
Is nently subjugating the hostile Apache
N and securing peace to the border.