Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-08-06
The Trouble with Mexico.

government and that OF Mexico growing
out of the Imprisonment of A. X. Cutting,
a Texas editor at Paso del Norte, Mexico,
for an alleged libel upon Mexican citi-
zen published in Cuttings paper in Texas,
has not yet been settled. Cutting, it ap-
pears, conducts paper at Paso del Norte
as well as in Texas, but it seems to be
well established that the offense for which
he is under arrest and is being tried in a
summary way in the Mexican court was
committed by publication in his paper
in Texas.
These facts being established, Secretary
Bayard promptly and firmly demanded OF
the Mexican government the Immediate
release of Cutting by the Mexican author
titles. The Mexican government has re-
fused to comply with the demand of this
government and justities its refusal on the
ground that the Mexican statute against
which Cutting has offended expressly pro,
vides that the Mexican courts shall take
cognizance of such offenses, even though
they are committed outside o. the limits
of that country. Secretary Bayard failed
to recognize the sufficiency of the iustif
cation thus set up and refused to concede
the extra-;erritorial operation of Mexican
statutes, so as to punish American citizen:
for violation of laws of Mexico upon
American soil; be therefore promptly tele
graphed to the American minister, Jack
son, at Mexico to renew the demand o
this government for the immediate re cas-,
of Cutting And so the matter stood a
the latest advices, no further response o
the Mexican government to the renewed
demand of this government having beer
received at Washington.
The President has transmitted the cor
respendence and papers in the Cutting
case to Congress with the statement tha
he has exhausted all his powers and that
the case now rests with Congress. At s
special meeting of the House committe'
on foreign affairs, called on Tuesday for
the especial consideration of this matter
the following preamble and resolutions
were adopted unanimously:
"Whereas A. X. Cutting, an American
citizen, is wrongfully deprived of his lib
erty by Mexican officials at Paso del Norte
in the republic of Mexico; and whereas
the Mexican government refuses to release
said Cutting upon the demand of tn,
President of the United States and where
as the government of Mexico alleges as
reason for its refusal to comply with sucf
demand that the said Cutting is guilty o
violating Mexican law upon American
soil; and whereas the House of Represents
tives, while appreciating the disposition
shown by the government of Mexico tc
carry out international obligations. car
never assent to the doctrine that citizens
OF the United States may be prosecuted il
foreign country for acts done wholly up
on American soil Therefore be it
Resolced, That the House OF Representa-
tives approves of the action of the Presi
dent of the United States in demanding
the release OF said 4. h. Cutting
| Resolred, That the President of the Uni
ted State be, and is hereby, reques ed II
renew the demand for the release Of sale
A. K. Cutting"
Thus it appears that this matter has as
sumed quite serious aspect. Tire Mexi
comply with the uncondltionai demand o
this government for the immediate release
of an American citizen restrained OF hi.
liberty in that country and has justifed
its refusal by citing the statute of tha
government under which Cutting is i'm
prisoned, and claiming for it an extra
territorial operation upon the citizens g,
this country. The President now refers
the matter to the Congress and the House
of Representatives in which the power &c
declare war is vested, declares that the
justification claimed by the Mexican gov.
ernment is an insufficient one and request:
the President TO renew the demand for the
release of Cutting.
Should the Mexican government main
tain the position it has taken upon the
question and still refuse to comply with
the demand of this government, the i'm.
mediate withdrawal of the American min
lister from Mexico, an extra session of Con
gress and declaration of war would in.
evitably follow. The matter, therefore
will be looked to with some anxiety
though it is probable that the Mexican
government will take the sober second
thought and recede from the untenabl e
position it has assumed
There is another recent occurrence on
the border which, in the present temper
of the people of the Southwes', has Ten
dency TO further strain and irritate the
relations between the two countries. This
is the summary execution or murder Of q
man named Razures, a resident of Eagle
Pass, Texas, who was recently surrendered
to the Mexican authorities upon an i'm
perfect requisitlon by the local authori,
tiles at Eagle Pass. This has consider
ably irritated the nerves of Gov. Ireland
of Texas, who wrote Secretary Bayard q
very strong letter on the subject; but it is
difficult to see how this occurrence can be
tortured into a casus 5sli especially as
Razures does not appear to be natural
lied American citizen.
The President approves the oleomargine
bill, but suggests the amendment of GER
tain of its provisions, with view to great
er defaiteness and clearness of meaning
The argument that has been used against
the bill, that it increases the revenue at a
time when the governments income is al
ready excessive, the President meets with
the remark that the income obtained from
the manufacture and sale of artificial but
ter will justify larger reduction of the