Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-02-06
Who IS tO Blame!
IS. r. Chronicle. I

Until We get the Mexican version of
 Inc encounter which took place in Sopo-
 TO between Capt. CrGwfOrd's force and a
 body of ChihuEhua troops 1t will be pre-
 mature to decide who was to blame for
 the unfortunate shirmish which caused
 the death of one of the best Indian fight
 CTS m our army. From the detailed re-
 port ot Lieut. Naus 1t appears that the
 MeIicans fred upon the Apache scouts.
 "hO were evidently recOnnOiternR the position OI the hostile Tenegades. There
 ls nothing strange III the fact that in
 Inc gray oi the early morning the Mexi-
 cans shOu.i have fired on the Indian | scOLts. iAere was nothing to dishn guish the scouts from the hOstIles for NLOm they were searching. The renVgades are as fuilv armed ss the scOuts--with fine ! best Winchester rltles-and both wear
 ihe same clothing, which usually con
 sists of not more than breech-clout and |
 leather leggIEgs. The scouts, despite the l
 iact that they are we'll pad by the Gov
 ernment, have done little thus far 10 |
 hCut down the renegades. Ou r.oGe than one occdsiCn during the recent
 Apache campaigns they have been seen tO warn tLe hOstiies and give them am munltlOn. h no case have they brought the troops sguarely tJ the Indian hidIuy- places, as from their knowledge of the country, they could have done readily mIDy times, and thus prevented the es- cape Ot the hOsilies into Old Mexico. The scouts hate the Mexican troops be cause they know iEem tO be enemies of theIr race who show no quarter Hence IL IS perfectly natural that they should want tO return the Mexican fire. The fact that the Mcxic8ns fired after the attempts of Crawford and Msus to hold a barley may be due to the acts Ct these scouts. The latter may have continued firing, as the report says they wele much excited and eager for fight. It Is morally certain hat they cannot be controlled like white troops, and there was every incentive to make them desire revenge on the hered- tAry foes of their people.
 On the other hand, there was EO cOn-t 'eivable reason why the Mexican troops hould attack the Americans. There lave been no recen. collisions, or even between the two nations on he border. It IS childish to suppose hat the Mexicans would attack even a mall American force the sake of the cLnty camp equipHge which could be Grried into that inaccessible mountain egicn. They know we'll enough the eprisals which would be made for uch an act and tho swift punishment bat would overtake them. In fine, we elieve the Apaches scouts responsible or ;hls collision, as they have been for lauy other fatalities in the past.
 From the teCOr of this dispatch It = eems We may hear at any time Of the urreuder Of the chiefs who have been uiity of sO many atrOciOus murders m .riz0na anu New Mexico. They are fred of being hunted down and want est and good raiIOUs on the reservation. hey know that Crook will deal lenient- ? with them, Bs he did after the Sierra Iadre episode. He regards the Apaches g spuIleC children bad not Hs Tespunsi- le men. But lne people Of Arizona who ave seen relatives cruelty slain and in- umauiy mUtiiHted, who have lost yalu. ie property and have been forced to bandon ranches and mines, these peo- |. ie v;ll not look on calmly at such a lrrender and pardon of the Apaches hey will demand that the Indians who ave committed murder and outrage be -ied Rs ordinary criminals are tried, gd punished if convicted. And the copie jhC-OIghOut the West. who know lc Indian and have suffered from hIs -uelty and his treachery, will unite ID emandIng that these red-handed mur erers be brought tO justice.