The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-08-30
The Trouble In Mexico Dur.
ing Uprising Against
Macmillan

to do the Confederate cause. Young.
who with his band captured the little
town Of st. Adams, Vt, retired pre-.
cipitately with $4,000 worth Of booty
Burley's attempt was less noteworthy.
but he. too, escaped safely to Canada.
Lincoln Averted War.
When Young reached Canada on re-
turning from his raid be was taken
before q Canadian Justice, with his
companions. The justice discharged
the prisoners on the ground of lack of
jurisdiction, an error for which he was
afterward dismissed from the bench.
Stirred by the clamor In this country.
the Canadian authorities proceeded to
rearrest the raiders. But northerners
| were Infatuated. Governor Dix issued
a proclamation taxing Canada with
improperly harbOring enemies of the
United States. So warlike was the
tone of Governor Dix's u%tterance that
wal with Great Britain was looked
upon as possible. President Lincoln
took the pacific course OF overruling
Dix. aud the more acute phase of the
uupie1S3 passed over.
Young and his companions were new
er punished. The rest Of The band
were released after the rearrest on
the ground Of lack OF evidence against
them. Young was released on bail,
awaiting further action. The termina-
ton Of the rebellion led to the quash-
ing Of the proceedings against him in
Canada.
In the bitterness on both sides of
the border that followed the Young
episode 1t would no doubt have been
impossible for the Canadian govern
ment to punish him without mourning
the charge of giving in to American
compulsion. The occurrence bad the
good effect of making the Canadians
call out several thousand militia to
police the border, and no further Con.
federate raids from the north after
those Of Young and Burley were car.
ried out.
Mexican Affair of 1855.
Within a year of the trouble with
Canada we were involved in Difficult,
ties along the Mexican border which
might we'll have led to war with
France. The r~ecriminations that pass
ed at that time, toward the end Of
1865, between the American com
handing officer Mt Brownsville, Tex,
and the commander of the French
squadron of the mouth Of the Rio
Grande form perhaps the acutest
phase Of the troubles over the French
occupation of Mexico, But as they
led to no serious clash other than the
clash Of words they may afford some
amusement at this late day.
General Weitzel. in command at San
Antonio, was suspected of sympathiz
Ing rather too strongly tor prudence
with the insurrectos of the day who
were busy trying to overthrow the EN-
pire of Maximilian, the Austrian prince
placed by French arms on the throne
of Mexico. In November, 1865, the
French naval commander. lying in the
gulf just of Brownsville, sent letter
to Weitzel accusing him in exceeding.
~ strong terms Of furthering the Mex.
lean rebel u by helping ship men.
arms and munitions over the Rio
Grande. Weitzel, who was rather
frank about his sympathies with the
tnsurrectos, treated the letter with
scorn and, In fact, returned 1t to the
writer with the answer that he would
pay no attention to It because It was
couched in disrespectful language. No
bombardment followed.
Fall Of Macmillan.
In a few weeks, however, the Mexi.
a commander Of the troops of Maxi
milan posted along the border com
planned that q Mexican steamship
ascending the Rio Grande to Malta,
moros had been fred upon from the
Texas bank. This complaint gave
Weitzel an opportunity for a more ex
tended statement Of his views. There
was no satisfactory evidence. be re
piled, that the shots complained of had
been fred from the Texas side. He
had always ~endeavored to prevent VIC
lations Of neutrality by the officers and
men under his ommand. Apparently
he felt that his duty ceased there and
that others along the border were wei
come to do as they pleased. As re
garded his sympathies. he admitted
that they were with the insurrectos
and insisted on his privilege of sym
pathizing with whom he pleased. He
pointed out that French and British
naval officers had fraternized with the
C~onfederates at Norfolk and Newport
News and claimed a similar privilege
for himself.
Juarez, the Mexican insurrecto lead
er during the period preceding the
withdrawal Of the French force from
Mexico. made a sort Of insurrecto re
treat Of Ri Paso, on Texas territory.
and there enjoyed considerable secur
ity alike from American restraint and
from Mexican attack.
Maximilian's government was on the
defensive in the months that followed
and not ready to pick quarrels with
neighbOrs. After It's fall and the eS