El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-23

During the five years of the civil
war that has swept my country. my
family and myself have been the OBJ
ject of series OF attacks on our per
son and our interests, by the press. by
calumnious imputations entirely era-
tuitous, and during all this time 1
have been silent. due to the fact that
I did not consider il opportune to draw
attention to my personal sufferings,
especially when my unfortunate father
land was suffering the horrors or
fratricidal war and hoping, as il was
logical to suppose, that when the fury
Of passions ceased, that when the
spirits of all became serene and when
the public conscience reached repOse
and tranquility on the advent of
peace. justice would open the way and
that 1 would be able. in the presence
Of righteous and impartial judgment to
right the innumerable and gratuitous
charges that all the different factions
who succeeded one another in the con-
troll Of Mexico had imputed to me
However, I find myself obligated to
change my conduct, due to the publica-
ton in the press Of this city of certain
opinions expressed by the local consul
Of Mexico, senior Garcia, in reference
to certain shipments Of hides, shipped
out Of the state Of Chihuahua, which
hides were held in this city through
the efforts of the Cattlemen's associa-
ton.
.sSpoils of War;
I Will, therefore refer to that in
lerNleW' given out BY the above consul
OF my country and which interview
and the opinion expressed therein have
not been contradicted.
Consul Garsia says that he considers
II legitimate TO confiscate the hides in
question because he considers them as
sroIls Of war and that if the govern
ment Of Gen. Carranza decides that the
acts of the Madero and Terrazas fami-
lies justifies 1T. they will be declared
outlawed, In which case il win be con-
sidered legitimate to confiscate their
respective cattle and property. as well
as the property OF all the persons who
have been hostile or insurgents in
which case the American cattlemen
will not have the right to intervene
in the shipments of hides that proceed
from those sources.
The Rules of War.
1t is not my desire to rectify here
what senior Garcia believes to be the
legitimate spoils of war, although l
understand that all the laws and rules
that govern war, never consider as
SPOTS OF war the property of private
persons, even in the case that such
property is found in the possession Of
the enemy. What obliges me to make
this assertion, is the idea expressed in
th3 phrases used by the consul in ref
erence to the attitude Of myself and
my family in which phrases he appar-
emily indicates that we were all hostile
or rebelling against the government
OF which Gen. Carranza is the first
chief
When these same imputations an
peared in the press in more or less eX-
aggerated form, paid no attention TO
them because 1 have uniformly ignored
calumny: but when these charges
come from the lips of a person. who
holds an official position in the gov
eminent of my country. I cannot re-
main silent, because this would signify
my acceptance of the charge, which hiss
always caused me Just Indignation.
that is, that 1 rebelled against consti-
tuted authority, regardless of whose
ever represented such authority, be-
cause during my long years of life I
have never been guilty OF sedition.
Considered Enemy By All.
Unfortunately, during these last
years when revolutions succeeded rev.
olutions in my fatherland, all these
groups Of revolutionaries have consid-
cred me as their enemy. Precisely
and for the reason that these move
ments have been movements of sedi-
ton, I have never Joined them, but
when from these movements has
emanated government constituted
under legal form, they have encoun-
tered in me a respectful citizen, con-
forming to law and order.
To prove the above 1 will publish
some facts.
When senior Francisco T. Madero
was president of the Mexican republic.
he was informed that / favored the rev
olutlon started against him by Gen Pas
quail Orozco and as this was a calumny.
I solicited an interview with the pres
ident through a minister or his cabi-
net attorney R Hernandez and re-
ceived Immediately an invitation to
go to the capital so that ] could IN
his presence confound those enemies
whoi had calumnied me. I immediately,
started for the City or Mexico and
presented myself before president
Madero who received me IN the most
friendly way and declared 70 me that