Miss Benjamin

General Ramón Corona (?), draft of a letter to Lieutenant-Colonel L.C. d'Alvicy, Mexican Imperial Infantry, (no place or date: in Chihuahua or Durango, January 1866 ?).

Capitania General de los
Indígenas de la Baja

Tarahumara

Señor Comandante superior de las
fuerzas francesas en el Parral

Muy apreciable Señor

Tengo á la vista la muy atenta comunicacion de V. fecha 1º. del corriente, é impuesto detenidamente de su grave é importante contenido, paso á manifestar á V. mi sentir respecto del indicado asunto.

hechos injustificables en este Canton
Los abusos que V. menciona, cometidos por algunos Gefes militares
dependientes del Gobierno de la República, son por desgracia ciertos,
en mucha parte, pero del mismo modo que yo y mis subordinados, los han
reprobado las autoridades del Distrito y todos los ciudadanos honrados
y pacificos de que se componen en lo general las poblaciones de la sierra.
Han sido abusos, Señor Comandante, que de las facultades que se les habian
concedido, y en varios casos, infracciones descaradas de ordenes expresos
y terminantes del Gobierno. Así que de tales hechos no resulta responsa-
bilidad á las autoridades locales, ni á las superiores del Estado ni al
y dictado
Gobierno supremo, cuyos funcionarios han espresado su reprobacion en los
medidas de evitar semejantes desordenes y atropellos de la fuerza
únicos términos que les permiten las circunstancias anormales de la situa-
cion en que se hallan por la guerra. En tal concepto, ningun motivo justo
ni tengo
he tenido para negar mi dependencia y subordinacion a la autoridad politica
del Distrito, á la que por las leyes que obedezco, estoy sujeto en mi

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caracter de capitan general de la Tarahumara, y por su conducto á las
supremas del Estado y de la República. Este propósito es conforme á mis
deberes como ciudadano, y no podria variarlo sin faltar á la lealtad de
que siempre he dado pruebas en mi / larga permanencia como Gefe de los
indígenas de la Tarahumara.

En consecuencia, y en debida contestacion á la citada atenta comunica-
cion de V. solo puedo decir, que estoy por deber, y quiero estar por mi
espontanea voluntad, dependiente de los funcionarios políticos y guberna-
tivos de este Canton, cuyas órdenes respetaré y obedeceré como un leal y
cumplido subalterno.

Reproduzco à V. con toda atencion las protestas de mi distinguida
consideracion y particular aprecio

L. C. d'Alvicy,
Señor Teniente Coronel, Com(andan)te Superior del

Parral

* This must almost certainly be the draft Corona wrote to reply to
a communication sent to the General by the French Lieutenant-Colonel
at the same time, and with similar content, as his letter of 1 January
1866 to Don Antonio Ochoa (no. 68, above). Corona must have sent this
copy of his reply to Ochoa as his friend and political counterpart:
Ochoa's own reply, presumably also of January 1866, is no. 69, above.

Miss Benjamin

Don An�verw Olver
General Ramon Gorona (?), draft of a letter to Lieutenant-Colonel
L.C. d'Alvicy, Mexican Imperial Infantry (Chihuahua or Durango ?, January 1866 ?)

Captaincy-General
of Natives of the
Lower
Tarahumara

The Commandant-in-Chief of the French forces in El Parral

Very worthy sir,

I have before my eyes your communication dated the 1st instant, and
having, at length, gathered its serious and important content, I proceed
to tell you my feelings with regard to the subject at issue.

The unjustifiable deeds you mention that have been committed in this
Canton by some of the military commanders under orders from the Government
of the Republic are unfortunately in great part true, but the authorities
of the District and all the honorable and peaceful citizens of whom the
mountain communities are in general composed have rebuked them in the
same way as I, and my subordinates, have. These, Señor Comandante, have
been abuses of the permits that had been conceded to them, and in some
cases they have been bare-faced infractions of express and conclusive
orders of the Government. Thus it is the case that such deeds are in
no way the responsibility of the local authorities, nor of their
superiors in the State or in the national Government, the servants
laid down measures to avoid similar disorders and violent outrages
of which have expressed their reproof, and in the only terms permitted
them by the abnormal circumstances of the situation in which the war
places them. This being the case, I have not had any just motive to
deny my dependence on, and subordination to, the political authority

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of the District, to which by the laws I obey I am subject in my capacity as Captain-General of the Tarahumara and for the discharge of its duties to the laws of the State and of the Republic. This proposition is in accord with my duties as a citizen, and I could not swerve from it without defaulting on the loyalty of which I have always given proofs in my long service as Commander of the natives of the Tarahumara.

Consequently, as my due response to your communication already cited, I can say only that by duty I am, and by my spontaneous free will I would like to be, dependent on the political and governmental officials of this Canton, whose orders I shall respect and obey like a loyal and faithful subordinate.

I reiterate to you, with attention, the declarations of my distinguished consideration and personal appreciation.

Commandant-in-Chief of El Parral