I inclose herewith a translation of the summary of conclusions reached by the
commission, and addressed by them to the minister of foreign affairs,
constituting the preface of said report, which will be found of special
interest, taken in connection with the report of the United States
commissioners to Texas, and the questions pending before the United States
and Mexican mixed commission now in session at Washington. The report of the
commission is receiving the favorable comments of the press of this capital,
by which it is asserted that the report will result in multiplying a large
amount of the claims of American citizens before the mixed commission,
strengthen the proofs of Mexican citizens for [Page 747] claims to the amount of over forty millions of
dollars, and form the basis of claims to an enormous sum against the
Government of the United States. I am informed by the minister of foreign
affairs that instructions have been given to the Mexican minister at
Washington to have both the preliminary and final reports of the commission
translated and printed in the English language in that city.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Mr. Galindo to the
minister of foreign
affairs.
Citizen Minister: In the report which I have
the honor to subjoin, in compliance with the decree of the 2d of
October, 1872, which ordered scrupulous investigations to be made
concerning the evils suffered by the Mexican northern frontier, you will
find specified all the calamities in question, their origin traced, and
all their forms delineated.
It was not possible to give to this work smaller proportions, for the
simple narrative of facts and citation of necessary documents required a
bulky volume. The opinion of the commission being therein expressed
concerning the proper remedies for each of the obstacles which impede
the progress of that part of the country, it has been thought proper to
extract them, and present them separately in a note, so as to facilitate
their being submitted to the judgment of the citizen President.
In the first place, it should be stated that the establishment of an army
corps on the frontier is indispensable to maintain order thereon, and
furnish a respectable basis for the relations between this republic and
that of the United States. The officer appointed to the command of this
army corps should be of high rank and adorned with brilliant
qualities.
Second. It is notoriously and urgently important that the upper region of
the Rio Grande be covered by detachments of from 250 to 300 men, which
should be located at San Vicente, El Burro, and Las Vacas, by which
measure the incursions of the Indians would be repressed, and the
outrages caused by Texan settlers upon Mexicans in that section would be
prevented.
Third. To promote the settlement of the immense deserts lying between
Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango, bearing in mind that this should only
be done with native Mexicans, and cannot be effected without first
protecting the frontier and afterward surveying the lands at the expense
of the general government so as to grant them to applicants or to
settlers carried thither from the central States, as was done by the
Spanish government.
Fourth. To estimate the foundation of towns upon the principle above
indicated, and by the employment of the resources granted under the name
of subsidies to the frontier States, over the disbursement of which it
is necessary to watch, so that it be not distracted from its object.
Fifth. The formation of a territory embracing all the new settlements, so
that, being under the direct control of the general government, its
action may be more effective upon the settlers, who, we repeat, should
be entirely Mexicans.
Sixth. To regulate the communications between the innumerable ranches
along the Rio Grande, so that they may not prejudice or compromise our
international relations, nor, still less, the interests of the treasury
by means of smuggling.
Seventh. To propose the laws which may be considered expedient for the
repressing of cattle-stealing, including therein the necessary
provisions to prevent the escape of servants who carry out of the
country a considerable capital, and by their crimes on both sides of the
Rio Grande endanger our international relations.
Eighth. To endeavor to ameliorate the condition of the Mexican citizens
who reside in Texas and are property-holders in that State of the
American Union. This is required by the prejudices entertained against
them, as is proved by the grievous outrages they daily suffer. The
establishment of a consulate at Corpus Christi, in addition to the
employment of diplomatic action, would do much to effect a change.
Ninth. A reform of the privilege of the Free Zone, so that no class of
merchandise can be consumed by the inhabitants of that region without
the payment of some duty, however moderate, extending this reform to
some articles of the existing tariff upon the bases suggested to the
ministry of finance, in a separate memorial.
Tenth. Without neglecting the rules laid down in the circular of the 10th
of September, 1850, to follow all those which experience has proved to
be the best for solving the [Page 748]
Indian question, thus establishing a simple, clear, and just line of
policy respecting those tribes when they present themselves in our
territory.
Eleventh. To create a board to take charge of all questions concerning
Indians, of whose depredations it will procure exact information, as
well as of everything relating to them, in order to avoid
responsibilities and assure their rights to such Mexican citizens as may
suffer losses by them; it being the duty of the said board in each case
to show where the marauding Indians come from, their places of
residence, the amount of the damage, the participation citizens or
authorities of the United States may have taken therein, acts of the
latter to punish and of Mexican authorities to restrain such Indians,
with special instructions to the board to establish relations in Texas
or in the region where the Indians reside, to investigate fully the
conduct observed by the American authorities with the aboriginal tribes,
both those on the Government reservations and those leading a nomadic
life, using special efforts to ascertain the final disposal of their
booty.
Twelfth. To promote such amendments to the laws upon the administration
of justice respecting the organization of the federal tribunals as shall
assure that on the frontier they be always in the hands of enlightened
persons, and that their substitutes possess similar qualities. Their
jurisdiction should include those crimes which endanger international
relations, and the judges should receive good salaries.
Thirteenth. The penal features of the fiscal laws concerning smugglers
also need amendment, so as to render fraud against the treasury
disreputable, and to apply corporal penalties, such as imprisonment and
closing of their places of business, to delinquent merchants when they
are Mexicans, and their expulsion from the national territory when they
are foreigners.
After the enumeration of the many calamities which weigh upon the Mexican
frontier, all of them set forth in bold relief in the records formed by
the commission, it would not think it had performed its entire duty if
it did not at the same time express its opinion as to the measures which
may be adopted for preventing them. It has not the presumption to
suppose that it has succeeded in pointing out the best, and perhaps none
of them is adequate to correct inveterate abuses, which are therefore
hard to remedy; but it can assert that the measures proposed have been
carefully studied, and it therefore believes that even if they be not
adequate to extirpate the evils which have long afflicted our frontier,
they will undoubtedly lead to the discovery of better ones by persons
who know the general situation of the country, its men, its things, and
their relative conditions, so as to put everything on the path of
improvement and progress.
In presenting to you this compend of the results of the labors intrusted
to us, we ought not to conceal the fact that the inhabitants of Northern
Mexico, weighed down by sufferings for more than half a century, desire
even more than the redress of their damages and losses, a decided
protection, so as to suffer them no longer; and more than all, wish to
live under auspices which will shelter them from outrages, hitherto of
almost daily recurrence, from authorities or citizens of the United
States, which they have been forced to tolerate from weakness and lack
of protection.
After these general suggestions, the commission is bound to call
attention to its own labors, since they were directed to the discovery
of these evils, and of their proper remedies, without neglecting the
kindred task of procuring the necessary data for proving the rights of
Mexico in the just claims which her citizens have pending at Washington,
and at the same time have collected all such other data as might aid in
shielding her from the responsibilities which speculators and shameless
traffickers are seeking to cast upon her. For this reason the commission
believes that all the proofs relating to Indian depredations should be
sent at once to our commissioner at Washington, who will find in them
unimpeachable evidence concerning the responsibility of the American
Government and the reality of the losses suffered by Mexicans. To avoid
the inconveniences which might result from the loss of these papers, we
have formed indexes, which may serve to replace documents which may be
lost.
If the objects above expressed have been attained, the satisfaction of
the commission will be unlimited; and if all its efforts have not been
available for that object, they have nevertheless been exclusively
employed to that end.
Independence and liberty!
