No. 431.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Fish.
Mexico, May 4, 1875. (Received May 18.)
Sir: In accordance with the instructions received in your dispatches Nos. 206, March 29, and 207, March 31, I communicated to the Mexican minister of foreign affairs copies of the inclosures to those dispatches relating to the burning of the post-office at Nueces, Texas, and the outrages committed in that State by Mexicans as set forth in the telegram of Governor Coke to President Grant, and stated to the minister that the Government of the United States expected that the Mexican government would omit nothing which might be in its power toward preventing such raids upon the territory of Texas, and that it would do everything possible to secure the punishment, according to law, of the perpetrators of the outrages referred to. I also expressed the hope that I might, at an early day, be able to inform my Government of such action having been taken by the Mexican government as would satisfy its just expectations, restore peace and order to the exposed citizens of Texas, and quiet the complaints now being made in the United States.
Under date of the 17th instant, Minister Lafragua addressed me a note in reply, a copy and translation of which I inclose, in which he states that after receipt of notice of the unfortunate events, to which my note refers, a special recommendation was, sent to the government of the States of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas, urging the adoption of the most efficacious measures for guarding the frontier, arresting the marauders, and preventing a repetition of similar deeds; that the same instructions were sent through the department of war to the military authorities of the frontier, increasing at once the force on that line; and inclosing a telegram from General Escobedo reporting the arrest of eight persons, supposed to be connected with the recent raid. Mr. Lafragua closes his note by assuring me that his government was using all the means within its reach to secure the pacification and [Page 910] tranquillity of the Rio Bravo frontier, and to prevent, so far as it may be possible, the repetition of similar outrages.
Not having any later communications from the/Mexican government, and being desirous of transmitting you by the mail of the steamer closing to-night any further information which the Mexican government might possess, I called upon Mr. Lafragua at the foreign office on yesterday. In answer to my inquiries, he stated that a number of persons suspected of being connected with raids into Texas had been arrested, and that the authorities were exerting themselves to ferret out and secure the punishment of the guilty parties, and he hopes at an early day to inform me of the success of these efforts; but that at present he was not able to furnish me further intelligence.
I called his attention to the newspaper reports of additional raids and outrages in Texas, committed by marauders from Mexico, which were in part confirmed by the official information in the mail just received by me, and which I would transmit to him, and that I could not too strongly impress upon him the importance to the peace of that border of the Mexican government adopting the most stringent measures for the punishment and repression of these continued outrages.
In this connection, I alluded to one of the sources of irritation growing out of the refuge in Mexico of Indian tribes from the United States, and to the bad conduct of Mexican officials in connection with the recent efforts of United States commissioners to secure their return to their reservations; which will be made the subject of a separate dispatch. I also stated to him that one of the most fruitful causes of these border troubles grew out of the encouragement and favor shown the marauders by Mexican local authorities; that the history of the frontier disturbances and crimes established the fact that when the officials on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande were men of good character, maintained friendly relations with and furnished information to the American authorities on the Texas side of the river, and honestly sought to punish the offenders in Mexico, murder, robbery, and raiding into Texas were very infrequent, and the border troubles insignificant. But, on the contrary, when the local authorities were men of bad character, and unfriendly to the United States, marauding bands were numerous; they always escaped into Mexico with their booty in safety, and were never punished by the courts. I did not claim that the federal government could always guarantee the honesty and good faith of the local authorities, but it should make an earnest effort to inspire these officials, especially those under its direct orders, with the cordial and friendly spirit toward the United States, and desire for the peace of the frontier, which the Mexican government itself constantly expressed. I referred to the bad reputation which General Cortina sustained in the United States, to the general impression as to his hostility toward the people of Texas, and to the fact that his name was almost always connected in some way with the newspaper reports of the raids on the, Lower Rio Grande, either as instigating, protecting, or profiting by them; and that his removal by his government to some other part of the republic would have a very salutary effect upon that frontier, and be accepted as an act of conciliation and peace toward the United States.
Mr. Lafragua remarked that General Cortina was not now in the military service of the government, but was acting in a local civil position, as alcalde, or mayor, of the town of Matamoras; to which I replied that while such was the case, he still held his commission as general in the army, was receiving pay from the federal treasury as such, and [Page 911] was subject to the orders of the government; and, as I understand, could be transferred by it, at any time, to any other part of the republic. I then referred to a conversation which I bad held in his absence with Mr. Arias, chief clerk of the foreign office, on the 30th of November last, in reference to Cortina’s interference in securing the escape of the fugitive defaulter Hamilton, (a report of which interview I made to the Department in my dispatch No. 214, of December 1st, 1874,) and that Mr. Arias informed me that the war department had already ordered an investigation into his conduct. Mr. Lafragua stated that such investigation had been engaged in by General Escobedo, but that it had been found necessary to transfer the case to the civil authorities, who were prosecuting it; to which I replied that five months had elapsed since I had made complaint of General Cortina’s course, and meanwhile, during the delay in deciding upon his conduct, the raids continued and increased in vigor, and that public rumor implicated him in one form or another in them. Mr. Lafragua acknowledged that it was desirable to effect his removal from the frontier, but the government was embarrassed in adopting measures to that end, especially on account of the personal troubles between General Cortina and Governor Canales. In that event, I remarked that it might become necessary for his government to decide whether the objection to his removal, growing out of his personal relations toward Governor Canales, would outweigh the embarrassments likely to arise with the government in case of his retention and continued complicity with the raiding and outlawry in Texas.
Inclosing our interview on this topic, Mr. Lafragua said that he would call the attention of the President to all of my representations, and that I might be assured that his government would runt no possible effort to restore and preserve peace on the Bio Grande frontier.
In closing, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 214, of the 14th ultimo, and to report that I have transmitted a copy of its inclosure, giving details of the burning of the post-office at Nueces, Texas, to the Mexican foreign office for its information.
I am, &c.,