No. 303.
Mr. Nelson to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Mexico, March 25, 1872.
(Received April 12.)
No. 536.]
Sir: Pursuant to the instructions contained in
your dispatch No. 215, 1 addressed, on the 20th instant, a note to Mr.
Mariscal calling his attention to the numerous murders recently
committed in the Territory of Arizona by malefactors from the Mexican
State of Sonora, and manifesting the urgency of some efficacious
measures for the prevention of such outrages in the future.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Nelson to Mr.
Mariscal.
Legation of the United States.
Mexico, March 20, 1872.
Sir: The Government of the United States is
informed by the authorities of the Territory of Arizona that
numerous murders have recently been perpetrated within that
Territory, near the Mexican boundary, by malefactors proceeding from
and escaping to the Mexican State of Sonora. Some of these crimes
have been attended with circumstances of such peculiar atrocity as
to excite public indignation against the assassins to an alarming
intensity, in view of the fact that, when once the criminals have
reached Mexican soil, the experience of last year is supposed to
show that the State government of Sonora will neither punish them
itself, surrender them, nor take any efficient steps to prevent a
renewal of such deeds of blood.
Unless some energetic measures of repression be taken by the Mexican
authorities my Government believes it will be impossible to prevent
the aggrieved parties from retaliating in the same way upon Mexican
citizens residing in that Territory, a proceeding which could not
fail to disturb the existing cordial relations between the two
governments. In the interest of preventing such lamentable
consequences I have been instructed to present the above facts to
the Mexican government, and to manifest the urgency of some
efficacious measures for the prevention of such outrages in the
future.
I am, &c.,
