Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, April 14, 1901, Page 15

) 4 ’ v April 14, 1901 THE Mexico’s War With the Yaquis (From a Special Correspondent.) HERMOSILLO, Mexico, April 1. -"Has it ever been held that the war of the United States government against the for merly rebelli Apaches was inhuman or unwarrantable The questi utterance of itary governor the interview Mexico's poticy us substantially General Luis E of the state granted me on the subject of with the hostile Yaquis And there was something the speaker that suggested in the ground whereon, as in the campaign against the his wert “something™ in the general beaving of the dis Mexican that, from the begin sed me far more than did and dignified presence absolute uniquencss, however, of ity referred to in a man of his calling for a time rendercd its exact na- ture irdeterminable Then by dogrees | came interpret to appreciate it in the implicit trustfulness that at once dom- inatod his character and required in others all that it gave In undertaking facts connected n was the Torres, first mil of Sonora, in dealings of this section in the entir a chief Indians based tones ot confidence factor in It speech and tinguished ning, impre exalted rank question this principles wis his The qual warlike to and to investigate the actual with the present Yaqui war, concerning which during the two years of 1ts progress so many conflicting reports have been published, it had occurred to me that the first authority to consult was the man under wh se immediate supervision the campaign is being conducted Hence, instead of making application through customary channels for permission ter the hestile Yaqui country, 1 direct to the capital of Sonora and apphied in person to General Torres for the desired privilege, together with a statement of his own convictions en the subject of the re bellion I found the general at his beautitul home the suburbs of Hermosillo, which he the en proceeded to in to YAQUI WAR CHIEFS had just returned after an arduous trip into the heart ot the Indian country. Notwith- standing his evident physical exhaustion, he received me with customary Mexican hos pitality, assuring me that his house was at my disposal so long as I chose to remain, an urance which the kindly look in his frank eyes in no sense belied. And cer- tainly no prospect could have been more delightful than a protracted sojourn in the languorous atmoesphere of his semi-tropical retreat. However, there was no other way than to put aside all such allurements, for the brief interval 1 spent at Hermosillo was entirely occupied with the interview ac- corded me “For fifteen years,” continued the general, af er the pause following upon the incontrovertible question with which he had prefixed his statcment, “I have been, In one capacity or another, identified with the task of civilizing the Yaquis. And for twelve of those years, characterized though they were by repeated outhreaks on the part of the Indians, 1 never once gave over the hope and belief that 1 would live to see the day when they would constitute a powerful element in the population of Son- ora. Throughout this interval the varlous traits «f the Indian character have been my cl I have seen tribe after tribe in adjoiving United States take to the for identically the same reasons as those that have influenced the Yaquls, namely, a general antipathy for civilization In its every form. There are no two natures more similar than those of the Yaqul and Apache. It not slight sest study th warpath is land for the purpose of cultivation that either have demanded, but unlimited territory wherein they might pursue their savage tendencies without re straint. The carly United States the theory was absolutely no dependence in an Apache so Jong us the were allowed him. Accordingly round-up was inaugurated government that there to be placed freedom a persistent and when taken very adopted least alive he was shut up on a closely guarded rescrvation. But even this policy proved ineftectual, and it was not until a large percentage of the tribe were exterminated and the most refractory of its surviving members removed to faraway Florida that peace and progress in the former Apache ountry was established government Had the Mexican been disposed, at the outstart, to adopt like measures in its dealings with the Yaquis, the tribe would long ago have been thoroughly under control.” “But,” 1 interposed, “is it not true that in the present war you are pursuing a simi- lar course with the Yaquis?" “Precisely,” was the frank rejoinder, “And it was in justification of this policy that 1 have cited the precedent established by the United States government. The only differ- ence in the two circumstances lies in the lateness on our part in resorting to such drastic methods with the Indians. For years we were impelled, in the face of the most trying discouragements, to hope for a better solution of the Yaqui problem. Our policy was to accord the Indians, from the outstart, every privilege enjoyed by the average citizen of Mexico, in the belief that such a course would in time create of him a valuable factor in the permanent settlement of the country. To this end he was allowed to roam at will throughout the entire north- west territory. If he chose to work for oth- ers, the great haciendas offered him no lack of employment, while, if more independently disposed, he was given the preference of settling on whatever public lands Dbest AND FOLLOWERS suited his fancy. The result was that a larger portion of the tribe located them- selves in the Rio Yaqui district, a remote but exceedingly fertile section In the south- eastern part of the state. Here they lived after the manner of the average uncivilized Indian, depending on game and the very ILLUSTRATED | [} MEXICAN least amount ol corn they could raise Lor all eXISLelce, AL LS, us DEeCessily coln pelled 1L, some o1 wue trive would proceed (0 other parts ol tne state, where |lll‘y wouia WOrk or “n saorc walle, ouly w recurn again w Lthear whderness retrcad, there o tve o dieness, 80 long as tnewr carnings woud permit, e praled cllorts were made vy the Mexican BUVErIenL o nduce the ludians w cult- vate rich lands of which they nad possessed themselves, but without avail, And not only did tney resent every such etort o ward their own development, but lkewise Opposed the umprovement and cultivation of any part of the country in their vicinity, Lheir opposition, moreover, was not in the nature ot mere protest, but of the mwassacre and roovvery of all who dared violate their barbarous principies. ‘This violent perver- sity on the part of the Yaquis is the direct cause of all the bloody warfare that for years has been waged in the rural districts of Sonora. “It has been stated that the Yaquis are fighting for their lands, which is an error. The Yaquis think nothing of the country for what it will produce, It is the advance of civilization they are fighting. In behait of the Mexican government 1 have repeai- edly made special allotments of agricultural land to these Indians, and furnished them with abundant corn and wheat for planting purposes. The latter, however, they would almost invariably trede for mescal, their favorite liquor, or else eat outright, with the result that none of the land assigned Lo them has been, to any extent, cultivated, Such a thing will never be when a Yaqui will come to me and say, ‘'l have cultivated all the land you have given me and have need of more,’ but what he will receive all that he may require. But such thrifti- ness i8 entirely foreign to the Yaqui char acter, and the most serious complaint he has ever raised is that the white settlers are destroying the mesquite trees! It is these mesquite trees that constitute, to so great an extent, his wilderness retreat, and they cover the most fertile public lands in the state." ““What specific trouble led to the present war,” 1 inquired. “It was the bullding of the great irriga- BEE. OFFICERS SERVING IN THE tion canal which has its source in the Rio Yaqui,” stated the general. “At the close of the last Yaqui war, in 1897, the Indiaus were allotted seven pueblos, representing something like 112,000 acres of choice land in the valley of the Rio Yaqui. A porton of this land, however, lies too high for rri- gation trom the river direct, and was there tore comparatively unproductive. To ren- aer this 1and available tor agricultural pur- poses, the Mexican government shoruly afterward gave an American company a concession to run a canal from the Rio Yaqui into the country to the southward, under the condition that it should be 8o consiructed as to furnish water (o such por tions of the Indian lands as could not oth- erwise irrigated. But after the work had progressed to a cousiderable extent the old spirit of rebelliousness on the part of the Indians against the encroachments of civilization again prevailed, and without the slightest warning they fell to murder ing every white settler they could find in the region. This act on the part of the Yaquis was the bitterest disappointment of my lite, for it destroyed all my hopes of ever being ab Lo resolve them iuto peaceful, prog sive community, It was then that I felt compelled commend to the Mexican government that the tribe be entirely dismembered. To eftectually accomplish this it was necessary to deport the prisoucrs as fast as they were captured to parts of the republica sufliciently remote to insure their inability to returm. It has been stated (hat these captives were sent to Yucatan, which is absurdly erroneous, as thut district is likewise infested with rebel- lious Indians. Such Yaqui prisoners as I have thus far had sent out of the country were mostly taken (o the state of Jalisco, one of the most beautiful sections of Mex- ico, where rencwed endeavors are being made toward their civilization,” “How many Indians do you estimate are now on the warpath?” 1 asked, “That is dificult to determine,” answered the general L my belief, nowever, that their number has been reduced to not more tkan 300, and these in turn are broken up into numerous marauding bands. Be- sldes, their numbers fluctuate, for at times members of the hostile faction will leave be a to is HOSTILE COUNTRY. the mountains, and, passing themselves va as peaceable Indians, proceed to the hael- endas and secure work. Then with the proceeds of their labor they will purchase ammunition and return to the hostile coun- Thus, it will be seen that the Indian problem here in Sonora is a very intricate one., The very mozo who serves my table today may, a week hence, be lying in am- bush for me among the hills, while the nurse who attends my household is perhaps using her wages to supply the ring Indians with cartridges.' “When the present war is at an end, will the surviving Indians be allowed to r cupy the valley of the Rio Yaqui?" 1 quired. ot as a tribe,"” perience has districts will O in- was the response. “Ex- demonstrated that the rural never be safe 8o long as the Yaquis are permitted to band themselves together. There are always disturbing ele ments among then, whose intinence might aut time precipitate another outbreak. The Yaqui is naturally of an incendiary dis any position and it takes little to arouse his hunger for destructiveness, We have endeavored for years to rectify his ten- dency to viciousness, ‘but to no avall, When the missionary priests who went among them attempted to preach industry and peace, their influence with the Indians was theveeforth irretrievably lost. On the other hand, they would listen with eager- ness oo the volce of an insurrectionary spirit For this son it will be my future policy to keep the Indians apart. Although obliged to resort, in a measure, to deportation, I am not in favor of car- rying it to extremes, rigibleness, 1 still With all his incor- have hopes for the Yaqul, and will yet eliminate his vicious tendencies And of this, 1 assure you," concluded the general, with vnictakable sincerity in his tones, “notwith anding the seceming harshness of the measures 1 have been forced to employ in effectually crush- ing his spirit of rebelliousness, I have a far deeper interest in the welfare of the Yaqul than any of those who, without the least knowledge of his true character, are seek- mg to uphold and encourage him in his crusade against civilization." JOSE DE OLIVARES. MEXICAN TROOPS CAMPAIGNING AGAINST THE YAQUIS,