Foster to To His Excellency John W. Foster , Envoy Extraordinary and, June 25, 1875

No. 444. Mr. Foster to Mr. Fish.

Sir: With my dispatch No. 288, of the 15th ultimo, I transmitted a copy of the note, which, in accordance with your instructions, I had addressed to the minister of foreign affairs, in reference to the difficulties and opposition which the commissioner, Mr. H. M. Atkinson, had encountered in Mexico in seeking the return of the Kickapoos and other Indians to their reservations in the United States.

I now have the honor to inclose to you a translation of Mr. Lafragua’s reply, dated on the 19th instant. In this reply he enters upon a review of the Kickapoo Indian question, justifies the conduct of the Mexican government, and re-iterates its disposition to do all it properly can to facilitate the return of the Indians to the United States, but states that he has no power to require their extradition. He attributes the origin of whatever local opposition there may be to the harsh judgment of Texan newspapers and citizens against the Mexican people and authorities of the frontier, and to their projects of invasion and acquisition of territory. He informs me, in conclusion, that new instructions have been issued to the governors of States where the Indians are located to remove any obstacle which may present itself whenever their removal is again attempted.

In acknowledging the receipt of Mr. Lafragua’s note, I deemed it important to briefly notice his reference to the want of power of his government to require the return of the Indians, and to the state of public sentiment in Texas.

I may mention in this connection the fact that the newspapers of this capital have published an article from the newspapers of the United States which purports to be a statement made by Mr. Atkinson of the results of his mission, in which he is reported as saying that he was highly successful in procuring the return of the Indians to their reservations.

I am, &c.,