Thomas H Nelson to Ignacio Mariscal, March 20, 1872

Mr. Nelson to Mr. Mariscal.

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.,