Arizona Citizen

MISSION CAMP MURDER CASE.

Whether this case will end in nothing more than the exercise of some harmless diplomacy, remains to be seen, but it has received attention at Washington, and probably now is being officially considered at the City of Mexico.

Governor Safford ineffectually exhausted his power to bring to punishment those guilty of the deed in this case, and referred the whole matter to the State Department at Washington, and under date of March 13th, Secretary Fish addressed the Governor as follows:

This Department has received your letter of the 14th, ultimo, relative to the refusal of Governor Pesqueira, of the Mexican State of Sonora, to deliver up certain of his countrymen charged with the commission of murder and robbery in Arizona.

That functionary correctly quoted the Extradition Treaty between the United States and Mexico, as exempting the parties from an obligation to deliver up their own citizens.

In consenting to their exemption, however, neither party relinquished the right of exercising a discretion in the matter, which the cases mentioned by you would seem to be a sufficient occasion for on the part of Mexico, especially in view of the contiguity of Arizona and Sonora. It is hoped however, that the freedom of the Mexican authorities from an obligation to surrender their citizens who may have committed crimes in the United States, may not insure impunity to the offenders if, pursuant to Mexican law, they can be prosecuted in that Republic.

An instruction on the subject will be addressed to the Minister of the United States at Mexico.

From the above, it is inferred that Secretary Fish hopes to induce the Mexican government to punish the assassins--a very rare hope, from all past experience. It was not denied here, that "that functionary (Pesqueira) quotes the extradition treaty correctly," but that he did shield the worst of murderers by the letter and against the spirit of it. No finely drawn diplomatic sentences by either government will change this fact.

The latest reliable advices from Sonora on the Mission Camp murders, are to the effect that Gov. Pesqueira is endeavoring to have arrested the two confederates of Pedro Pino, and that the authorities have virtually acknowledged the guilt of Pino by turning over the horses and arms, taken from him, to the United States Consul and in doing so, they specifically refer to them as belonging to American citizens, and as having been stolen in connection with the Mission Camp murders.

The United States Consul at Guaymas, A. Willard Esq., is indefatigable in his duties in behalf of the interests confided to him, and we learn that Pesqueira has made earnest declarations to him of a desire to surrender on proper requisitions, Mexican citizens who, having committed crimes on U. S. territory, escaped to Mexico; that he has submitted the case of Pedro Pino and associates to the General Government, and if authority be granted, he will use every effort in his power to capture and promptly send them here for trial and punishment. We also learn that Pesqueira says he will examine into the bad conduct of the officials of Magdalena in the cases of Fea and Johnston, detailed heretofore in The Citizen, and if found as represented, adequate punishment will be meted to them.

We still believe to be true all we have heretofore said of Pesqueira, but if it should turn out that he has been misrepresented in our columns, we shall frankly own it. In the meantime, we shall await some action of his that will justify anybody in believing his words sincere.