FANCIFUL NEWS ARTICLES ON "CHENO" TAKING BROWNSVILLE

(Ed.'s Note: Wild speculation followed the taking of the City of Brownsville by Juan Nepomuceno "Cheno" Cortina in September 28, 1859. This item was written by John Rollin Ridge, in his newspaper, the  California Marysville National Democrat. Notice that instead of 70 to 80 members in Cortina's party, it has increased to 1,000 and Ridge speculates that his raid into Brownsville will lead to the taking of more Mexican territory by U.S. forces. The top pen-and-ink drawing in this article (although fanciful) was drawn by Bruno Brindisi for Guerillas of Juan Cortina.)

From The National Democrat

By John Rollin Ridge, a Cherokee novelist and newspaper editor who wrote the novel Joaquin Murieta, The Celebrated California Bandit (1854)

December 11, 1859

The raid of the Mexican Guerrilla Chief, (Juan N. ) Cortinas, upon the frontier of Texas with his one thousand men (1,000), is possibly pregnant with serious consequences. It is but the prelude to the dismemberment of the Mexican Empire, unless, indeed, the forays of Cortinas be suddenly ended. 

The besieging of Brownsville, the slaughter of American citizens, the plundering of houses and ranches, and the general system of robbery and murder set in motion by this Mexican leader, will rouse all the animosities of Americans towards the Mexican race, and will certainly, unless the bandit chief is speedily disposed of, precipitate a war between the two peoples, without any formal declaration of hostilities by either of the two governments. 

A hatred, bitter and deadly, already exists between the two races, and it needs only a spark to kindle the combustible antagonisms existing into flame.

Besides the insatiable desire of the American people to acquire land; to plant the flag of the Union in new territories, and to spread the wings of the American eagle as widely as possible, will not lose its opportunity; and no better an opportunity than the present promises to be, is likely to he presented. The longer that Cortinas continues in his present course, the more will U.S. forces increase, and it is easy to foresee that his movements will finally partake of a national character.

Just such fellows as Cortinas are preparing the way for the absorption by the United States of the very best portions of Mexico. War with Mexico must always end with the cession to the United States Government of Mexican land. The people upon the frontiers would like to pour into the provinces of Sonora or Chihuahua or Coahuila, and it would not take long to settle in either of those States, as was done in Texas, a population which would raise the flag of a successful revolution. Either by conquest or revolution, the acquisition of Mexican territory is certain to he the result of disturbances, of long continuance, upon the frontiers of the two countries.

The policy of the administration in removing the military force stationed at Brownsville, so as to leave the frontier unprotected in the manner that it has been, and subject to the invasions of such scoundrels as Cortinas is not to be explained with any credit to the President and his advisers, upon any other hypothesis than that they supposed that depredations would be committed, blood be spilt, war ensue, and Sonora or some other province be annexed by conquest to the United States.

It is rather a cold policy, it is true, to leave American citizens to the mercilessness of this kind of butchery; but, unless some such reason as above given was the governing motive of the policy, we're at a loss to see what was the sagacity of the movement. The citizens remonstrated – begged and implored, not to be left thus unprotected – with what result, let the ashes of their homes and their own murdered corpses testify.