The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-14
s<hc Urnvrngcd Outrage mt Jafra-Protsct,o~
or Americans Abroad.

,rhc Urovrngcd Outrage nc JaHa-Pro&.csnU-
| Of Americans Abroad.
| We learn By the last European nails ira. the
ipgufry 4 10 the outbreak of the 15th or June. At
| Djeddsb, hx resulted Ia she decaptation of two
Of the criminA Is, the deportation CT nice Others
TO ConstantinorAe, and the imprisonment of one
who was too sick - be removed The inves.iga-
ton has clearly shown that the instgasors of tue
riot were the Turlistt fhnctionaries Of the sown.
Thus it would appear that the demands Of JUS
tice have been fully satisfied against the authors
Of this cowardly massacre, aud tn. lesson. 10 far
as the safety Of Euglish and P.rench life and pro-
perty is concerned, will no doubt prove salu-
tary one. We question, however, if X will ex-
ercise the same protecting inauAnce orer those
Of American residents
| The policy Of the United States In its dealing
with weak States, or such as are supposed 10 be
unable to comprehend fully the duties of nstou-
alty In their exterior relations, has always been
that OF great moderation-a moderation which
has not been understood, and which has no doubt
rejected most unfavorably on American into
rests all over the world In few instances, it II
true, we have not been slow or very particular
In adopting measures Of redress; but we have
not always been fortunate in our ebufltions AZ
energy. We may instance the ridiculous BON
bardment and burning Of San Juan. Such
plumbers must always occur when we act spas
medically and not from settled policy. Furtivs
displays Of vigor, amongst nations as amongst in
aividuals come naturally to be looked upon a.
mere manifestations of Ill temper--simple aots
of irrational violence-and fail to secure the
only useful object to which an exhibition of force
should be directed namely, that of warning
and prevention.
We are led to offer these remarks in couee-
quence of the publication of an official com
munication from Commodore Layalette, dated
from Beyrout, ON the I'd of November last.
conveying the intelligence that the outrae,
on Mr.. Dickson and his family, committed
at Jatfa, in Syria, in the month Of January ofIast
year, still remained unatoned for, and that thu
criminal participators are likely to escape
punishment 1t will be remembered that the
house of Mr.. Dickson was entered by gang Of
rufhans who murdered his son-inlaw, violated
bis wife and daughter, leaving Mr. Dickson hin-
self for dead, snd carrying off all the movable
property of the house. Turkish justice never
interferes in behalf of the Christian, and it is not
at all probable the authorities of Jaffa would
have taken single step toward the appreheu-
sion or punishment of the criminals unless they
had been urged or forced to do SO by exterioc
pressure. Mr.. Gorham, our Consul at Jerusalem.
understanding perfectly the necessity ofinterven-
ton lost no time in urging the authorities of Jafa
to actions but his efforts were without any sensible
effect. Mr.. Do Leon our Consul General in
Egypt, prompt to the call started for Jaffa, ia
an Austrian mail steamer. having in vain solicit
ed the commander Of the United States corvette
Constellation to carry him to the scene Of the
outrage and lend him the efficient aid of visible
power to the efforts Of the American represents
tives
Messrs. De Leon and Gorham, however, no
thing discouraged, proceeded to Jaffa, and pre-
senting themselves before the authorities, do
manded the immediate arrest and punishment a
the offenders, who were still at large, enjoying
perfect impunity, and confident that the authori-
ties would never trouble them for the murder a
Christian. After three weeks of apathy, hostility
and treachery on the part of the Turkish officials,
vernuent that he had succeeded in forcing them
to detect and seize the criminals, four of whom
lodged in prison, with the Sheik of the tribe
of the fifth, as hostage for the production of the
latter by the tribe ITSELF Had we been sup-
ported by the actual presence of visible
force wrote Mr.. De Leon to Gen. Cass, " the
work that it took three weeks to accomplish
might have been done in forty hours"
An order for the execution Of the criminals
was Immediately applied for, and after some de-
10y the necessary Viziral letter, ordering the
execution, was duly issued and dispatched 10
JafIa. Thus, within three months from its o.
currence, the affair." as it would appear, had been
brought to satisfactory ISSUE notwithstanding
the deccnson of the "vsibIe forceD of the United
States to assist. The consequences of this
energy were obvious everywhere not only in the |
increased respect for Americas, but in the
almost entire cessation of outrages before fire.
qnent, against Christians and foreigners gene
rally.
OF course, after the publication Of the dacu-
men's connected with the above proceedings. the
public were Jed to expect that Justice would take
its course; and probably most people are nov
under the impression that The outrage at Jaffa |
was duly a'oued for by the execution Of it's per-
petrators. The letter of Commodore Lavsiette
will undeceive them. That officer made his Az
| pearance before Jafla in November last when he
| learned that the fifth criminal bad not yet been
arrested, and that at would be contrary to cors-
mon usage, If rot TO The law Of Turkey" 10 pro-
ce,d to the punishment of the few already COZ
victed until the fifih should be apprebendcd
Yet he condescended to argue the point, and to
demonstrate" and represent" Instead Of pro
duciDg the imperial order for execution and
with sbotted broadside, demanding its ipssantA,
neous Observance by the authorities.
| II thus appears that more than year hal