The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-13
Chicago Inter- Ocean.

Washington, August 9.-Henry Wehle, OF
New York, counsel of Leo Hartmann, adj
dressed communication TO the secretary of
state. calling attention to q recently published
interview with Assistant Secretary Hit The
counsel says;
"The state department is to great extent
responsible for this undignified proceeding.
The department has not dissvowed state-
ments of tho assistant secretary,
and this garrulous officer, who
assumes TO proclaim the policy
of the state department in newspaper inter-
views, has not been dismissed nor censured.
In view of these facts l would respectfully
submit that the department should take se4
ton which will assure Mr., Hartmann that his
spprehensions of arrest and surrender to
Russia are unfouDded; that there being no
treaty under which the Russian governs
ment can demand extrsdi!io-, that tho
national government, having no authority 10
arrest persons for alleged crimes committed
within its Jurisdiction, the state
department cannot inquire and
has no authority 10 determine
whether any acts committed by Hartmann are
recognized and punished as such through-
out the civilized world or only political acts,
which are not considered crimes Gny wlero
except by tho government against which
they are directed.
BLAINE's REPLY.
The secretary of state replies:
Department of State, Washington, August
9, 1884, Henry Wehle, Esq., attorney at
law, New York city-Sir: Your letter dated
the 9th instant, pos,marked New York 9Th,
was received to-day. You asked me, as sec
rotary of state, to declare in effect that your
client, Mr., Leo Hartman, shall have protec.
ton of the government of the United States
in case his extradition should be
requested from Russia. l received by
same mail letter from an
eminent citizens of Pennsylvania urging that
this government should make known its will
lingqess to surrender MIR. Hartmann in tho
event of his being demanded by Russia In
both these communications em asked 10
violate official prOpriety and disregard ira.
ditions of the department of state by declar-
Ing In advance what would DO the action of
the government in Hypothetical case, in
volviDg a thousand grave legal principles and
important personal rights. You might with
equal propriety address Communications 10
the chief Justice of the United States, inter-
rogsting him as 10 tho decision he would
render II the case of Hartmann should come
up before them on writ of hsbeas corpus.
You suggest il Is the duty of the depart.
ment of state TO deliver its conclusion
on this case because ono of lis assistants 10
reported. without authority, TO nave express
cd his own personal views 10. casual CONVEX,
sation on the subject Would you regard II
as q good ground for demanding that tho
supreme court should make IN important
ruling or hypothetical case because a
reporter Of decisions OF the United States
tribunal, was said TO have declared certain
views on the principle involved. There ia no
citizen ofthe United States to-day, native
born OF naturslized, who has the right 10
ion in hypothetical case on the plea that
Il involves principle which might affect hii
personal rights Gan you assign any reason
why Dir Leo Hartmann, who Is not citizen
of the United States, should, the moment he
sets foot on American.soil, have the right IA
demand ruling from one Of the executive
departments Of the government upon ques-
ton of international jurisprudence thai may
affect his personal liberty when there Is no
case pending before the department involv.
ing the issuei A half million of Immigrant
from Europe will probably arrive Ii
the United States during the cur.
rent year. Can you indicate TO me any
reasonable ground on which Mr., Hartman,
should be excepted from out of that vas
number Dad special projection Of govern
ment vouchsafed and voluntarily guaranteed
him in advance Of any csse arising in which
his name was even mentioned. II may, per
hsps, be unnecessary TO advise you that con-
illusions and decisions Of the department o
state on important legal and diplomats
questions are not made premsturely through
the medium Of newspaper interviews, nor Il
response 10 attorneys or interested parties
r am, very respectfully, your obediont ser
4 vent, JAMES q. BLAINE.