New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-17
TIE NEV.ORLEANS MASSACRE.


The citizens OF New Orleans who defend ana
applaud the massacre OF saturday stand piac-
ticaly alone The rest of the country, judging
from all the evidence at hand, deploreS ana con-
demns the acts OF the mob. Possibly 1t Is TOO
soon TO estimate the real sentiment OF New
Orleans. but up to this time 1t is not unjust
to assume that the only feeling which has been
expressed fairly represents the feeling OF the
majority. And yet it is scarcely possible to sup
pose that a reaction will not sooner or later seo
in. The case would be different if the muir
dcrcd men had all been tried Then the as
surance that Justice had been outraged by their
escape might survive to justify the fierce passion
which demanded their death. But as 1t IS, when
the fact comes to be realized that five of the
victims had never had chance to face their
accusers, that they were shot to pieces merely
because they were assumed to be members OF
secret society to which the assassination OF Hen
messy is attributed the present jubilaton Is
likely to De at least tempered by regret that
there was nobody TO suggest the propnety OF
discrimination.
1t is possible indeed, that the whole bloody
work of Saturday may be disavowed by ma
iorty of those who had no active part in IT, bu'
we can scarcely expect to see regret earned 50
far As that. A community which has permitted
itself to tolerate the sort OF government ny
which New Orleans has long been cursed, which
has not been ashamed to rejoice In the employ
mcnt of murder and Intimidation as political
weapons and which has cheenully borne the
disgrace and universal decentralization OF lot
terry swindle is not easily revOlted good deal
will depend upon the attitude and utterances oi
Governor Nichols. There is no present pos
pect that he will be required to interfere FOR
the preservation of the peace. But if there is
considerable element in III" population waiting
to be stimulated and embroidered by an Official
expression OF adherence ~ the Work OF the
mob the Governor now has it in his power to
perform public service Of no small importance.
Of course, it is the sworn duty OF the local al-
thorties, with or without the support OF BODY
of sober-minded citizens, to arrest the leaders
and Spokesman of Saturday, the men who adj
yiscd the mob what 70 do and how to do it,
Equally of course, in the present temper OF the
city, they would risk their own lives II they
obeyed the law. whose servants they are sup
posed to be- but there have been magistrates
who would not have Shrunli from accepting
even such responsibility a. thls
In one Of its aspects and possible consequences
the massacre is Of serious import 10 the whole
country. The Italian Government. through is
Minister at Washington. has already made an
emphatic protest and a demand for that pro-
lection of is subjects which we have specifically
guaranteed 10y treaty. The United states has
been accustomed. under circumstances some
what similar to remind foreign Powers that II
could not make Icpalation fer injuries inflicted
upon citizens Of other Countries through the iaIi-
ure OF state to secuic their persons and prop
erty Sound as this proposition may be under
our Federal system. the time may come when a
foreign Government will choose to treat 1t As ii
it were merely a convenient fiction. In that
case our position would be an extremely Iulc0m-
Portable one to maintain aad an equally diff
cult one TO abandon. When complaints are
based upon the sudden and unforeseen violence
If mob that fact must always be taken into
consideration but an injury to Il foreign subject
which was done under the authority Of state
would inevitably call for measure OF redress
which the United States would be lOath to le-
fuse and at the sane time emGanaSs cd to rem
der Such an emergency may arise at any mo-
ment and it is not pleasant 10 remember that
we are totally unprepaIcd TO meet it.