The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-05-01
Friday, May 1, 1894.
Mr.. sayard on italy's Demand"

Mr.. Bavard's article in the Forum on
the rights Of foreign citizens residing or
sojourning in this country, is document
Of statesman and patriot; and those
who desire to have clear conception OF
the duties Of the government in the case
Of the mobbed Italians, should study II.
Mr.. Bayard makes our proper position
very clear in the following extract:
AT, very evident ,ha, II the Government OF the
United States shall admit thu; it is liable rs ide;ni-
~ individuals directly. foreign Government ac''
Ing In their behalf, for injuries Inflicted upon ctzehs
or subjects OF such foreign Government WITHIN the
United States and in violation OF lis laws ana 'nal
such claimants absovcd from Mi effort" 70 op"'
redress in the judicial courts which are Us open 10 i
foreigner citizens. and where justice Is
administered with All equal hand to either ana |"
both, it will precedent which viii not merely
be prolific Of international dSSensions' but @Alch
will impair the structure of our Government, serlous'
" dsarrangc the system Vi checks and balances hn-
der our State and Federal systems, and confuse and
DESTROY the essential boundary between executive ana
judicial powers which is OF the moot important
features In the Constitution OF our Government.
1t is clear that our treaties with for
cign countries should not and do not con-
fer greater privileges upon their subjects
who happen to be in this country, than
they do upon our own citizens. Many OF
the victims of the New Orleans mob were
American citizens; but no one would ex-
pect the Federal government to endorse
the claims of their families for damages
and unde rtakc to prosecute them. Yet
this is just what the Italian government
demands" shall be done for the families
of the two Italian cutthroats who were
subjects of Italy; who committed crimes
in that country, were fugitives from JUS
tice and who came into this country in
violation of our immigration laws which
exclude such characters.
In regard to the demand of the Italian
premier that the Federal government
guarantee the conviction and punishment
of the mob, Mr. Brayard is equally clear.
He says:
II the principles 81 law and the arrangements for
their exercise declared by courts 10 be consonan
with the provisions Of the Constitution and essential
to the preservation OF individual liberty, cannot be
peaceably possessed and enjoyed By citizens. and
be acknowledged and recognized as the basis OF our
Government, because Of the presence within our Dor
ders OF alien subjects and citizens Of foreign powers
whose personal WRONGS may not be remedied to their
satisfaction, that OF their Government, without
the impairmcn, and disorder OF our system, the" the
time has 0rrircd 1chcn the UnQacsfiondOlc ana
sorcreign right Of the United States to determine
or posiirc lac rho shall be permitted to enter our
gates and ,rho shall DC cfclodcd must be rrcrcis-
Cd
We are NOT aware that our Constitution
was framed for any other nation than this
one 1t certainly was not devised to suit
European monarches or for the protec-
ton and benefit Of the rif-raH that may
come here to escape punishment for
crimes committed at home. The Amcri-
can people are satisfied with it and they
do not propose to destroy or amend it at
the dictation Of Il foreign power.
Mr.. Blaine, in his last letter, though
more restrained by his official position
and the proprieties of diplomacy than
Mr.. Bayard, takes substantially the same
view; and here we have two leaders of the
two great political parties III accord on
the subject There is rs little difference
Of opinion among the masses of each
party. Indeed, both democrats and re-
publcans are as one party OH the qucs-
ton; and if Italy does not think so, or
believes she can drive either to any con-
cessicn whatever to her demands" she
may try it,