The record-union., 1891-04-02
DIVIDED ALLEGIANCE - ITALIAN
INSINCERITY.

The affair of Baron Fava, which will
neither lead to war nor to serious trouble.
will serve one good end, however much
it may complicate for short time our re-
1ations with Italy-it will serve as an ad-
ditional agency to arouse Americans to a
realization Of the dangerous tendency OF
q large proportion Of our foreign popula-
ton; TO show that we have in our midst
a very considerable number Of people
of widely-differing nativities who have
sworn allegiance to the United States OF
America, but who have done SO with
mental reservation in favor of the land OF
their nativity.
This disposition was annoyingly mani
fest Immediately after the New Orleans
tragedy, when Italian citizens and aliens
alike, met throughout the country in mass
assemblies, and in hot-headed and ILL
advised resolutions appealed to the Italian
Government to demand of the United
States full reparation for the death of the
New Orleans prisoners by mob violence,
and to enforce the demand by threat OF
belligerency. These mistaken people did
not pause to ascertain whether there was
any need for such an appeal; they appear
to have counted out of their consideration
the idea that the United States Govern
ment was the sole and only authority
they might with propriety address. and
to have given no thought to the fact that
the Washington authorities had acted al
ready, and before any Italian voice had
been raised; that the Government en-
tered its emphatic denunciation of the
crime and demanded immediate invcsti-
CATION and prompt action to bring the
offenders to judgment.
The haste of the Italian-Americans as
they style themselves, to arouse foreign
wrath against the American Government,
itself proved that those who forgot their
allegiance and took part in these demon
strations have at heart but little regard
for the country of their adoption. 1t is a
convenient means by which they can
better their condition, but beyond that
they apparently have no concern for it
that is TO say, tho masses who united in
the vociferous cry for vengeance, since
there are fortunately some high-spirited,
broad-minded and sincere men native to
Italy who have become Americans in
perfect good faith and allsincerity, and
who viii remain loyal to their oaths.
Here now on the happening of the
Baron Fava affair comes another witness
to the thin mask of citizenship worn by
certain of the foreign-born element in our
midst. The leading paper published in
italian in the United States, II ProgreSso
ItatO-A americana, is quoted as declaring
that infamous immunity has been ac-
corded the New Orleans lynchers and the
inssigators ofthe lynching;;" that Italy in
insulting the United States has simply
done her duty, and ''the colony here ap-
proves" that the Constitution is ridicu-
lous because it does not give to central
authority power TO arrest, try and exc
cute, and that it is therefore trap for
European Governments. All which sug-
gests to US the thought that II ProgreSSo
Halo-Ameyicaao should be published
upon the shores of the Adriatic or TYR
henian Seas-it is certainly out Of place in
the United States, and its tone is irritat-
ing and insulting. If the Constitution
and the republican system, under it-and
which it must have understood before its
editors fed to America to enjoy freedom
are so repulsiye to these fine-spun Ital-
ians, III the name of reason why do they
live and flourish under them? Why in
good conscience do they not return to
their native land and voice their dislike
of American institutions to the waves of
the Mediterranean
Not less significant of insincerity OF
allegiance and hyphened Americanism is
the expression of editor Durante of
L'ItGEid, who says that IN event of war
he would not be willing to take up arms
against his native country, nor would he
fight against his adopted one" He
would occupy, therefore, precisely the
position we should expect hyphenated
Americans to assume, on neither one
side nor the other openly, but secretly
fayoring the hand shifting the land that
shelters them, and to which they hayein-
sincerely sworn fealty.
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