The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-02
The Difficulty With Italy Is
Capable Of Adjustment.
PREMIER RuDlNi WAS RUDE.
Blaine Never Refused Indemnity to
Families of Dead Sicilians.


WASHINGTON CrrY, April 1.-The follow
ing correspondence between Secretary
Blaine and Baron Fava is made public by
the department of state tonight:
ROYAL LEGATION or ITALY,
WASHINGTON CITY, March 81, 1891.
Mr.. Secretary Of State: By my two notes of the
18th and 18th instant, / had the honor to call
your excellency's serious attention. to the oc-
currences of exceptional gravity which took
place Mt New Orleans on the 18th, whereby four
subjects of the king OF Italy, who were confined
In the prison of that city, were massaered by q
crowd under the leadership of two American
citizens. After having formally protested
against the unjustifable conduct of the local
authorities. which were evidently Iccreant
to all their duties on that occasion, re-
served to the government Of his majesty
the right to demand such satisfaction as
1t might think proper, since the occurrence In
question constituted patent violation of the
stipulations in force between our two countries,
which secure to Italian subjects residing In the
United States the same protection enjoyed by
American citizens and which have always been
extended to the latter in Italian territory The
reparation demanded by the government Of the
King, as have had the honor to inform you in
our Interviews held during the last few days,
was to consist of the following points: First,
an official assurance by the federal government
that the guilty parties should<be brought to
Justice; second, recognition in principle that
indemnity Is due to the relatives of the victims.
Your excellency was pleased to declare to me
that as the federal government did not think it
could take this view of the case, it declined to
take the aforesaid demands into consideration.
Under these circumstances the government Of
his majesty, considering that the legitimate ac-
ton of the kings minister at Washington City
becomes inetficacious, has ordered me to take my
leave. In obedience, have the honor to an
nounce that I am going to leave Washington
City as speedily as possible, leaving Marquis I'M
charge OF the current business Of the royal lega-
ton.
Secretary Blaine today wrote to the
charge d'affaires imperiale as follows:
; beg to express the sincere regret with which
the government of the United States receives
the intelligence of Baron Fava's speedy de-
parture from this capitol Though he has more
than once tntfmated this purpose, the govern
ment OF the United States has been unable to see
adequate reasons for such step. The baron's
service here for the past ten years has been dis
tinguished ut all times by the most agreeable
relations with the executive department of this
government The regret at his leaving Is en-
hanced when, as the president believes, he has
been recalled under misapprehension OF the
facts BY the government of Italy. The cause
OF his sundering his diplomatic relations with
this government 10 thus given in his note:
'The reparation demanded by the government
the king, as have had the honor to inform
you in our interviews held during the last few
days, was to consist of the following points:
First. official assurance by the federal govern
mcnt that the guilty party should be brought to
Justice Second, q recognition in principle that
an indemnity is due the relatives Of the VIC
Tins The first demand thus stated by Baron
Fava is slightly changed In the phrase from that
employed by him in his many verbal requests,
based on q telegram from MARQUIS di Rudini
which he left with me. Marquis di Rudini de-
clared that "Italy's right to demand and to OBJ
tain punishment of murderers and Indemnity
for victims is unQuestionable" It is inferred
that the baron's change of phrase meant no
change afterward.
have endeavored to impress upon him in
the several personal interviews with which he
has honored me that the government of the
United States is utterly unable to give the as
surance which the Marquis di Rudini has de-
manded Even If the national government had
entire jurisdiction over the alleged murderers, 1
could not give assurance to any foreign power
that they should be punished. The president is
unable to see how any government could justly
give an assurance of this character in advance
OF the tiial and verdict of guilty" In the con-
VA tuC CultcO StdtcS IL 10 QeCluIeu LQuL
"in all criminal prosecutions the accused shall
enjoy the right to speedy and public trial by an
impartial jury of the state and district wherein
the crime shall have been committed It needs
no argument to prove that the jury could not be
impartial II it were in any sense or to any de.
gree bound before the trial of the accused by an
assurance which the president of the United
States had yentured to give foreign power.
In the constitution of the state of louisiana
under whose immediate Jurisdiction the crimes
were committed, substantially the same pro-
vision is found, that the governor of that state
would be as unable to give pledge in advance
for the result of a trial under the state law as
the president would be were it practicable to try
the leaders of the mob under the law of the
United states.
In Baron Favas second point he demands a
recognition in principle that indemnity is due
to the relatives of the victims. He is assured
that he is under grave error when. be declares
that the United States government declines to
take this demand into consideration, and shall
regret If he has communicated such a conclu.
sion TO your government. The United states,
80 tar from refusing. has distinctly recognized
the principle of indemnity to those Italian sub.
jccts who may have been wronged by violation
of the rights secured to them under the treaty
with the United States of February 26, 1871.
have repeatedly given TO Baron Faya assur-
ance that under the direction of the president
all the facts and incidents connected with the
unhappy tragedy at New Orleans on the 18th of
March last should be most thoroughly inyesti-
gated. have also informed him that in a mat
ter OF such gravity the government OF the United
States would not permit itself to be undulv
hurried; nor viii it make answer to any de-
maud until every fact essential TO correct iudr-
ment shall have been ascertained through legal
authority. The impatienee of the asgrieyed
may be natural, but its indulgence does not al.
ways secure the most substantial justice.
The fact that Secretary Blaine addressed
his letter on the subject of the New Or
leans tragedy to Marquis Imperiali, charge
d'affaires, is of significance, demonstrating
that the government does not regard the
rupture of diplomatic relations caused bv
Baron Fava's recall as complete. Had
that view been taken the communication
would have been addressed to the Italian
government direct, or through the medium
of Minister Porter at Rome. How the
matter is viewed by the Italian govern
ment will be disclosed by the reply that is
made 10 the secretary's letter. If the
charge affaires replies as such il must be
construed rs an acknowledgment that the
Italian government is still represented in
the United States by its legation. But if
he announces that he is without authority
to reply and suggests transmission of the
secretary's Communication to Rome il
might be taken rs evidence that direct
relations between the two cnun-
tries are at an end.
A careful perusal OF the secretary 5 letter
seems to warrant the assumption that from
the very beginning Of the correspondence