The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-01

Orleans. 1t was worse than ridiculous
it was discourteous and impudent to pro-
coed as at present pending the official and
judicial investigation now going on A
grand jury is inquiring into the mat
ter and the state department is
taking such steps as are necessary to see
that justice shall be done and that proper
consideration shall be given to the claims |
OF friendly government. The precipitous
action taken by Italy, pending the regular |
investigation, will make that government |
the laughing stock of nations, and reduces
the New Orleans tragedy from the dignity |
of an international incident to local at
fair in which only the state of Louisiana is
concerned. Inasmuch as no foreign power
can now have any right to ask the inter-
cession of the federal government, the
United States will probably say no more
about it, and Louisiana will attend to the
administration of her laws in her own way.
But does this mean war with Italy! We
know what the sentiment of the American
people. will be when they read the news
this morning. Almost without exception
the Americans will say, if Italy wants
brush with US, no obstacles will be
placed in the way. A good many
Americans would like to be as hasty and
precipitate in the declaration ofLwar, as
Italy has been in recalling her minister,
and il it shall transpire that American citi
zens have been imprisoned in Italy, this
administration will have to act with
promptness and vigor in securing their re-
lease. A few hours unnecessary delay
would transform the great American peo-
pie into mob of indignant patriots, who
would enact many such scenes as that at
the New Orleans prison; indeed, the lives
Of the executive cabinet would not be safe ii
there were any dilly- dallying while Ameri-
can citizens were lying in Italian prisons.
The United States have not gone abroad
for fight, but they can go if it shall be-
come necessary. If Italy is relying for pro-
lection in her impudence and insulting de-
pertinent on her formidable navy and
our absence of a navy, she Is deceiving her
self. America is to-day the most power
full nation on the globe 1t is so great that
within few short months she would be
able to drive Italy from the seas, and lay
the land OF organ grinders, monkeys and
! beggars under tribute. This is not an idle
boast, but plain, indisputable truth, re-
cognized by all who are familiar with the
resources of the United States in men, in
money and in patriotism. Of course will
be better if there shall come no war. Wars
are never good, and we hope that the re-
public will never be engaged in another. At
the same time, yesterdays news would
indicate that it may become necessary for
| the great republic of the west to teach
Italy to be respectful; that it may
be necessary for the United States to show
the old world that we know how to take
care of ourselves, how to command and en-
force respect, and that we know our own
strength and are not unfamiliar with the
strength of other powers.
For the next few days it will be well for
the Italian residents in this country to be
especially civil with their tongues and law
abiding in their department, and the editors
of Italian papers in the large cities will be
wise to change the tone of their journals
from what 1t has been lately. If their
King and his ministers are ignorant of the
rules of diplomacy, the Italians in America
should not be also ignorant at this time
They should be wise enough to understand
that the Americans will not be in pleasant
mood while their countrymen are in Italian
| prisons