Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-05
RIGHTS OF ALIENS.
The Slain Italians Had the Same
Protection as Natives
Would Have Had
UNDER LIKE CONDITIONS.
Our Treaties Are as Powerful to Take
Care of the Foreigner
AS THEY ARE THE AMERICAN.
The Rights of Foreign Subjects Not In
quired About.
AS THEY ARE THE AMERICAN.
The Rights of Foreign Subjects Not In
Quired About.
BLAIYFS REPLY TO RUDINI COMING SOON
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

L
Mr. Blaine will take occasion, on account ot
certain passages in the letter of Rudini, tc
go into a much more elaborate discussion o.
the New Orleans case than before, and dwell
asSo upon the power of treaties in genera
for the protection of citizens of foreign
countries residing in America.
This, it is asserted, is not on account o.
formal inquiry by any representative of {
foreign Government, for no such inquiry
has been made, but because of the auerie:
and criticisms of the foreign press, which
NAV be accepted as expressing the best in
telligeuce foreigners have upon this Ques-
tion, and there seems also TO be a doubt in
the minds of many native Americans
whether treaties can be made TO protect for
elgners in such cases as the one in New
Orleans. on account of the State having
jurisdiction of its OWE courts and the sole
power 10 administer its own laws.
They Can BE Protected.
The best authorities here, so far as thev
have been induced to discuss this question,
seem TO be well agreed that treaties are as
powerful to protect foreigners under our
system of government as they are 10 protect
American citizens in foreign countries under
their system OF government. All treaties
guarantee to subjects OF foreign countries in
AmeIca merely the same protection they
give TO American citizens
Il is held by international LAWYERS here
that the slain Italians had exactly the sama
protection American citizens would have
held under the same circumstances, as In
deed portion OF them were American citi-
Eeus. An official of the State Department
declared to-day that he did not see how any
foreign representative could hold that the
lynched men were not treated Just as they
would have been had they been of our own
flesh and blood. There was not shadow
of evidence TO show that they had been as
saulted because they were of foreign birth.
or because any one of them was subject of
foreign power.
Not Parallel Cases.
"Now, in the case of the Chinese who
were massacred, - said the official there
was a direct violation of the treaty They
were assaulted and manned and killed solely
because they were Chinese, and indemnity
was therefore demanded and promptly paid.
No such question enters into the New Or
leans affair. Had native Americans as
sasSinated Chief Henressey to avenge his
arrest of members OF a secret and desperate
organization to which thev belonged, and
count OF bribed or intimidated jury, they
would have been lynchcd the same as the
Italians.
''ln that case would the State Department,
upon the demand of any power or individ-
ual, have demanded an investigation and
asked the Governor of the State in which
the lvnching occurred that everything pos
sihle should be done to bring the lynchers to
justice? Then, in interfering in this case,
does it not look as though the Government
was more concerned for the welfare Of for
ei-ners than for American citizens? / see
some surprise expressed in the newspapers
that while treaties have been made no law
has ever been enacted providing a penalty
FOR the violation of treaty, and it is pro-
posed to enact such penal law and give the
United States the power in i case like that
at New Orleans to step in and take the pun
ishment of offenders out of the hands of the
local authorities.
Would DO No Good
ain the first place, this would be giving
foreigners great advantage over American
citizens, and in the second place it would
avail nothing for at best the question of
punishment would have to he decided bv
the courts and largely by public sentiment.
Suppose the New Orleans Malta had
been shot to death by Washington mob in
the court yard of the jail of the District OF
Columbia- mob led by prominent and,
except when engaged at lynching,
eminently respectable and law-abidinC
citizens Suppose the Italian Minister,
without waiting TO see what should
be done, should sail in with rash and unin.
teliigent demands for punishment of the
mob and indemnity for the scounjrels
lvnched. What then would Mr.. Blaine
have replied? VIII, simply that the oues-
ton OF indemnity would be duly considered,
but that the question of punishment lay
with the courts of the District. The Mar
shal OF the District would be directed to ar
rest the offenders. He would have 10 arrest
all OF them. He could not make fish of one
and fowl of another.
IntricacIes of the Law.
1.-The thousands of lynchers would have to
be indicted by the grand jury, petit jury
would have to be found, composed OF 12
intelligent men, with no opinion on the
subject of the guilt or innocence of the men,
and them in its order, subject to intermin-
able postponements, the trial would be had
and a conviction mplished-possibly.
Now. that is just what is being done in
the New Orleans case. The legal agents of
the Government are investigating the mat
ter, with a view to a settlement of the ques-
tion OF indemnity, and the legal authorities
v,
10 bring the lynchers to book Is it not
jus, as probable that the State authorities
Will punish the lynchers as that Govern
ment authorities in the District would pun
ISL them if the aft air had occurred here? (
Then where does the question of State
rights or the suggested conflict of the State
with the National authorities, about which !
we have heard so much, come in or inter |
iere with Justice or abet the violation OF !
treaties IN anv way?
Carrying the Case to Rome.
suppose eight Americans, the toughest |
OF the tough, members OF secret, TIL |
bound, murderous society, sworn to murder |
when SO ordered, avenging any slight, real !
or ancied, Put upon any member of their |
society, the leaders Drigands of the highway
and sneahin" assassins of the byways, were
resident In Rome aud should assasSinate in
the most horrible manner the Minister of
Police or one OF his trusted agents Sup
pose them arrested and that on their trial
thev had desperate friends, who succeeded
in bribing or lntimidating the Jury to bring
in a verdict OF acquittal.
Suppose on tins the outraged popuIace.
TO the number of 5000 Or 10, 600, headed by
Counts and Princes and other ancient and
honorable Roman noblemen in and ont of
the peanut and orange-cart business, should
batter down the prison gates and shoot the
eight American assassins to death. We
would probably say it was a good riddauce,
but we have political parties here as thev have
in Italy, and possibly the party out of power
might nag the party in power to send