New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-05
UNTRUTHs THAT ARE DISLOYAL.

All civilized society rests on basis, not OF
force but of good faith. The police and the
army are ready, because there is apt to be a
faction, generally small, which casts good faith
to the winds when passion or personal interest
impels. But neither government to WELD the
police or the army nor protection Of rights nor
social order could exist if there was not spirit
of fidelity and honest desire for the common
welfare swaying the majority OF subjects or
citizens. Those must therefore be regarded as
enemies of all social order and all civilized So
ciety who deliberately falsify facts regarding
matters which involve the public welfare.
What shall be said, then of those naturalized
Italians who deliberately conceal the fact that
the only Sicilians killed at New-Orleans who
were not American citizens were in fact Grim
inals who had escaped from Italian justice :?
There were two, and one was bandit and the
other a murderer, official records obtained
from the Italian Government itself have proved.
Were these persons entitled to protection OF the
italian Government as clean-handed subjects OF
Italy?
Or again, what shall be said of those labor
leaders who publicly speak of the slain rioters
at Norwood as martyrs, who were slaughtered
without excuse? 1t is an undisputed fact that
large body of strikers, armed and many Of them
infiamed with drink, started in the dead of night
to the works which had been put in operation
by new hands. At o'clock in the morning
it was not for the purpose of being seen by or
intimidating workers that this body marched
Having reached the works it broke down fence
and entered upon the property, in that very act
violating law. The mob was then formally
wiz oti
if it did not the lawful defenders of the property
would fire. Yet it persisted in lawbreaklng
Then the shots came, and the men slain fell in
the very act of defying violated laws. Such are
the facts about which there is no dispute
Whether shots were fired first by the mob or
not lis immaterial. 1t is enough that it had
broken into and entered upon the property in
violation of law.
The painful feature in these cases is not that
certain persons were killed 1t is not that a
foreign Government or foreign subjects living
in this country show ignorance OF American
laws. The painful and dangerous fact is that
many American citizens, born elsewhere, in
deed but who have taken the oath to support
the Constitution and the laws, conceal essential
facts in order to make it appear that the New
Orleans bandits and the Norwood rioters were
martyrs innocent of wrong, and slain because
they were Italians or because they were strik-
ers. These pretences are more than dishonest
The supremacy of law being involved, they are
disoyal. For it is dislOyalty to the Government
to raise false accusations against it by hiding
essential truths.
The men who are guilty of such bad faith
toward the Government which has generously
admitted them to citizenship and given them its
protection deserve punishment. Their rights as
citizens ought in justice to be revoked, and they
should be required to leave the country they
try to dshonor. No laws exist for such pun
ishment so far have Americans gone in uphold
ing free speech on the presumption that cti-
zen will act in loyal good faith toward the Gov
eminent which protects him. But the men who
will not and do not, give proof that franchises
have been conferred upon them which they do
not deserve.
Possibly it may be impracticabe in most
cases to reach such dsloyalty of speech and in
fuenoe without breaking down that freedom of
discussion which is essential to eur institutions
But all men can realize that there are tiagrant
cases to which laws and penalties can be made
to apply, without restricting in the least the
proper freedom of any loyal citizen. The An
archists who justified Chicago bombthrowers,
the Italians who talk of escaped bandits as in
nocent victims slain because they were Italians,
and the labor leaders who say that armed rioters
were martyrs to the cause of labor, have no
business in this country. Their presence here
is source Of danger to civilized society.