Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-07
WAITING FOR BLAINE.
New Orleans Grand Jury Report EX.
pected to Reach Him Soon,
WHEN he. WILL TAKE ACTION.
The Document Will Have Good Effect on
Turbulent Foreigners.
Row THE ITALIAN CASE NOW STANDS

WASHINGTON, May 6.-The report OF
the New Orleans grand jury on the killing
of the Italians was fruitful theme for dis
cussion among the people at the State De-
partment to-day. It may be said that the
findings of thesgrand jury excited no sur
prise. for some such conclusion of the case
was expected. The attempt to palliate the
infraction of law by offsetting the alleged
attempts at jury fixing is deprecated by the
legal minds Of the department, but there is
a we'll defined opinion that on the whole the
outcome of the case will be beneficial in its
effect upon the turbulent foreign elements
in the United States, inasmuch as it will
make clear to them the fact that they cannot
rely on treaties to escape responsibility to
the great public for their unlawful acts.
The report Of the grand jury will, it is
expected, reach Secretary Blaine in the
course of time and figure in the official
correspondence between the United States
and Italy. There is reason to believe that
in some details it differs from the report
made to the Department of Justice bv
District Attorney Grant, and notably in
the matter of the nationality OF the victims.
The Question of Nationality.
The grand jury's report found that eight
of them were naturalized American citizens
and that one had declared his intention to
become naturalized. District Attorney
Grant, it is believed, found that one of the
victims was an Italian by nationality. but was
an escaped convict. and that another's ma
tionality was SO doubtful as to make it unsafe
to hazard an opinion. S0 at any rate the
Italian complaint will be narrowed down to at
icaSt TWO persons-one an escaped convlct-f0r,
although the United States has no naturalIza-
tion treaty with Italy. the last named nation
has invariably, through comfy, recognize zed our
naturalized citizens as free from amenability
to their native Government.
When the case of these two victims Is con-
sidered, the question will Immediately arise:
Were the treaty sripulations with Italy broken?
This question is likely to figure in the corre'
spondence between the two Governmen as
soon as the Italian Government is ready to fall
reasonably into the usual diplomatic method of
treating a ubject, respecting which they lake
issue with another nation.
How the italian Case Stands.
Unless it appears clearly that the treaty has
been violated, the Italian case falls to the
ground, and the leading diplomatic minds Of
the State Department maintain that this fact
cannot be made to appear. The treaty guaran-
tees italian citizens in this country the same
rights and privileges and immunities as are en-
10yed Dy our citizens, ana IL Is asserted tn2C II
any Italian subjects were killed at New Or
leans they mad the same measure of protection
that was accorded tu the American citizens
who were killed at the same time and for the
same reason and by the same persons.
Moreover. their families may claim indem-
nifty, il It appears they are entitled to do so.
The same measure of popular vengeance might
have been inflicted native citizens of the
United States and altogether 1t is not clear to
the State Department officials that the victims
failed in any degree to receive the protection
guaranteed by the treaty, which, 1t may be said.
does not and cannot insure the lives Of for.
eigners
Porter's Leave Of Absence.
In Secretary Blaine's absence. there has been
no forward move in the correspondence 1t Is
learned that Mr.. Porter. our Minister at Rome.
applied to the Department of State for leave
Of absence before the New Orleans affair hap
pened. He has been constantly on duty since
March, lSS9-Inore than two years-and 1t is
for Minister to have leave atieast
Dnce year. Moreover, the sickly season is
approaching IN ROM, SO that fI is entirely
probable that his request will be granted, Is
indeed would already have been the case had
not the trouble reached such an acute phase.
Attorney General Miller said he had read the
report OF the grand jury, but declined abso-
utely to express any opinion in regard to 1t or
discuss any of its features Secretary Foster,
when asked his opinion ON the report, said he
really had not had time to read it, and there.
fore was not in position to express an opinion
1t.