The Iola register., 1891-04-10
BLANE's REPLY.
Department of State /
Washington. April l. (


Washington, April /.
r The Marquis Imperiali, Charge d'Al
, faires, etc.
Sir-I have the honor to acknowl
i edge the receipt OF note of yesterda
s date from Baron Fava, who has left tn,
t Italian legation in your charge.
l beg to express the sincere regre
s with which the government of the Uni
5 ted States receives the Intelligence O
Z Baron Fava's departure from this capi
tai. Though he has more than ono
7 lntlmated this purpose, the govermen
5 OF the United States has been unable t,
see adequate reasons for such a step
The Baron's service here for the pas
; ten years has been distinguished at al
} times by the most agreeable relation:
J with the executive department of thi!
, government. The regret at his leaving
: is enhanced when, as the president be
lieves, he has been recalled under {
} misapprehenson of facts by the govern
ment of Italy.
} The cause OF his sundering his di
plomatic relations with this govern.
ment is thus given in his note: 'sThe
reparation demanded by the government
OF the king, as have had the honor to
inform you in our interviews held dur.
ing the last few days, was to consist OF
the following points: First, the official
assurance by the federal government
that the guilty parties should be brought
to Justice. Second, the recognation. in
principal, that an indemnity is due to
the relatives OF the Victims
The first demand thus stated by Baron
Fava is slightly changed in phrase
from that employed by him in mis- many
verbal requests, based on q telegram
from the Marquis Di Rudini which he
left with me. The Marquis Di Rudini
declared that 'Ttaly's rights to demand
and to obtain punishment of the m,r-
derers and indemnity for the victims is
unquestionable.',
1t Is inferred that Baron Favas change
OF phrase m 1T no change of demand.
L have endeavOred TO impress upon him
In the several personal interviews with
which he honored me that the govern
ment of the United States is utterly un-
able to give the assurance which the
marquis has demanded. Even IL the
national government has the entire jur-
isdiction over the alleged murderers it
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 assur-
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 a trial and a verdict of
guilty"
In the constitution of the United
States it is declared that sin all crimi-
nal prosecutions the accused shall en-
joy the right to a speedy and public trial
by an impartial jury of the state and
district wherein the crime shall have
been committed"
1t needs no argument to prove that a
jury could not be impartial, if it were
in any sense, or to any degree, bound
before the trial of the accused, by any
assurance which the president of the
United States had veutured to give to
foreign power. In the constitution OF |
the state of Louisiana, under whose i'm
mediate jurisdition the crimes were
committed, substantially the same
provision is found, so that the governor
of that state would be as unable to give
a pledge in advance for the result of a
trial under the state law as the presi-
dent would be were it practicable to try
the leaders Of the mob under the laws
Of the United States.
In Baron Fava's second point he de-
mands the recognition, in principle,
that an indemnity is due to the rela-
tives of the victims. He is assuredly
under a grave error when he declares
that the United states declined to take
this demand into consideration, and
shall regret il he has communicated
such conclusion to your government.
The United States, so far from refusing,
has distinctly recognized the principle
Of indemnity to those Italian subjects
who may have been wronged by viola
lion of the rights secured to them under
The treaty with the United States of
February 2f, 1871.
| have repeatedly given to Baron
tava the assurance that, under the
direction of the president, all the facts
md incidents connected with the un-
happy tragedy at New Orleans on the
18th OF March last should be most
thoroughly Investigated. [ have also
him that in a matter of such
gravity the government of the United
States would not permit itself to be I'M
luly hurried: nor will it make answer
o any demand until every fact essen
ial to q correct judgment shall have
)een fully ascertained through legal
The impatience of the ag-
yrieved may be natural, but its iugul- !
renee does not always secure the most
substantial justice.
Accept, sir. the assurances of nv '
high consideration.
JAMES G.. BLAINE. !:
HE MARQUIS RESPONSE SIGNIFICANT. '
The fact that Secretary Blaine ad- !
ressed his letter to Marquis Imperiali, :
harge affairs, is of significance as
emOnstrating that this government 7
Oes not regard the rupture of :
iplomatic relations caused by Baron :
'ava's recall as complete. Had that p
lew been taken, the communication r
'Ould have been addressed to the Ital- T
IN government direct. or through the r
ledium of Minister Porter at Rome. :.
How the matter is viewed by the Italy y
overnment will be disclosed by the repl- =
} the secretary's letter. If the charge 3
'Afaires replies as such it must be q
as~an acknowledgment that =
ne Italian government is still repre- :,
ented in the United States by its lega- :,
on. But If he announces that he is -
ithout authority to reply and suggests T T
transmital of the secretary's commu- .
icatiOn to Rome it may be taken as an p
ridence that direct diplomatic relations -
etween the two countries are at an .
nd. -
r