Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-21
BELIEF IN THE Law.
Two Thousand Italians Assemble in
Mass Meeting and Protest
AGAINST NEW ORLEANS METHODS.
They Believe Uncle Sam Will Do Their
Countrymen Justice.
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE DENOUNCED


would suppose that the 1000 and more
Italians who packed the building were there
with feelings excited by the recent affair at
| New Orleans, for the meeting passed OF as
| quietly as a church festival, and did not last
| quite an hour. It was called to protest
against the lynching of the Italian prisoners
tried for the murder of Chief Hennessey, and
when q few temperate speeches condemna-
| tory of the deed had been passed, the ltal-
| ians quietly dispersed to their homes. The
flag of the Societa Fraterna hung from one
gallery in friendly rivalry to the Stars and
| Stripes dependent from the other.
When, shortly after. o'clock, Mr.. j. +.
| Cuneo raped for order a sea of sun-tanned
visages extending over the hall and filling
the galleries looked up at him in quiet but
intense expectation of what was to follow.
A. Giammartini was Vice President; .Telideo
Canuti, Secretary, and the committee OF
management included Joseph Corda, f.
Miraglia, G. Pandolf, II. Gasser, Joseph
Natal, o. Bertoni, A. Ivol and f. Neapoi-
itan. Mr. Cuneo, in assuming the chair,
said he had much pleasure, and was hon.
ored by being called upon to preside at
mass meeting having for its object the
presentation of formal protest against the
massacre of Italians at New Orleans on the
14th of the month.
Object of the Meeting Announced.
The Chairman briefly alluded to the
history of the affair, and said that speeches
would be made calling upon the American
Government in the name of their fellow
IL IN nieh
perpetrators of the massacre. When pro-
longed burst of applause which greeted this
remark had subsided, Mr.. Cuneo called
upon the meeting to show that American
Italians and Italians in America could as
semble in mass meeting and calmly and
quietly discuss the resolutions which would
be presented for their acceptance. he SAID
that each speaker would be allowed hye
minutes and be asked attention to what was
said.
Secretary F. Canuti then read the min
utes of the last meeting, and related the MS
torv of the events which led up to the at
fair of the 14th and sthe names OF the vic
tins. The Chairman then introduced Luigi
Cassaboni, OF Philadelphia, editor OF IL
TesuuiO, whom he said would address them
in English. though he was an Italian.
Mr.. Cassaboni severely deprecated the
statement made in a morning paper that the
meeting was to be one of vengeance. So far
from this being the case, he had only to
point to the extreme orderlipess which pre-
vailed to discount any such idea. The speak
er characterized the massacre as an out
rage, and not only an outrage on
humanity and the government of New Or
leans, but also as a violation of the Constltu-
ton which gave to every American subject
the privilege of a fair trial for any alleged
offense against the law" They were 1taI-
ians, he said, by birth, but Americans by
choice, and they had unbounded faith in
the Government of their adopted country
giving them justice in this matter.
Allusions to War Depiored.
Some of them had been talking of war,
and others that pecuniary indemnity should
be paid for the massacre of these men, but
he deprecated all alluson to war as absurd.
A Pittsburg paper had said that Italians
were revolutionary, but this was not so.
They believed in the law and were content
to abide by its decision, but they did ask
that when mob broke the law that it should
be punished just as they would be if they
were guilty of such an outrage. The meet
ing didn't ask for anything more than this.
f. Douarelli followed in historical illu-
sion to the chivalry which characterized the
Italian nation, and drew contrast with the
treatment accorded to his countrymen at
New Orleans. A. Depsodesis came next in
a few terse comments, in which he said
that he was intimately acquainted with the
Italians of Pittsburg and Allegheny, and he
could say that they had no sympathy with
secret organizations such as the Malta. New
ertheless, they could not but demand retri-
button for the inhuman treatment accorded
their countrymen at New Orleans.
Angelo Ivoi, editor of II ProgresSo
nf
came next He said what they desired to do
was to ask Mr.. Blaine to punish the mob
who had perpetrated the New Orleans out
rage. The days of lynch law had passed,
and such action was ineXcusable.
F, Descalzi said that they were there to
protest against the outrage The mob had
broken the laws of New Orleans and the
Government of Louisiana showed no dispo-
stion to punish it. They were there in mass
meeting to protest against the brutality of
that mob and to express the opinion that
the Government ofthe United States should
intervene and be appealed to to punish the
offenders. They had now done all they
could in the matter and they could NOT do
more.
An Address Made in English.
f, Canuti next addressed the meeting in
English. He deprecated the false reports
purpOrLlDg 10 De SlSueu ny lue Mdud anu
sent out from New Orleans, and said that
secret societies OF that kind did not exist to
the extent mentioned in the papers. He
said that there was no reason to suppose that
the victims of the massacre belonged to the
Malta or any other society. 1t was rather
the other way. What would men who were
husbands and fathers have to do with such
societies; as men who had families to sup
port and a character to sustain they would
be anything but affiliated with such people.
Messrs. Perladi and Bacciglieri concluded
the addresses in similar sentiments, the
former throwing such vigoroas action and
intense feeling as reused the hitherto quiet
audience into prolonged shout of appre-
ciative applause.
The Chairman then read the follow
ing resolution in English, the secre-
tary having previous read 1t in Italian:
We natives of Italy aud naturalized Amer
leans at Pittsburg, Allegheny and surround
ings, in mass meeting assembled. with deep
anguish and sadness for the atrocious deed
which happened on the 18th inst. at New Or
leans. La, when IL countrymen OF ours were
murdered,
Resolve, unanimously, That the said deed is
barbarous, inhuman and horrible; that 1t will
remain for the city of New Orleans disgrace
full, abominable blot on the history OF hu-
manity.
sponsible for the misdeed. They knew that the
outrage was possible. They had notice of it in
the cowardly attempt of one who shortly after
the arrest fired against the prisoners. They
have, therefore, tacIIly approved the massacre.
That the horrible stain impressed by the deed
will remain forever disgraceful TO the civilza-
tion of this great people If the instigators of
the crime are not severely punished.
Unanimity on the Resolution.
Chairman Cuneo then put the resolution.
and asked that all who were in favor OF its
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