Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-04-08
BLAINE'S ANSWER TO FAVA.

BLAlNE'S ANSWER TO FAVA.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 2.-The last
letter from Baron Fava to Secretary
Blaine, and the latter's reply. addressed
to Marquis Imperial, Italian charge
d affalres, are as follows:
ROYAL LEGATION OF ITALY, WASHING
Eo&sa.. AGsylMarch 81, 1S91.-Mr. Secretary
of State. Byrmy two notes of the 18th
and 18th inst. had the honor to call your
excellency's atteHtiQr to the occurrences
of exceptional gravity which took place ct
New Orleans the l4th whereby tour SUD-
jectS of the King of Italy, who were con-
fined in the prison of that city. were mas
sacred by the crowd under the leadership
OF two American citizens.
After having formally protested against
the unjustifiable conduct of the local au-
thOritieS, which were evidently recreant
to all their duties on that occasion, L
reserved to the government of His Majesty
the right to demand such satisfaction as
1t might think proper, since the occurrences
in question constituted patent violation
of the stipulations of the treaty in force
between our two countries, which secures
to Italian subjects residing in the United
States the same protection that is enjoyed
by American citizens and which has al
ways been extended to the latter in Italian
territory.
The reparaton demanded by the govern
ment 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,
l. The official assurance by the federal
government that the guilty parties should
Do brought to justice.
8. The recognition in principle that an
indemnity is due to the relatives Of the
victims.
Your excellency was pleased to declare
to Inc that, as the federal government did
not think it could take this view of the
case, it declined to take the aforesaid de-
mandS into consideration.
Under these circumstances the govern
ment OF His Majesty, considering that the
legitimate action of the Kings minister at
Washington becomes inetficacious. has
ordered me to take my leave.
In obedience to the instructions which [
have received have the honor to announce
to your excellency that | am going to leave
Washington as speedily as possible, leav-
ing the Marquis imperial, His Majestys
secretary of legation, in charge of the cur
rent buslnes1 Of the royal legation.
Be pleased to accept, Mr.. Secretary of
State, the renewed assurance of my highest
consideration. FAVA.
To His Excellency James G. Blaine, Sec
rotary of State, Washington.
To the above letter Secretary Blaine
replied as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON,
D. c., April l, 1691.-T'he Marquis I'M
peridG, Charge dAf0ires, ETC. SIR: 1
have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
of note OF yesterday date from Baron
Fava, who has left the Italian legation in
your charge.
l beg to express the sincere regret with
which the government of the United States
receives the intelligence Of Baron Fava's
speedy departure from the capital;
this purpose the government Of the United
States has been unable to see adequate
reasons for such step. The Baron'S Serv-
ice here for the last ten years has been
distinguished at all times by the most
agreeable relations with the executive de-
at his leaving is enhanced when, as the
President believes, he has been recalled
under misrepresentation of facts by the
government of Italy.
The cause of his sundering his diplo-
mauc relations with this government is
thus given in his note:
The reparatiOn demanded by the govern
mcnt 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:
1. The official assurance by the federal
government that the guilty parties should
be brought to justice.
2. The recognition in principle that an
indemnity is due to the relatives OF the vic
Tins"
The first demand thus stated by Baron
Fava is slightly changed in phrase from
that employed by him in his many verbal
requests based on a telegram from the Mar
Marquis Rudini declared that '1taly's
right to demand and obtain punishment Of
the murdererS and an indemnity Tor the
victims is unqueStiOnable."
1t is inferred that Baron Favas change
of phrase meant no change of demand.
have endeavOred to impress upon him in
the several personal interviews with which
he has honored me that the government of
the United States is utterly unable to give
the assurance which the Marquis Rudini
has demanded. Even if the national gov
eminent had the entire jurisdiction over
the alleged murdererS it could not give as
suranceS 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 III advance of q trial and
a verdict of guilty" In the constitution
of the United States it is declared that IN
all criminal prosecutions the accused shall
enjoy the right to speedy and public trial
by ali impartial jury Of the state and dis
trict wherein the crime shall have been
committed"
1t needs no argument to prove that q
jury could not be Impartial II 1t were IN
any sense or to any degree bound before
the trial CT the accused by an assurance
which the President of the United States
had ventured to give to foreign power. In
the constitution of the state OF Louisiana,
under whose immediate jurisdiction the
crimes were committed, substantially the
same provision is found, so that the gov
ernor of that state would be as unable to
give pledge in advance for the result of q
trial under the state law as the President
would be were it practicable to try the lead
erS of the mob under the laws OF the United
States.
In Baron Fava's second point he de-
mandS the recognition, in principle, that
indemnify is due to the relatives OF the vic
TINS. He is assuredly under q grave error
when he declares that the United States
government declined to take this demand
into consideration, and l shall regret if he
has communicated such q conclusion to
your. government. The United States, so
far from refusing, has distinctly recoc-
nized the principle of indemnity to those
Italian subjects who may have been