Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-06
REMARKABLE THEORIES.


The international criticisms arising out of
the New Orleans lynching is leading some
of our writers and, if reports are to be be-
lieved, some of our diplomatic minds into
strange and complicated labyrinths of dip
lomatic theory. A remarkable illustration
of this can be found in the views reported
by our special dispatch from Washington,
in Yesterdays issue.
When this issue first came up ii was sug-
gested in these columns that the United
States might ultimately take refuge in the
plea, that as under mob law no protection
was Iaforded to the life and property of any
citizen, therefore the victims of the New
Orleans lynching had the same treatment as
American citizens, and there is no cause of
complaint This was supposed to be sar-
casm, but it now appears with Washington
reports that this plea is to be seriously re-
sorted to and that the Government may take
refuge in that self-drawn Impeachment of
the efficacy and supremacy of its own laws.
We may be permitted to express the belief
that Secretary Blaine is not going to take
any such attitude. His course during the
whole matter has been too judicious, and
his reply to Rudini's hasty steps far too
cool and clear-headed to make it possible
that he will discredit himself and his
country by the promulgation of any such
International nonsense.
1t has been long-established principle
that strong and civilized governments can
secure protection to their subjects every
where, whether the subjects of the land
where they happened to be were adequately
protected or not. The Englishmar or Ger
man is guarded by his flag, SO as to have su-
perior rights in countries where the govern
ment is halfcivilized or tyrannical. Here
tofore the American citizen has had an equal
standing; but if this remarkable piece of
International logic is presented to the world,
we not only rank ourselves among the half
civilized countries where life and property is
not secure, but we actually announce that
an American citizen may be Iugged off to
Siberia by Russia, may be bastinadoed in
Turkey, shot down in Salvador, or robbed
in Morocco, because the subjects of those
governments are liable to similar acts OF
tyranny.
A refinement on this theory is presented
by an argument that as the Italians were
not lynched merely because they were Ital-
ians there is no call for redress. To apply
the principle nutatiS nautandis, if Chi
nese mob murders a lot of American citi-
gems, not because they are Americans,
but because they are foreign DEVILS" sub
verting the civilization and religion of
China, the transaction will be one In which
the United States Government can find no
reason for complaint. The Government
which would not repudiate such an idea
when presented against its own citizens
would not be able to stand for a week against
the protests of an enlightened nation.
1t is certainly worth while in this issue
for the United States to take ground upon
the highest and most civilized principles of
international law. We do not believe that
the State Department will expose the coun-
try to the ridicule and contempt of civiliza-
ton by formulating such theories as these.