The Critic and record., 1891-04-16
BLAINE TO RUDINI.
THE AMERICAN SECRETARY REPLIES
TO THE ITALIAN PREMIER.

English Paper-An Exhaustive Argu.
ment.
Secretary Blaines long-expccted and
anNiously y-awaitcd reply to Premier Ru-
DIM was given to the press last night. II
is not only an important but an able state
paper. 1t is weighty and well considered.
In fact il Is almost cruel in the complete
ness with which II covers the case leav-
ing no loopbole for the hasty Premier to
return an answer. The London Times.
which is neither friendly to Mr.. Blaine
nor to Americans, speaks of that states
mans easy and logical victory" The
London Standard declares: "Mr. Blaine's
reply is very able paper" and adds: ut
is difficult to see how supporters of the
Malta Society can slip through the meshes
Of the net thus carefully spread for them"
Mr.. Blaine's letter is addressed to
Marquis lmperiali, Charge d Alfares, thus
showing that diplomatic relations with
Italy, though strained, are not broken.
Nor is there the slightest evidence to be
found in the letter to confirm the report
that Italy has made excited threats or pro-
poses to take any unusual action. Secre-
Blaine's letter follows:
DEPARTMENT or STATE,
WASHINGTON, April If, 1891.
The Marquis i1,pcridli, Chdige u 6diyes, etc.
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your note dated Thursday,
April 2, 1891. 1t contains a second tele-
gram from the Marquis Rudini, a part of
which here quote.
THE Government of the King of Italy
has asked nothing beyond the PROMPT in.
stitution of judicial proceedings through
the regular channels. IL would have been
absurd to claim the punishment of the
guilty parties without the warrant of n
regular judgment. The Italian Govern
ment now repeats the same demand. Not
until the Federal Government shall have
explicitly declared that the aforesaid pro.
ceedings shall be promptly begun. can the
diplomatic incident be considered as
Closed.i
THIS GOVERNMENT
certainly had no desire whatever to change
the meaning of the Marquis Rudinis tele.
gram of March ~. 1t was delivered al
the State Department by Baron Fava in
peTso on, written i'm his own hand, and ex-
pressed in the English language. The fol.
"RoME, March q, 1891.
HdliaU NNiSter, Washington:
our requests to the Federal Government
are very simple. Some Italian subjects,
acquitted by the American magistrates
have been murdered in prison while un-
der the immediate protection of the au-
thorities. ONr TigM therefore,, to demand
dnd obtain tie punishment Of the BurdcJciw.
dAd an Indemnity for the Uictins is ,0,Ques-
a.. .sIy I .sgI.s -. III A -
opinion in Italy is justly impatient, and
If concrete provisions were not at once
taken, | should find myself in the painful
necessity of showing openly our dissatis-
faction by recalling the minister of his
majesty from country where he is una
bic to obtain justice.
(Signed) RUD1Nt."
The words underscored Titalicsed are
precisely those which | quoted in my
former note, and | am directed by the
President to express the satisfaction of this
Government with
THE VERY MATERIAL QUALIFICATION
of the demands made by the Marquis
Rudini on behalf of the Italian Govern
ment. You quote in your note another
Part of the Marquis Rudini's telegram of
April ., in these words:
Meanwhile, his majesty's Government
takes notes of the declaration whereby
the Federal Government recognizes that
an indemnity is due TO the families of the
victims, in virtue of the treaty in force
between the two countries" )"
If the Marquis Rudini will carefully
examine my note of April he will dis
cover that did not recognize that an in
demnity was due to the families of the
victims in virtue Of the treaty in force be-
tween the two countries.
WHAT / DID SAY
was in answer to Baron Fava's assertion
that the United States Government re-
fused to take this demand for indemnity
into consideration. quote my reply:
1.-The United States, so far from refus-
ing has distinctly recognized the princi-
pie of indemnity to those Italian subjects
who may have been wronged by viola
ton OF the rights secured to them under
the treaty with the United States con-
cluded February 26, 1871"
The Marquis Rudni may be assured
that the United States would recompense
every Italian subject who might "be
wronged by violation of treaty" to
which the faith of the United States is
pledged. But this assurance leaves un-
settled the important question whether
the treaty has been violated. Upon this
point the President, with sufficient facts
placed before him, has taken full time for
decision. He now directs that certain
considerations on the general subject be
submitted to the the Judgment of the
Italian Government.
AS PRECEDENT
of great value to the case under discus
sion the President recalls the conclusion
maintained by Mr.. Webster in 1851, when
he was Secretary of State under Presi-
dent Fillmore. In August of that year
mob in New Orleans demolished the
building in which the Office of the Span
ish Consul was located, and, at the same
time, attacks were made upon coffee
houses kept by Spanish subjects. Amer
lean citizens were involved in the losses,
which, in the aggregate, were large. The
supposed cause of the mob was the in
telligence of the execution of fifty young
Americans in Havana, and the banish-
ment to Spanish mines Of nearly 200 citi-
zens Of the United States. The victims
We're all members Of the abortiye lopez
expedition.
In consequence Of these
DEPREDATIoNs or THE mon
uron the property of the Spanish consul,
as well as against the Spanish subjects,
Don Calderon de la Barca, the Minister of
Spain, demanded indemnicatlon for all
her losses both official and personal.
Mr.. Webster admitted that the Spanish
Consul was entitled to indemnity, and as
sured the Spanish Minister that if the in
iured Consul, Mr., Labord "shall return
to his post, or any other Consul for New
Orleans shall be appointed by her Catho-
lie Maicsty's Government, the officers of
this Government resident in that city will
beinstructed to receive and treat him with
courtesy, and with a national salute TO
the flag Of his ship if he shall arrive in