Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-07
THEY ALL TOLD Us so
Comments on the New Or
leans Grand Jury Report.
No Apparent Surprise Created
by Its Findings.
The State Department officials I'm
pressiOns of the Matter.
All Shades of Opinion Expressed by the
Public Press-Italians Think 1t
an Outrage.
Associated Press Dispatches.

at the department of state today. II
may be said the finding of the grand
jury excited no surprise, for some such
conclusion of the case was expected
The attempt to palliate the infraction of
the law, by offsetting alleged attempts
at jury-fxing, is deprecated by the legal
minds OF the department, but there is 8
we'll defined opinion, on the whole, that
the outcome of the case will be bene
fetal in its effects upon the turbulent
foreign elements in the United States
inasmuch as it will make clear to then
the fact that they cannot rely upon
treaties to escape responsibility to the
great republic for their unlawful acts.
The report of the grand jury will, it is
expected, reach Secretary Blaine in the
course of time, and figure in official cor
respondence between the United States
and Italy. There is reason to believe
that in some details it differs from the
report made to the department. of justice
by District Attorney Grant, and notably
in the matter of the nationality of the
victims. The grand jury's report found
that eight OF them were naturalized
American citizens, and that one had de-
clared his intention to become natural
lied. District Attorney Grant, it is be-
lieved, found one of the victims OF Ital-
ian nationality, but he was an escaped
convict and that another's nationality
was so doubtful as to make it unsafe to
hazard an opinion. So, at any rate, the
Italian complaint will be narrowed down
to at least two persons.
Although the United States has no
naturalization treaty with Italy, the
last named nation invariably, through
comfy, recognized our naturalized citi-
zens as free from amenability to their
native government. When the case of
these two victims is considered, the
question will Immediately arise, Were
the treaty stipulations with Italy
broken? This question is likely to
figure in the correspondence be-
soon as tbs Italian government
is ready to fall, reasonably, into the
usual diplomatic method of treating
a subject respecting which they
took issue with another nation. Unless
it appears clearly that the treaty has
been violated, the Italian case falls to
the ground, and the leading diplomatic
minds of the state department maintain
that this fact cannot be made to appear.
In Secretary Blaine's absence there has
been no forward move in the CORE
spondence.
1t is learned that Porter, our minister
at Rome, applied to the department of
state for leave of absence before the
New Orleans affaif happened. He has
been constantly on duty since March,
1889, more than two years. Moreover
the sickly season is approaching in
Rome, SO it is fairly probable that his
request will be granted as, indeed, |
would already have been the case had |
not the trouble reached such an acute |
phase.
Attorney. General Miller said he had |
read the report of the grand jury, but
declined absolutely to express any opin-
ion in regard to it, or to discuss any of
its features.
Secretary Foster, when asked his
opinion on the report, said he really had
not had time to read it, and therefore
was not in position to express an
opinion regarding it.
CHICAGO, May 6.-Following are some
editorial comments on the New Orleans
grand jury report:
New York Evening Post: 1t is con-
fessed by competent authority that the
machinery of criminal justice has COM
pletely broken down the state of Louisi-
ana, and that crimes of any magnitude
have to be punished by revolutionary
tribunal. 1t throws some light
on the working OF the jury system,
which the people of other cities, partic-
ularly New York, will do well to digest.
New York Herald: 1t is no time to
sermonize about mob violence. An up
rising of the people is not an outbreak
OF a mob. The disease called for the
cure, and justities the means.
Minneapolis Tribune: The grand jury
has published declaration that New
Orleans is ruled by detective agency
on one side, or a mob on the other; that
the very forms OF law are disregarded by
those whose sworn duty it is to uphold
its majesty, the grand jurors themselves,
and that anarchy reigns in New Orleans.
Minneapolis Journal; Public opinion
will hardly endorse the omission of the
grand jury to formally indict the leaders
OF the lynching party, or as many of the
been much more to the credit of the {
had this been done.
Cincinnati Times-Star: We believe 6
it will be the common opinion that far t
from showing any grave weakness OF de- l
lect In our social or political system, the |
episode and outcome demonstrates the I
strength and efficiency of popular gov {
in America. f
The New Orleans States: "The Peo- a
Pile" did it; and no grand jury could de- f
wise way to indict The People" d
New Orleans Times Democrat: The 2
grand jury's return will meet the approv- Y
Il of the entire country. The case has been y
ried before the bar of public opinion. b
md the finding of well done" has long u
ince been returned to the men whose o
Ict suppressed the Malta, and gave o
warming to the criminals OF Europe that
hey would find no welcome in this
country.
Washington Post: The picture which W
he report presents of jury methods at V
aew Orleans indicates that while it may t,
AVE been necessary to strike terror to a CT
dangerous class Of the community, there C,
re still other and equally dangerous s,
lements that would seem to require he tt
oic treatment.
Philadelphia Telegraph: The people
1 this country, thanks to the insolent
curse of the Italian government. will s,
ot seriously concern themselves with o,
be question whether a respectable mob r.
I the "best citizens" are drought to is
unishment;" but they are nightly ST
lterested in the question whether the Il
~-H a1A l.