New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-02

of MarcL last should be most thoroughly lhNeoC.-
gated. l have also informed him that IN mat
ter Of such gravity the Government OF the Uniteo
States would not permit itself TO be unduiy nnfI
ried, nor Will it make answer TO any demanu uhti,
every fact essential TO correct Judgment snail
have been fully ascertained through legal au-
thorty.
The impatience OF the aggrieved may be natural,
but its indulgence does not always secure the
most substantial justice.
Accept, sir, the assurance of my high consldera-
ton.
II will thus be seen that Baron Fava,
| in his letter, justifes his Governments
action by saying that the State Department had
declined to tGke into consideration at all the TWO
demands which the Italian Government had In
structed him to urge upon the authorities here
These demands we're:
81. The assurance by the Federal Government
that the guilty parties Ii. e., the Leaders OF tne
New-Oreans riot should be brought to justice
80. The recognition, in principle, that an III
demnity is due to the relatives of the victims
Baron Fava then asserts that the Secretary OF
State explained to him that the government
of the limited States could not take either Oh
those demands into consideration, leaving the hnS
of Italv nothing to do but 10 withdraw Minister
whose Legitimate action" thus became " inefllca-
cious."
Secretary Blaine, in his reply, sets
forth with great clearness and vigor the reasons
| inherent in the Federal form of governments as
well as in the guarantees of the federaI Oohs'i-
tuition, why the first demand of the Italian MIL
stry could not possibly be complied with; buC
he retorts with crushing effect that Baron faVa
is entirely in in representing that tne ohteu
States Government declined to take the second
demand into consideration, and declares that this
| r. dieti
pie of indemnity as applying to the case, and
| has rcneatedlv offered to the Italian Minister
every assurance that all the facts bearing upon
the right to obtain indemnity would be thoroughly
and Justly investigated Such in fact, has been
| the attitude of the State Department from the
| first. Mr.. Blane's letter to Governor NICHOLS
clearly foreshadowed the purpose of the National
| Government to extend to the Italian subjects
wronged every reparation which could be claimed
under the Treaty of 1871. That Baron tava
should have made the blunder of misconstrumg
so openly and repeatedly avowed an intention
seems scarcely credible. That he should have
communicated this mistaken impression in such
haste to his home Government and thus preclp-
itated its unfortunate action cannot but be con-
sIdered both here and in Rome as one of the most
nexcusabe and irrational errors in the history Oh
! diplomacy.
Viewed in the light which this correspondence
throws on the diplomatic ENHANCEMENT between
! this country and Italy, there would seem 10 ne
but one reasonable outcome of 1.-THE restoration
! of the status quo at the request OF the Itallah
| Government and the renewal of the negotiations
at the point at which they were SO brusquely and
inconsideratcly broken off, Mr.. Blaine's letter
offers fair and equitable ground of negotiation,
and only the supposed eXigencies of domestic poll
] tics in Italy are likely to hinder the Italian
Government from recOnsidering its hasty action
and continuing to treat amicably for an in
| demnity to any of its citifxxs who may
| nave a Just claim against the United States under
the existing treaty. The Rudini Ministry, II
negotiations are renewed, viii doubtless be brought
I to abandon its first demand-that of an absolute
| assurance of punishment to the leaders or the
New.Oreans riot. Under the Constitutional sys-
TEN here, as Mr.. Blaine has aptly shown, such
demand is an absurdty, and no practical diplomat
will present so impossible q request, If he really
means to arrive at a satisfactory adjustment
AS the case now stands, whether through Baron
Favas laundering or the reckless eagerness OF the
| Rudini Ministry to score point at home, the
| Nalian Government has apparently got into a
blind alley, where its only wise policy would be
retreat. This country is therefore in the posi-
ton simply of waiting in dignifed indifference
for the Government of King Humbert to rescue
itself from the consequences of its own indiscre-
| ton This, indeed, has been the posi-
tion taken by the Administration since the be-
| ginning of the difficulty. Though feeling
that the action of Italy a senseless
affront to a friendly Government and one that
Justly calls for retaliation, President Harrison
and Mr.. Blaine determined at the outset TO await
with GOODNESS and confidence the outcome of the
difficulty, entirely satisfied that the facts When
published, would completely sustain the course
taken by the State Department. They deter
mined, consequently, to take no immediate action
in the direction of closing the Legation at Rome
| or of cutting off unnecessarily diplomatic COM
muncation with Italy either on this side or the
other side of the Atlantic Minister Porter was
accordingly retained at his post, nor will he be
likely to be recalled, now that the false attitude
of the Italian Government has been so fully ex-
posed. On the contrary, opportunity will be given
in an entirely dignfed and self-respecting way to
the Italian Government TO re-enter into diplomatic
| relations here after the explanations which are
manifestly due from that country to this. The
sensation of yesterday, 1t may be said, dlsquleted
| nobody connected with the Administration, nor
are its further developments likely TO disturb
greatly the equanimty of the Government. what
ever they may be.
Until the appearance Of the official correspond
ence this evening current opinion here seemed to
find the chief reason for the action Of the Italian
Government in the urgencies of local Italian poll
tics. and there was general disposition to regard
Baron Favas recall as sacrifice TO party necessi-
ties at Rome. The Crispi faction it was asserted,
was constantly assailing the Rudini Ministry for
its failure to act aggressively in the New-Orleans
matter and finally drove the Prime Minister to
the sensational stroke of recall. The Fava and
Blaine letters cast some doubt upon this theory.
however; for the representations which the Italian
| Minister here admits making to his home Gov
ernment might easily have been taken to warrant
stoppage of diplomatic intercourse. The action
Of Baron Fava in cabling the Nichols letter TO
Rome, with the intimation that that meagro
explanation was all that the United States meant 10
/ r.la