The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-03-01
international Law.

OItdt LAW z1zMvl
ly recognized the fact that other
countries would refuse to conclude
treaties with government which &C.
knowledged herself unable to live up
to the provisions imposed upon, and
accepted by her, by said treaties. Our
government settled the disagreeable
affair by paying $4,000 to the families
of the lynched Italians, thereby estab-
fishing precedent.
A few years afterwards, several
Hungarians were killed in labor riots
in Pennsylvania, and Austria presented
similar claim. This time, however,
we were able to prove that those
Hungarians had declared their in
tention Of becoming American citi-
zens and, consequently, had ceased to
owe allegiance to Austro- Hungary.
The many disputes between the
States and Canada in regard to fishery
rights, etc., are familiar to the readers.
They, also, come under the scope of in
ternational law.
The United States has paid many
international indemnification claims;
and in turn has received large amounts
of money from foreign countries OF
the fourteen cases of breach of neu-
trality charged against British vessels
and subjects after our war of secession,
nine proved valid, and England
promptly paid the damages. Hardly a
day passes without that the Foreign
Offices of all countries have to deal
with affairs of this kind, many of
which are of great Importance. Even
official etiquette at times causes much
vexation, of which 1 shall narrate an
example:
Eduard Lasker, prominent social
istic member of the German Reichstag,
had to exile himself because he had
grossly insulted old Emperor Will
liam l. He fled to this country and
died in New Orleans soon afterward.
Representative Tom Ochiltree, of
Texas, had read in the papers of the
death of the notorious visitor, but did
not seem to have known that the man
had made himself so offensive in Ger
many. He made motion that Con-
gress should cable its coincidence to the
German Emperor. This was carried,
tho the House hardly knew what it was
all about, and the secretary of the
House was instructed to cable this act
of Congress to our minister, Sargent, in
Berlin, who forwarded it to Bismarck,
asking that the latter should express
the coincidence of Congress to the EN-
peror. Bismarck was dumbfounded at
the arrogant assumption to make him
the tool in an insult to his own sOver-
eign, and returned the message as un-
acceptable. Thereupon Sargent called
in person on Bismarck and told him
that Congress desired the coincidence to
be expressed. The chancellor answered
that he entertained due respect for the
United States Congress, but that he did
not propose to accept such obnoxious
orders from that body, or from anybody
else. Sargent considered this a slight,
and caused the matter to be widely
published II this country. Now, a
minister receives his instructions from
the Secretary of State, not from Con-
gress, and our secretary knew nothing
at all of the matter. Sargent, there
fore, had made himself guilty of as bad
a break of etiquette as it was possible
to make, and was Immediately recalled,
and temporarily replaced by Mr.. kas-
son. Our government has had to con-
tend with many unpleasant incidents
of similar nature; but none of the others
attained the notoriety of the one
described.
The person of a plenipotentiary and
of his attaches are immune from arrest;
donot stand under the jurisdiction Of the
country to which they are accredited;
nor are they required to pay taxes, or
duties on anything they may import
for the use of themselves and their
families. In case a representative
should become. persona ingrot0 in a
foreign country, the latter may request
his recall. If government wishes to