Volume V Part 9 (2/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: Mob breaking into a prison.]
An episode of the lynching of the Italians in New Orleans. The citizens breaking down the door of the parish prison with the beam brought there the night before for that purpose.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Three story building.]
Old Parish Jail, New Orleans, La.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Downtown street, three and fours story buildings, streetcars.]
Ca.n.a.l Street. New Orleans La.
Italy forthwith sent her protest to Mr. Blaine, who expressed his horror at the deed, and urged Governor Nicholls to see the guilty brought to justice. The Italian consul at New Orleans averred that, while the victims included bad men, many of the charges against them were without foundation; that the violence was foreseen and avoidable; that he had in vain besought military protection for the prisoners, and had himself, with his secretary, been a.s.saulted and mobbed.
The Marquis di Rudini insisted on indemnity for the murdered men's families and on the instant punishment of the a.s.sa.s.sins. Secretary Blaine, not refusing indemnity in this instance, denied the right to demand the same, still more the propriety of insisting upon the instant punishment of the offenders, since the utmost that could be done at once was to inst.i.tute judicial proceedings, which was the exclusive function of the State of Louisiana. The Italian public thought this equivocation, mean truckling to the American prejudice against Italians. Baron Fava, Italian Minister at Was.h.i.+ngton, was ordered to ”affirm the inutility of his presence near a government that had no power to guarantee such justice as in Italy is administered equally in favor of citizens of all nationalities.” ”I do not,” replied Mr. Blaine, ”recognize the right of any government to tell the United States what it shall do; we have never received orders from any foreign power and shall not begin now. It is to me,” he said, ”a matter of indifference what persons in Italy think of our inst.i.tutions. I cannot change them, still less violate them.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: Portrait.]
A. G. Thurman.
Such judicial proceedings as could be had against the lynchers broke down completely. The Italian Minister withdrew, but his government finally accepted $25,000 indemnity for the murdered men's families.
Friction with Chile arose from the ”Itata incident.” Chile was torn by civil war between adherents of President Balmaceda and the ”congressional party.” Mr. Egan, American Minister at Santiago, rendered himself widely unpopular among Chilians by his espousal of the President's cause. The Itata, a cruiser in the congressionalist service, was on May 6, 1891, at Egan's request, seized at San Diego, Cal., by the federal authorities, on the ground that she was about to carry a cargo of arms to the revolutionists. Escaping, she surrendered at her will to the United States squadron at Iquique. The congressionalists resented our interference; the Balmaceda party were angry that we interfered to so little effect. A Valparaiso mob killed two American sailors and hurt eighteen more. Chile, however, tendered a satisfactory indemnity.
[Ill.u.s.tration: s.h.i.+p with two masts and one smokestack.]
Chilian steamer Itata in San Diego Harbor.
[1890]
In the so-called ”Barrundia incident” occurring in 1890 Americanism overshot itself. The Gautemalan refugee, General Barrundia, boarded the Pacific Mail steamer Acapulco for Salvador upon a.s.surance that he would not be delivered to the authorities of his native land. At San Jose de Gautemala the Gautemala authorities sought to arrest him, and United States Minister Mizner, Consul-General Hosmer, and Commander Reiter of the United States s.h.i.+p of War Ranger, concurred in advising Captain Pitts of the Acapulco that Gautemala had a right to do this. Barrundia resisted arrest and was killed. Both Mizner and Reiter were reprimanded and removed, Reiter being, however, placed in another command.
Our government's att.i.tude in this matter was untenable. The two officials were in fact punished for having acted with admirable judgment and done each his exact duty.
One of President Harrison's earliest diplomatic acts was the treaty of 1889 with Great Britain and Germany, by which, in conjunction with those nations, the United States established a joint protectorate over the Samoan Islands. On December 2, 1899, the three powers named agreed to a new treaty, by which the United States a.s.sumed full sovereignty over Tutuila and all the other Samoan islands east of longitude 171 degrees west from Greenwich, renouncing in favor of the other signatories all rights and claims over the remainder of the group.
In the congressional campaign of 1890 issue was squarely joined upon the neo-Republican policy. The billion dollars gone, the Force Bill, and, to a less extent, the McKinley tariff, especially its sugar bounty, had aroused popular resentment. The election, an unprecedented ”landslide,”
precipitated a huge Democratic majority into the House of Representatives. Every community east of the Pacific slope felt the movement. Pennsylvania elected a Democratic governor.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Rowboat with sixteen men leaving a s.h.i.+p.]
President Harrison being rowed ash.o.r.e at foot of Wall Street, New York, April 29, 1889.
CHAPTER IV.
NON-POLITICAL EVENTS OF PRESIDENT HARRISON'S TERM
[1889]
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