[Inclosure—Translation.]
Assistant Secretary Damiani to Baron Fava.
Foreign Office,
Rome, November 11,
1890.
Sir: The royal consul at New Orleans, in a
successive report on the assassination of Mr. Hennessy, forwarded to
me the text of the message addressed by Mayor Shakspeare to the city
council. Said message, inspired by a sentiment of aversion against
our whole colony in New Orleans, contains, among other things, the
following:
“The Sicilian who comes here must become an American citizen and
subject his wrongs to the remedy of the law of the land, or else
there must be no place for him on the American continent.”
Every Italian citizen, from whatever part of Italian soil, has the
right to reside in any part of the United States and to claim the
protection of the local and national laws of the same without
imperiling the citizenship of the country from which he
originated.
It is unnecessary for me to remind you of the unwisdom of such words,
particularly when found in an address by a public functionary, the
very chief of police.
I would be grateful to you if you would bring this matter to the
attention of the Secretary of State, begging him at the same time to
inform, if possible, the mayor of New Orleans of the impropriety of
inserting in his address the paragraph above quoted as being
inconsistent with, and subversive of, the principles of
international law and unjust to the entire population of a noble
section of our Kingdom.
I learn, moreover, from the New York press that said mayor has
organized, or assisted in organizing, a vigilance committee for the
purpose of eradicating the so-called “Mafia” in his city, which
committee, on its own account and by a public address to the
Italians of New Orleans, has declared that “it would proceed to
extreme and harsh measures, and by summary means without process of
law, means which might strike the innocent as well as the
guilty.”
The enormity of such declaration is such that it must have furnished
to you cause of remonstrance with the honorable Secretary of State,
with a view to recall the authorities of New Orleans to those
sentiments of justice and humanity which our connationals have the
right to expect and which the authorities of New Orleans seem
inclined to violate.
Accept, etc.,
Damiani,
Assistant Secretary of State.
