A terrible instance of Lynch-law is reported from New Orleans.
A jury there, empanelled to try nine Italians accused of murdering Mr. Hennessy, the late Chief of Police, acquitted six of them, and disagreed as to the remaining three. The public believed the jurymen to have been terrorised or bribed by the Italian Secret Society, the Mafia, and as forty previous murders were attributed to that Society, the citizens rose, seized the prison, and killed the nine accused. They also killed two other Italians not suspected of the Hennessy murder. We have discussed the affair elsewhere, but may mention here that the Italians in the Union, said to number a million, are terribly excited, and the Italian Government has demanded redress. Mr. Blaine expressed deep sorrow in his reply, and the Governor of Louisiana has been urged to grant compensation for the outrage; but under the Federal system, the Washington Government has, it is asserted, no further power. The Government of Italy is not satisfied, and orders have been issued to the Mediterranean Squadron which are Interpreted. to mean that the Marquis Rudini has determined to send a fleet to New Orleans. This is not probable, as the Americans would accept the challenge, and rapidly improvise monitors and torpedoes ; but it is certain that the Roman rerliament is greatly irritated, Italians arguing with much justice that if Louisiana is " sovereign " in a matter like this, Louisiana must accept her responsibilities. Owing to the enormous extent of Italian emigration, the treatment of emigrants interests almost every Italian house.
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