Editing James G. Blaine (section)

=== Relations with European powers ===
[[File:JudgeMagazine16Aug1890.jpg|thumb|1890 political cartoon depicting Blaine "outplaying" British Prime Minister [[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury]].]]
Blaine's earliest expressions in the foreign policy sphere were those of a reactionary Anglophobe, but by the end of his career his relationship with the United Kingdom had become more moderate and nuanced.{{sfn|Crapol|pp=105–106, 138–139}}{{efn|Some scholars have suggested that Blaine's Anglophobia was always more for political advantage than out of genuine sentiment.{{sfn|Sewell|loc=''passim''}}}} A dispute over [[seal hunting]] in the waters off [[Alaska]] was the cause of Blaine's first interaction with Britain as Harrison's Secretary of State. A law passed in 1889 required Harrison to ban seal hunting in Alaskan waters, but Canadian fishermen believed they had the right to continue fishing there.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=403–405|Socolofsky & Spetter||2pp=137–138}} Soon thereafter, the [[United States Navy]] seized several Canadian ships near the [[Pribilof Islands]].{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=403–405|Socolofsky & Spetter||2pp=137–138}} Blaine entered into negotiations with Britain and the two nations agreed to submit the dispute to arbitration by a neutral tribunal.{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=408–409|Socolofsky & Spetter||2pp=140–143}} Blaine was no longer in office when the tribunal began its work, but the result was to allow the hunting once more, albeit with some regulation, and to require the United States to pay damages of $473,151.{{efn|Equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|473151|1898}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP}}}}{{sfnm|Muzzey||1pp=408–409|Socolofsky & Spetter||2pp=140–143}} Ultimately, the nations signed the [[North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911]], which outlawed open-water seal hunting.

At the same time as the Pribilof Islands dispute, an outbreak of mob violence in [[New Orleans]] became an international incident. After New Orleans police chief [[David Hennessy]] led a crackdown against local [[American Mafia|mafiosi]], he was assassinated on October 14, 1890.{{sfnm|Socolofsky & Spetter||1pp=153–154|Muzzey||2pp=411–412}} After the alleged murderers were found not guilty on March 14, 1891, a mob stormed the jail and [[March 14, 1891 lynchings|lynched]] eleven of them.{{sfnm|Socolofsky & Spetter||1pp=153–154|Muzzey||2pp=411–412}} Since many of those killed were Italian citizens the Italian minister, [[Saverio Fava]], protested to Blaine.{{sfnm|Socolofsky & Spetter||1pp=153–154|Muzzey||2pp=411–412}} Blaine explained that federal officials could not control how state officials deal with criminal matters, and Fava announced that he would withdraw the legation back to Italy. Blaine and Harrison believed the Italians' response to be an overreaction, and did nothing.{{sfnm|Socolofsky & Spetter||1pp=153–154|Muzzey||2pp=411–412}} Tensions slowly cooled, and after nearly a year, the Italian minister returned to the United States to negotiate an indemnity.{{sfnm|Socolofsky & Spetter||1pp=155–156|Muzzey||2pp=412–414|Calhoun||3pp=126–127}} After some internal dispute—Blaine wanted conciliation with Italy, Harrison was reluctant to admit fault—the United States agreed to pay an indemnity of $25,000,{{efn|Equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|25000|1892}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP}}}} and normal diplomatic relations resumed.{{sfnm|Socolofsky & Spetter||1pp=155–156|Muzzey||2pp=412–414|Calhoun||3pp=126–127}}