33. ITALY, DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES WITH. Aside fram the fantastic mission of Ralph Izzard of Tuscany during the American Rev olution, the first diplomatic relations with any of the Italian nations which now form a part of unified Italy were the result of the dam age to commerce of the United States from the privateers who infested the Mediterranean from 1809 to 1812 while Prince Murat was king of the two Sicilies. William Pinckney, who, in April 1816, was sent to the two Sicilies as minister plenipotentiary to obtain indemnity for losses sustained by American citizens by the seizure and confiscation of their property by the Neapolitan government, failed in his mission and was recalled. The claims long continued to be the subject of correspondence. In 1832, however, a treaty, secured by John Nelson chargé d'affairs provided for the payment of over 2,000,000 ducats (about $800,000) which was distributed by a commission. Similar claims were later made against the Kingdom of Naples and were collected in a similar manner. Relations were continued through the American charge d'affairs at Naples until the close of 1860, and a Neapolitan chargé d'affaires at Washington from 1846 to the close of 1861. New treaties were negotiated in 1845, 1854 and 1855. Relations with Sardinia began with a treaty concerning general trade and admission of tobacco negotiated in 18.38 by a special American agent. The United States continued relations through a chargé at Sardinia from 1840 to 1850 and a Sardinian chargé at Wash ington from 1839 to the assumption by Victor Emmanuel II of the title of King of Italy in 1861 when the Sardinian chargé became the first minister of Italy to the IJnited States. Diplomatic relations with the states of the Church were opened in 1848 and conducted through an American chargé at Rome until May 1861 and through a minister resident from August 1861 to 1867 when the exercise of diplo matic functions was suspended and the Amer ican legation near the Pope was discontinued.
The United States sympathized with the Italian struggle for liberty and welcomed the new kingdom into the family of nations. Diplo matic relations with the consolidated kingdom, which inherited treaty obligations from the con trolling or constituent states, were begun by the appointment of George P. Marsh as envoy ex traordinary and minister plenipotentiary in March 1861.
Italy showed her friendship to the American Union during the Civil War. In 1864, she conceded a naval depot to the United States on certain conditions.
To meet new questions, treaties relating to consuls and extradition were negotiated in 1868 and a treaty of commerce and navigation in 1871. These were supplemented by later treaties.
In the struggle between the civil authority and the Pope, the United States refused to be involved and held no official intercourse with the Pope after the abolition of his civil power. In 1885 the Italian government objected to the appointment of A. M. Keiley of Virginia as American minister to Italy on the ground that his remarks at Richmond in 1871 in protest against the dethronement of the Pope ,as a civil sovereign rendered him persona non grata. In 1875, in response to an invitation of the United States government to European powers to join in a concerted mediation in the Spanish Cuban War, Italy acted without result.
Italian immigration into Argentina between 1860 and 1880 laid a substantial basis for, in fluence which attracted the attention of the United States. Italian immigration to the United States, insignificant before 1870, but gradually increasing thereafter and rising rapidly in 1889 after the crisis in South Amer ica, raised several questions affecting both do mestic policy and Americo-Italian relations including problems relating to expatriation and naturalization, new immigrant laws (to prevent the migration of criminals and paupers), the padrorn system and the protection of Italian emigrants against it, and the consular inspection of emigrants at Naples.