Mr. Josephs to Mr. Seward.
Sir: It becomes our duty, as representatives of the American Israelites, to bring to the attention of your department a matter in which we feel assured that we have your sympathy, and can rely upon your kind offices in adopting our suggestions, as far as may be consistent with the policy and views of our government.
Information has reached us of the renewal of atrocities and barbarities toward the Jewish population of Tangier, that are regarded as foreboding a general persecution of the Israelites of Morocco. Such a powerful effect has the bare recital of these outrages had upon the minds of our co-religionists in Great Britain, to whom the intelligence was first communicated, that they have commissioned the venerable Sir Moses Montefiore to visit the scene and represent them; and, accompanied by two other gentlemen of the “Board of Deputies of British Jews,” he has set out for Morocco, assured of the cordial co-operation and sympathy of the British government, who have, we understand, tendered him the aid and influence of their representatives in Morocco, whom they have instructed to farther the mission of the Jewish representatives in securing justice to unoffending, innocent Israelites, accused of fearful crimes, and barbarously [Page 411] tortured, and several executed, in response to the cruel mandates of the Emperor of Morocco at the solicitation of the Spanish authorities.
What we desire to represent to your department is our earnest hope that you* will convey to the United States consul at Tangier the instructions of our government that he will co-operate with the British authorities in measures that may be taken to further the mission of Sir Moses Montefiore authorizing him to proceed to as great an extent as may be consistent with the relations of this government and the Barbary States in securing justice to these unfortunate people and preventing the general persecution apprehended.
As a precedent we need only refer to the action of the United States during the administration of Mr. Van Buren, about the year 1840, when Mr. Forsyth, then Secretary of State, instructed the American representative near Damascus to exercise his influence in the case of similar atrocities there, when the same steps as here indicated were taken by our British co-religionists, assisted by the British government, and indorsed by our authorities, at the solicitation of American Israelites.
We are satisfied that it is only necessary to submit this to your department to receive the assurance that our government will, through its authorized agents, signify its pain and abhorrence at these outrages, and will cordially co-operate with the representatives of Great Britain in furthering the humane and benevolent mission of Sir Moses Montefiore as far as it consistently can.
With assurances of profound respect, I am, honored sir, in behalf of the executive committee,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.