No. 408.

Mr. MacVeagh to Mr. Fish.

No. 34.]

Sir: At the present time, the two matters which are attracting most attention in political circles here are the mission of the Archbishop of Thessaly, as Ambassador of the Pope, to settle, if possible, the difficulties of the American Catholic community, and a synod of Bulgarian delegates now in session here, endeavoring to secure an ecclesiastical autonomy. Both efforts are likely to fail, for the pretensions of the Pope are so extensive as to be wholly incompatible with the sovereign rights of the Sultan as well as with the rights claimed by the recalcitrant members of the community; and in the matter of the Bulgarian schism the government has latterly evinced a disposition to withdraw from its former wise position of recognizing the independence of the Bulgarian Church. Whether this retrograde action is due to the influence of Russia, as some pretend, it is imposssble to say; but nearly all careful students of eastern politics, of recent years, have agreed in regarding it as a most wise step for Turkey to withdraw the Bulgarians from all foreign associations, civil and religious, and thus draw closer the bonds which unite them to the Porte.

Scarcely any conjunction of circumstances could be more illustrative of the complications which beset this empire than that which exhibits it, not only as a preserver of the peace between the contending sects of the Christian church, but as an arbiter between contending factions of the same sect. To the wisdom of the Sublime Porte, as illuminated by the Koran, it is given to decide how far the Armenian schismatics shall obey the Pope, and the Bulgarian schismatics shall obey the Patriarch, while it is no unusual occurrence for Mahometan policemen to be obliged to prevent members of one Christian sect from killing those of another. Indeed the violence of the Armenians of the Greek faith against the converts to Protestantism is becoming so great that I fear it may spread until it endangers those of our own citizens engaged in the missionary work in some of the more benighted parts of the empire. Within the last fortnight three well-authenticated cases of outrages of this character have been brought to the knowledge of this legation, affecting as yet, however, only the converted subjects of the Porte; but, as I have said, unless this spirit of violence is checked it may extend from those who are converted to those who convert them. In some of these cases the consular agents of Russia and of Greece are alleged to have acted in the most outrageous maimer, inciting the mob to violence and promising its members foreign protection; but if such is the case, and it is brought by the Porte to the knowledge of the representatives of these governments here, I am sure that proper punishment will be inflicted upon the offenders. As no American citizen has suffered in any direct manner, I have not felt at liberty to take any official notice of those occurrences; but in an informal and entirely unofficial manner I have mentioned them to the Porte, and suggested the wisdom of preventing repetition of them lest the spirit of discord might spread; and I am happy to say that the Porte has received my suggestions in the kindest spirit, and has manifested an earnest desire to secure the fullest religious liberty for all its Christian subjects.

You will readily appreciate, however, the difficulties with which the subject is surrounded, and especially how seriously it affects the prospect [Page 902] of any important legal reforms. The Greek Church in Turkey regards Russia as its natural protector. The Catholic Church has heretofore regarded France in the same light, while Protestantism has usually looked to the English embassy in time of trouble. Even if foreign officials would not interfere to encourage disturbances of the public peace, they will interfere, directly or indirectly, very often in legal controversies between members of different sects; and if Mussulman judges could be induced to believe Christian witnesses, it is very sure, in any case in which a coreligionist was concerned, Catholic judges would not credit Greek witnesses, nor would Greek judges credit Catholic witnesses, while the testimony of Protestants is that it would be equally unsafe to believe either. Such is the muddle out of which a Mahometan government is asked to extract a coherent system of judicial reform, to be administered subject to the continued interference of the consular agents of the great powers.

We must not be surprised, therefore, if thus far no such system has been devised as promises to afford proper securities for the prompt and impartial administration of justice, for even if trained judges and trained advocates could be provided, the ignorance of great masses of the people inflames their religious animosities until they become incapable of desiring justice, and the constant interference of the agents of foreign powers leads them to look elsewhere than to the tribunals of the country for protection.

Your obedient servant,

WAYNE MacVEAGH.