No. 485.
Mr. Peixotto to Mr. Hunter.
Consulate of the United States of America,
Bucharest, April 19, 1872. (Received May
13.)
No. 30.]
Sir: On Monday, the 15th instant, at Buzeo,
the five Israelites, including the rabbi and the president of the
community, accused as accomplices of the thief Silberman, were tried
and condemned to three years’ imprisonment.
This verdict was given in face of the most positive evidence of their
innocence, the thief himself confessing to his guilt and exculpating
them, and the attorney-general declaring that he, although public
prosecutor, must abandon the accusation, there being absolutely no
case, adding that he was astounded that the court, of putting in
accusation of Foksani, should have held these unhappy men for three
months on such baseless testimony.
On Wednesday, the 18th instant, the individuals accused of the
gravest
[Page 690]
excesses against
the Israelites of Vilcor, and whose guilt was proved beyond the
shadow of a doubt, were acquitted en
bloc.
Those of Cabool will be tried to-day, when the same result will no
doubt be reached. These two verdicts, following each other, so
gravely periling the security of the Israelite population during the
impending (Greek) Easter, has led the diplomatic and consular corps,
in obedience to the general and special instructions received from
their respective governments, to unite in a collective note to the
Princier government, copies of which (in the original French and
English translation) I have the honor herewith to transmit.
All the members of the corps at present in the city, except the Russian, have signed the same.
I trust it will have the approbation of the President.
I am, sir, &c., &c.,
Bucharest, April 18, 1872.
The undersigned deem it their duty to address to the government
of the prince, collectively, and in the most formal manner, the
verbal observations which most of them have been ordered by
their governments to present to it in relation to the
Israelitish question. They cannot, in the first place, help
expressing their astonishment that the result of the
investigation, ordered in Roumanian Bessarabia more than two
months since, has not yet been communicated to them,
notwithstanding the assurance contained in the note of the
minister of foreign affairs, bearing date of the 7–19th of
February last.
They have, morever, learned with profound regret that, after
having condemned several Israelites to severe penalties, the
prosecution of whom was abandoned by the public ministry itself,
the court of assizes at Buzeo has acquitted all the individuals
who were charged with having committed the gravest excesses and
crimes against the Jewish population of the town of Vilcor. The
undersigned see, in this double verdict, an indication of the
dangers to which Israelites are exposed in Roumania, the
imminence of which, at the approach of the Easter holidays,
justified the steps recently taken by them simultaneously near
the government of the prince. The governments of the undersigned
will judge whether the impunity which has been enjoyed by the
assailants of the Jews is not of a nature to encourage a
repetition of scenes of violence quite unworthy of a civilized
country, which, as such, ought to insure freedom and security to
all religious denominations.
- THIELAN, (Germany.)
- SCHLECHTA, (Austria,
Hungary.)
- PEIXOTTO, (United
States.)
- G. LE SOUARD, (France.)
- J. GREEN, (Great
Britain.)
- NEANOS, (Greece.)
- GLORIA, (Italy.)
