No. 291.
Mr. Nelson
to Mr. Fish.
Legation of the
United States,
Mexico, April 26, 1873.
(Received May 13.)
No. 733.]
Sir: At the request of six American Protestant
missionaries now in this city, I yesterday presented them to President
Lerdo. One of their number having made an address asking for an assurance of
his disposition to protect Protestants in the exercise of their religion,
the President made an earnest and energetic reply, which was completely
satisfactory to the gentlemen in question. I inclose a memorandum of this
reply of President Lerdo.
I have, &c.,
Memorandum.
In reply to the address of Dr. Cooper, asking for an assurance of his
disposition to protect Protestants in Mexico, President Lerdo said:
“That the constitution of Mexico guarantees in the most absolute and
unreserved manner the tolerance and protection of all religious
opinions. That although the fanaticism of other forms of religion might
sometimes excite popular disturbances against Protestants, he was sure
that the opinion of all the enlightened classes of society is ardently
in favor of complete toleration, and that he will answer for the conduct
of all the authorities depending directly upon the Federal Government.
That in addition to the constitutional obligation to protect religious
liberty, the government takes pleasure in stating that the teachers of
the Protestant doctrine in Mexico have
[Page 668]
distinguished themselves by their deportment as
law-abiding citizens, without a single instance of the contrary having
come to his knowledge. That their labors have uniformly tended to the
enlightenment of the public, discarding sectarian disputes and limiting
themselves to the propagation of doctrines of sound morality and
practical religion. That the government will not only use its utmost
diligence to punish all infractions of religious liberty, but is
earnestly desirous that the Protestant teachers should enable it to take
efficient measures for the prevention of such abuses whenever there may
be ground to apprehend their occurrence. That he is pleased to make the
acquaintance of the gentlemen who have conscientiously and laboriously
devoted themselves to an object of great public utility.”
