Washington, September 18, 1873.
Sir: Your note of the 15th instant, relative to the case of Leopold Ungar, has been received. It seemed so obvious that the main purpose of your previous note, of the 8th instant, was to obtain possession of [Page 1315] the valuables in the possession of one Twiney, the English lawyer, that the Department deemed itself justified in assuming that you wished the consul-general of the United States at Alexandria to be instructed, to cause the valuables to be surrendered, especially as Twiney was said to hold them subject to his order. It seems, however, that your principal object was to induce this Department to decide that Ungar is not a citizen of the United States. In reply, I again have to express my regret that it is not deemed either expedient or competent to make any such decision in such case. This, however, does not arise from any disposition to deprive German subjects of their rights to the valuables adverted to. The consul-general of the United States at Alexandria will consequently be directed not to allow any control which he may have over those articles as the property of a countryman to interfere with the just claims of others thereto. Accept, sir, a renewed assurance of my very high consideration.