No. 179.
Mr. Scruggs to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Bogota, December 27, 1873.
(Received February 5, 1871.)
No. 26.]
Sir: In the afternoon of the 15th instant the house
into which I had that day been moving was stoned by the rabble attached to a
religious procession. Neither the flag-staff or shield of the legation, nor
the legation itself, was at the time attached to or in the house. They were
still at the house of the legation, in another part of the city, from which
I had been moving.
The house against which the indignity was offered was unoccupied at the time,
except by a few articles of furniture previously sent over, and by myself
and little son9 who chanced to be there; he on the
balcony
[Page 354]
overlooking the street, I
inside superintending some workmen who were arranging the office-furniture.
All the other houses fronting the plaza, except this one, had hung from
their windows and balconies symbolic emblems in recognition of the
procession. I am quite certain, from all that I can learn, that the
perpetrators did not know the character of the house or its new occupants.
You will perceive, from the annexed correspondence, that the government
acted with commendable promptness, and without solicitation. Some of the
perpetrators have been apprehended, and are now in confinement, and the
incident will possibly lead to the suppression of all such processions in
the future.
Hoping that my course in this matter, as indicated in my reply to Mr.
Colunjé’s note, may meet the approval of the Department,
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
26.—Translation.]
Señor Colunjé to
Mr. Scruggs.
United
States of Colombia,
Office of Foreign
Affairs,
Bogota,
December 16, 1873.
The undersigned, secretary of the interior and of foreign relations of
the United States of Colombia, feels himself constrained to address the
honorable William L-Scruggs, minister resident of the United States of
America, for the purpose of expressing to him the profound pain that the
government has experienced at what happened, as they are informed, in
the disagreeable incidents of the evening of yesterday, regarding a
religious procession that was being celebrated at the time his
excellency was proceeding toward his new house of habitation.
The executive administration quite as much lament as they are surprised
at the occurrence, where the practice among our people permits perfect
religious liberty, guaranteed by the national constitution; and they are
utterly at a loss to account for the object of the attack made upon the
dwelling of the representative of a nation for which the people of
Colombia have so much respect and friendship, and when the person of
that representative is so highly respected here for the high qualities
which distinguish him.
The government of the undersigned feels perfectly satisfied, from the
information in their possession, that the rabble who executed the
outrage did not know against whom they directed it; a circumstance that
can be very well explained by the confusion which is wont to be produced
by processions and acts such as referred to.
The undersigned hastens to assure your excellency that he has taken means
which will promptly punish the authors of the act—an act which would
have no explanation of its origin but for the ignorance and fanaticism
arising from a former régimé and state of society
which should be responsible therefor.
The government of the undersigned flatters itself with the belief that
the honorable Mr. Scruggs will not judge of the country in general by
the incident which is the motive of this note, and doubts not that he
will duly esteem the spontaneity of the sentiments that are expressed
herein. The undersigned indulges the hope that your excellency will
accept the expression of great personal respect and consideration with
which he has the honor to be
Your very attentive, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 26.]
Mr. Scruggs to
Senor Colunjé.
Legation of the United States,
Bogota, December 18,
1873.
The undersigned, resident minister of the United States of America, takes
peculiar pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of the very polite and
considerate note of the 16th instant, which the honorable Jil Colunjé’,
Secretary of the interior and of foreign
[Page 355]
relations of the United States of Colombia, was
pleased to address to him in deprecation of the disagreeable incident
growing out of a religious procession in this city on the day
previous.
The uniform courtesy and kindness with which the undersigned has been
received and treated by the government and people of Colombia, since his
arrival in this capital, leaves him no room to doubt the sincerity of
the renewed assurances contained in your excellency’s note, nor to
question the friendly emotions and sentiments of respect professed by
the people of Colombia for those of the United States.
The unpleasant incident referred to belongs to a class liable to occur in
almost any country, however liberal its constitution of government, or
however well and faithfully its laws may be executed. Moreover, the
undersigned is of the opinion expressed by your excellency, that the
ignorant and fanatical rabble, the remains of a former civilization,
knew not the character of the house or the persons of its new occupants,
to whom the indignity was offered; while the prompt and spontaneous
assurances by the government of your excellency that measures have been
taken looking to the speedy punishment of the wrong-doers is accepted by
the undersigned as quite all that he could reasonably ask or expect.
The undersigned therefore begs leave to express his high apprciation of
this prompt disclaimer and unsolicited action on the part of the
government, and to assure your excellency of his disinclination to judge
of the people and institutions of Colombia by this exceptional and
isolated incident; and with the reiteration of his sentiments of great
personal esteem, he has the honor to remain,
Yours, &c.,
