Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1875, Volume II

No. 631.
Mr. Maynard to Mr. Fish.

Legation of the United States,
Constantinople , June 30, 1875. (Received August 5.)

No. 7.]

Sir: I have the honor to, inform the State Department that the Ottoman government has thought proper to transmit to me through the minister of foreign affairs certain executive orders, or, as they are termed, circulars, with a request that they be made known to our fellow-citizens.

As I have no means of promulgating them, I transmit copies of the original French, with translations, for such action as the Department may deem proper.

The first, dated June 12, instant, interdicts the export of cereals from certain districts; the second, dated June 30, instant, interdicts the export by sea of corn and corn-meal from certain ports; the third, dated June 12, instant, is an interdiction to the introduction into Turkey of arms, munitions of war, and revolvers; the fourth, dated June 12, instant, is of a graver and more important character. It puts a censorship upon the press, which, in the language of one of my colleagues, carries us backward centuries.

I have received the protest of certain of our citizens resident in the Ottoman Empire, a copy of which is inclosed. The printing question is likely to be seriously discussed.

I am, &c.,

HORACE MAYNARD.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 7.—Translation.]

Safvet Pasha to Mr. Maynard.

circular 1, forbidding the export of cereals.

In consequence of the had condition of the harvests in the districts of Yeni-Bazar, Mitrovitza, and Senidje in Bosnia, where the insufficiency of food even for the inhabitants has been ascertained, the local authorities found themselves under the necessity of interdicting, until further information, the exportation of cereals from the said districts.

It is understood, however, that exceptions will be made in favor of contracts entered into previously to this prohibition.

Having the honor to bring this measure to your knowledge, I request you to give your orders so as to secure its execution on the part of American citizens.

SAFVET.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 7.—Translation.]

Safvet Pasha to Mr. Maynard.

circular 2, forbidding the export of maize and farina of maize.

In consequence of a persisting drought, and in view of the wants of the population, the authorities of Samsoun have deemed it necessary to interdict for one month from the 15th of June (O. S.) the exportation by sea from the districts of Unia and of Fatsa, of maize and of the farine of maize.

This measure has already been brought to the knowledge of the consuls of Samsoun. I now, on my part, beg you to give your orders so as to secure its observance by the American citizens.

SAFVET.

[Inclosure 3 in No. 7.—Translation.]

Safvet Pasha to Mr. Maynard.

circular 3, interdicting the imports of arms and munitions of war.

You are aware of the ordinances prohibiting the introduction of arms, munitions of war, and revolvers into the Ottoman Empire.

Some time, now, certain foreign merchants introduce into Turkey these forbidden articles, which are notwithstanding confiscated by the state.

In order to prevent any misunderstanding, and for the interest of commerce, I think it proper to request you to give such orders, that the American merchants shall observe strictly the regulations above indicated.

SAFVET.

[Inclosure 4 in No. 7.—Translation.]

circular 4, regulating the importation and publication of books and pamphlets.

[From the “Daily Levant Herald” of June 17.]

The Press Bureau has sent us the following official notification regulating the importation and publication of books and pamphlets in Turkey:

Acting under the advice of the council of state, the Porte has taken the following steps to prevent the importation of improper books, pamphlets, and writings into this country, as well as to restrain their publication within the limits of the empire. For the future the manuscripts of all works intended to be published at Constantinople must be submitted to the ministry of public instruction, which, if advisable, will give the provisional permission for it to be printed. When the work is completed, two copies, bearing the seal of the author and publisher, must be sent in to the same ministry. If, on examination, they are found to be exact reproductions of the original manuscript, one of the copies will be retained, and the other, bearing the seal of the council of public instruction, will be returned to the proprietor with a permission to publish. The title-page of every work must bear an indication showing whether the subject is religious or scientific, the authorization of the minister of public instruction, the names of the author or translator and publisher, the date of the impression, and the name of the printing-office. Publications coming from abroad or from the provinces will be detained at the custom-house. Those written in Turkish, Arabic, or Persian will be examined by the council of public instruction, and those in foreign languages by the press department and the custom-house officials. Works of an unobjectionable nature will be stamped with aseal bearing the word “authorized” as used by the press department for political publications, and by the ministry of public instruction for the others. Whoever forges this seal or wrongfully states on the title-page of a book, &c., that it is published with authorization without having really obtained it, will be punished according to law, without prejudicing the confiscation of such publications. All works judged to be of an improper tendency will be confiscated, and the authors and printers will be amenable to the penalties inflicted by the law Newspapers will not be allowed to publish authorized works en feuilleton. Works imported into the provinces will be examined by the local authorities, who will deliver a declaration indicating the subject, the name of the authors, the owner and importer, the number of volumes, and finally stating whether the custom-house authorities think it fit to confiscate the work or allow it to pass.

[Inclosure 5 in No. 7.]

protest of american citizens.

Dear Sir: We have received through Dr. Bliss, from you, a copy of the new regulations issued by the Sublime Porte for the better control of the book-trade, and have examined the same with great interest.

While anxious to obey the laws of the country where we live, and while acknowledging the protection afforded by its government to our business interests, it is but natural that if we find those interests imperiled by any new law, we should wish to call attention to the fact, especially as the imperial government has always been willing to submit new regulations affecting the established business of foreign residents to the consideration of the legations, for their remarks or suggested amendments before actually enforcing them.

We conduct a book business both as publishers and as importers, which is among the largest in the Turkish Empire. It is a business, painfully built up, step by step, at a large expenditure of capital, during forty years of time, until now it extends to all parts of the country, and we have books intrusted to our agents for sale in every vilayet.

Our stock in trade, in this city and in the provinces, embraces many thousands of copies of the works named in the accompanying catalogue, which as you will see contains about 300 titles. Moreover, we have now in press works in the Greek and Armenian character, in the printing of which we have conformed to the rules heretofore in force in relation to the manufacture of books, as, indeed, we always have done.

We feel sure that the Turkish government will acknowledge that an investment of capital of so long standing and of such amount; an investment made with their own consent at every step, should be protected from injury, as far as practicable, in the promulgation of new laws which are to govern it in future.

But the omission from these regulations of any provision for such protection is a point to which we would call your attention. As far as we can see, our books in stock, scattered as they are in remote parts of the empire, as well as those now in press, are in immediate danger of seizure as unauthorized. Cannot a clause be inserted in the regulations making a clear-dividing line between the books already published and now in press and those which will be liable to seizure for any failure to comply with this law? As, for instance, if the enforcement of the new rules could be delayed until the 1st of January, 1875, the date on the title-page would serve as a clear guide to provincial officials who might have occasion to examine the books.

Another point in the new regulations which we consider needlessly burdensome is the system by which permission to publish books never before printed in this country is to be obtained. We regret extremely to say that if books must be twice examined and permits twice issued by the clerical force of any bureau of the Sublime Porte with which we have yet to do, our experience does not give us any ground to hope that the publication of books in this city will be practicable. You will recall to mind the experience of the agent of the American Bible Society in this city, who has had for ten years the consent of the Sublime Porte to the principle of the publication of the Bible in Turkish, but who, now that the translation, made on the faith, of that consent, is ready, has been waiting months for the mere formal writing of the permit to the printer to do the work. We, ourselves, have asked in vain for the written permit to print a newspaper which we have published for eighteen months upon a verbal permission from the authorities to issue the paper without waiting for the clerks to draw up the documents. These, and many similar experiences, explain our fear of needless and expensive delays under the new system proposed.

Might we not be allowed to print as we have done heretofore, but at our own risk? Then before any book is bound up or circulated, let us be required to submit it to the proper bureau for the permit of publication. Permission being granted, the permit would then be added to the book with the title-page, as proposed. But if the book proves on examination to be such that permission cannot be granted, let us be required to deliver up the whole edition of the book or the dangerous parts of it. The advantage of such a modification of the law would be, of course, that we would not be obliged to keep our presses and our men idle day after day, while waiting an uncertain length of time for the over-worked clerks to find opportunity to draw up the formal authorization for our work.

Another point which we observe in the copy of the new regulations before us, is that, as they now read, the local authorities throughout the country seem to have the power of stopping all shipments of books. We hope that this does not mean that they are to have the right again to pass judgment upon such books as have once been approved for circulation at Constantinople.

In conclusion, we would again say that we desire to obey the reasonable laws of the empire in all departments of our business, as we have always done hitherto. During this forty years we have not printed anything which the government has found it necessary to suppress, and we have never even proposed for publication anything for which the government has refused its authorization. (See inclosure A.)

With such a record of the character of our business, we hope our suggestions may have kindly consideration.

Very respectfully, your obedient servants,

• J. H. GREEN.
• T. L. BYINGTON.
• HENRY O. DWIGHT.
• ISAAC G. BLISS.
• M. H. HITCHCOCK.
• EDWIN E. BLISS.

Hon. Horace Maynard,
Minister Resident of the United States, &c., &c.

[Inclosure 1 in 5 in No. 7.]

Catalogue of religious and other books and tracts printed by the American missionaries in Constantinople.

turkish books in the arabic character.

No		Pages.	Piast.
300	Dictionary, English and Turkish	827	102
301	Notes on Matthew and Mark	400	10
302	Notes on Sermon on the Mount	88	1	20
303	Notes on the Decalogue	76	1
304	Child’s First Book	63	2	20
305	Hymn-Book	102	2
306	Belief and Worship	128	2
turkish tracts in the arabic character.
325	Judgment and Future State	16
326	The Decalogue	16
327	Beatitudes and Lord’s Prayer	1
328	Selected Texts, first series	1
329	Selected Texts, second series	1
turkish books in the armenian character.
350	Fasts and Feasts	192	4
351	Avedaper, 1865–1868
352	Avedaper for Children, 1872, 1873
353	Memoir of Kappadose	§54	30
354	Reading-Book No. 1	60	1	10
355	Reading-Book No. 2	204	4
356	Reading-Book No. 3	293	5
357	Daily Meditations	539	5
358	Larger Catechism	340	5
359	Hymn-Book	255	3	20
360	Hymn-Book, gilt	255	7
361	Theological Class-Book	264	5
362	Physiology	262	10
363	Grammar of Armeno-Turkish	216	7
364	Arithmetic, small	66	2
365	Arithmetic, larger	367	10
366	Natural Theology	*221	5
367	Pilgrim’s Progress	426	7
368	Good Works	§32	20
369	Young Christian	350	6
370	The Sabbath	*111	2
371	Sin and Salvation	141	2
372	Right Use of the Fathers	304	3
373	Geography	195	10
374	Names for use of Bett’s Maps	31	1	20
375	Self-Examination	§32	20
376	Commentary on Matthew	782	20
377	Mary Lothrop	168	2
378	Scripture Text-Book	475	5
379	Narrative tracts	163	2
380	Drops of Mercy	128	1
381	The Lord’s Prayer	126	2	20
382	Messianic Prophecies	305	4
383	Bible Question-Book	206	4
384	Sermons	400	6
385	Piety	§72		30
386	Child’s Book on the Soul	*150	2
387	Claims of the Pope	*108	1	120
388	Lives of the Prophets	424	5
389	Catholics and Protestants	406	6
390	The Canon of Scripture	§48		20
391	The Atonement	§64		30
392	Church History	396	6
393	Church History	776	35
394	The Christian Church	* §82	30
395	Jones’s Catechism	226	5
396	Biblical Catechism	§45		20
397	Armenian Grammar	208	7
398	Pictures of Animals, 12 cards	12	8
399	A Savior for You	47		20
turkish tracts in the armenian character.
450	The World to Come	11
451	Anna Williamson	20
452	Life and Life’s End	38
453	Repentance	17
454	Important Questions	16
455	The First Step	8
456	The Cross	17
457	To S. S. Teachers	72
458	Duty of S. S. Teachers	12
459	Going to Jesus	16
460	To S. S. Scholars	68
461	Sermon for Children	19
462	The Great Salvation	14
463	Example of Early Piety	20
464	History of a Bible	24
465	Sermon on the Mount	23
466	The Golden Rule	16
467	The Lord’s Supper	14
468	Last Days of Payson	21
469	Phebe Bartlett	12
470	A Gracious Invitation	4
471	The Bridge	8
472	The Ten Commandments	1
473	Blot Out My Sins	4
474	The Great Sacrifice	6
turkish books in the greek character.
500	Hymn-Book	264	3	20
501	First Book	68	1
502	A Savior for You	§40		20
503	Good Works	§28		20
504	Catechism	246	5
turkish tracts in the greek character.
525	Gracious Invitation	3
526	The Bridge	8
527	Blot Out My Sins	4
528	Eternity	7
armenian books.
550	Algebra	262	10
551	Prayers, Family and Private	192	2
552	Infidelity; Cause and Cure	272	5
553	Self-Examination	§44		20
554	Night of Toil	369	4
555	Geography	209	10
556	Repentance	280	3
557	Repentance; book for children	64	1	20
558	Whately’s Evidences	187	2	20
559	Hopkins’s Evidences	462	5
560	Church-Members’ Guide	158	3
561	Assembly’s Catechism	§79		30
562	Scripture Catechism	§42		20
563	Rise and Progress	361	7
564	Avedaper, 1855–1873
565	Avedaper, for children, 1872, 1873
566	The Reformation, vol. 1	*592	25
567	The Reformation, vol. 2	*594	25
568	Good Man	138	3
569	Moral Science	232	5
570	Protestantism	§39		20
571	Claims of the Pope	§45		20
572	Tract Primer	108	3
573	Easy Lessons	108	3
574	Easy Lessons	§108	1	20
575	Hymn-Book	427	5
576	Hymn-Book, gilt	427	10
577	Hymn and Tune Book	128	5
578	Reader	332	8
579	Arithmetic	312	10
580	Lucilla	403	5
581	Dairyman’s Daughter	§44		20
582	The Will, Upham	314	15
583	Rule of Faith	391	5
584	Rule of Faith, gilt	391	10
585	Canonical Books	§46		20
586	Words of Life, (for the wall)	20	5
587	New Testament Concordance	604	23
588	Communion	§90		30
589	Hints to Christians	§63		20
590	Brief Meditations	494	5
591	Confessions of Faith	244	3
592	Scripture Text-Book	488	5
593	Scripture Text-Book, New York edition	292	7
594	Henry and His Friends	204	5
595	Confession and Penance	§98	1
596	Children Invited to Christ	95	2
597	Pilgrim’s Progress	624	8
598	Pilgrim’s Progress, New York edition	532	10
599	Light of the Soul	* §36		20
600	Mother at Home	*288	3
601	Notes on Matthew and Mark	286	5
602	Mary Lothrop	96	2
603	Martyrs	*214	4
604	Great Truths	*111	2
605	Baptism	§101	1
606	Intellectual Philosophy	803	35
607	Mental Powers, Abercrombie	§80		20
608	History of Joseph	154	4
609	Bible Hand-Book, vol. 1	318	6
610	Bible Hand-Book, vol. 2	*
611	Letters to Parents	248	5
612	Tune-Book	152	5
613	Magazine of Knowledge		7
614	Papists and Protestants	*364	6
615	Work of the Holy Spirit	§172	1	20
616	Saint’s Rest	467	5
617	Saint’s Rest, (gilt)	467	8
618	Keeping the Heart	172	2	20
619	Life of Zwingle	§65		20
620	Patriarchs and Prophets	*300	5
621	Anxious Inquirer	310	4
622	Anxious Inquirer, (gilt)	310	6
623	A Savior for You	§44		20
624	School-Grammar	228	7
625	Jones’s Catechism	224	5
626	Scripture Catechism	§42		20
627	Grammar of English	264
628	Geometry	†	10
629	Printed sheets, (for the wall)	70	20
	(See end of catalogue.)
armenian tracts.
675	Praying Mother	16
676	Progress of Sin	21
677	Against Infidelity	16
678	For S. S. Scholars	64
679	The First Step	8
680	Guide to Salvation	16
681	Good Works	44
682	World to Come	8
683	Future Punishment	15
684	Brotherly Love	16
685	Joy in Heaven	23
686	Two Lambs	31
687	Coming to Christ	13
688	Believing in Christ	7
689	How Honor Christ To-day?	4
690	Five Wounds of Conscience	8
691	The Bridge	8
692	Food for Christians	62
693	Blind Margaret	11
694	Blot Out My Sins	4
695	Mountains of Bread	7
696	Fire	4
697	Gracious Invitation	4
698	Knowledge of Sin	36
699	Talking About Jesus	16
700	Hints to Christians	24
701	Keeping the Sabbath	24
702	For S. S. Teachers	64
703	Attending Public Worship	12
704	Prepare to Meet Thy God	6
705	Reflections of a Pilgrim	6
bulgarian books.
750	Child’s Book on the Soul	137	2	20
751	Hymn-Book	150	2	20
752	Chrysostom on Reading the Scriptures	128	2	20
753	Zornitza, 1866–1871		6
754	Come to Jesus	§72	30
755	True Worshipers	§157	1	20
756	The Counsels of Sound Reason	§36		20
757	The Dairyman’s Daughter	132	2
758	Henry and His Bearer	*79	1	20
759	Tract Primer	108	2
760	Answers to Infidel Objections	§36	20
761	The Pope and the Papal Church	§78	30
762	Letters for Mothers	*138	2	20
763	Scripture Help	§54		20
764	Questions on New Testament	§60		20
765	Questions and Answers on the Scriptures	221	4
766	Hymns and Tunes	108	5
767	Simple Teaching on Prayer	§48		20
768	Protestants the Ancient Orthodox	§43		20
769	Pilgrim’s Progress	*235	6
770	Dew-Drops	60	1
771	Hymn-Book	150	2	20
772	Sermons	511	7
773	Assembly’s Catechism	§36	1	20
774	Epitome of Gospel History	§86	1	20
775	Commentary on Matthew	574	7
776	Jones’s Catechism	264	5
bulgarian tracts.
850	Poor Joseph	12
851	Basil, the Pious Child	12
852	A Church in Every House	23
853	Good Works	29
854	Two Lambs	20
855	The Lord’s Day	8
856	Living or Dead?	28
857	Salvation	12
858	Falsehood	8
859	Fasting	15
860	Self-examination	34
861	Whom Shall We Believe?	24
862	Cross of Christ	20
863	The One Thing Needful	7
864	Something for the Unlearned	24
885	The Soldier’s Daughter	12
866	The Lord’s Prayer	8
867	The Communion, or the Lord’s Supper	34
888	Simple Truths	8
869	Enlightened Priest	27
870	Intemperance	4
871	Questions on Reading	12
872	The First Step	8
873	Way of Salvation	8
874	Conversation of Two Friends	24
875	Conversation With a Young Traveler	19
876	Covenant and Confession of Faith	8
877	Scripture and Tradition	35
878	Offense of the Disciples	14
879	Sermon on the Sabbath	12
880	Sermon on Baptism	28
881	What Is It to Believe in Christ?	16
hebrew spanish books.
950	Hebrew Lexicon	440	10
951	Monthly Magazine	96	3
952	Hebrew Grammar	180	3
953	Astronomy	132	1	20
954	The Soul of Man	120	1
greek books.
960	Tune-Book	63	3
961	Hymn-Book	120	1	20
962	Bible Questions	252	1
english books.
970	Grammar of Armeno-Turkish	56
971	Grammar of Armenian	*84
972	Grammar and Vocab Bulgarian	247	20
630	Physiology (III.) Armenian	205
631	Sermons by Dr. Goodell, Armenian	615
632	Tender Words to Women of Turkey, Armenian	230
633	Notes on Hygiene, Armenian	30
892—893 are Bulgarian tracts.

note.

These books are on sale at the Bible-house, Constantinople, and in all the principal cities and towns of the Turkish Empire.

January, 1874.

[Inclosure 2 in 5 in No. 7.]

Statement by the American missionaries.

The statement that the American missionary societies in Turkey have never published or circulated obnoxious or prohibited books has been denied by the Turkish, government officials. Indeed, upon an impression that the contrary is true, is founded much of the distrust with which, we have been pained to perceive, many of the officers of the government regard our publication work.

But the business of the American missionaries is open, and they do not fear the fullest investigation, being in a position of conscious rectitude which defies proof of any charge of violation of law.

This is all the answer they can give to charges brought against them by officers of the Sublime Porte; but to the representative of their own Government the American missionaries may, without impropriety, explain that the Porte has ground of complaint in this direction, as its laws have been repeatedly violated by the surreptitious importation of books which have been prohibited circulation since the year 1861. These books, judged blasphemous and treasonable by the Turkish authorities, are smuggled into the country and widely circulated in defiance of the police; and the agents of this work are missionaries of a great English society, who—the individuals as well as the society—have been deaf to the protests of the American missionaries, while they being few escape the notice of the government, and their proceedings, at least injudicious in character, bring upon the large and well-known book business conducted by the Americans most immediate odium.

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