No. 539.
Mr. Wallace to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, April 12, 1883.
(Received April 30.)
No. 205.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit to the Department
a copy and translation of a note upon the subject of the books of the
American Bible Society, containing a statement from the imperial minister of
public instruction of his plan of sealing or stamping volumes with a view to
prevent seizures and detentions by officials in the interior.
* * * * * * *
A copy of my communication in reply is herewith forwarded.* * *
Very respectfully, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
205.—Translation.]
Aarifi Pasha to Mr.
Wallace.
Sublime
Porte, April 2,
1883.
Mr. Envoy: I have had the honor to receive the
note your excellency kindly addressed to me on the 14th of January last,
No. 141, relative to the books and tracts of the American Bible
Society.
[Page 838]
The minister of public instruction, to whom your excellency’s
observations have been communicated, just gives the following reply:
The examination of foreign books and tracts is solely in view to prevent
the circulation within the Empire of all works contrary to the morals
and usages of the country, or hurting any of the creeds recognized by
the state. The mode of inspection adopted by the imperial authorities is
the best suited to reach the result in a practical manner.
With regard to the American Bible Society, it will not suffer from it,
inasmuch as all its printed, or to be printed works which do not present
the inconvenience of ridiculing the religious opinions officially
recognized, treat either of Protestantism or of scientific and literary
matter, which are not in any way in opposition with the essential view
heretofore indicated. Therefore the council of public instruction, every
time that such works are to be published in one of the languages spoken
by the Christians of the country, does not hesitate in granting the
required authorization in accordance with the law and the general rules.
Consequently, the question is confined to the inspection of such works
as are to be found in the depots of the society which have been printed
without authorization or have been received from abroad. This point as
well cannot present any difficulty, inasmuch as they will confine
themselves to putting a seal on the religious and other books which the
law authorizes, that which, besides, is admitted in your excellency’s
before-mentioned note.
With such conditions a conference has no reason to be. At the same time,
in order to avoid any occasion for complaint, the authority promises to
make the examination of the religious books and others with the greatest
possible celerity.
Such is, in substance, Mr. Envoy, the answer the above-mentioned minister
forwarded to me.
In submitting it to the equitable appreciation of your excellency, I
avail. &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 205.]
Mr. Wallace to
Aarifi Pasha.
United
States Legation,
Constantinople, April 12,
1883.
Highness: In the note with which you favored me
under date of April 2 instant, you are good enough to give the answer of
his excellency the minister of public instruction to my communication
of, January 14 last, No. 141, relative to the books of the American
Bible Society.
The object of his excellency, in his proposal to attach a seal to such
books as have been inspected to the satisfaction of the proper officers
of his department here in Constantinople is, as I take it, that the seal
may be evidence to officials elsewhere in the Empire of the fact that
the volume to which it is appended has been duly licensed according to
law, rendering a further inspection by them unnecessary, and a stoppage
for purposes, other than examination, to see if the seal is in fact
attached, unlawful. To this object I do not see how an objection can
well be made. It is, therefore, with the more regret I find myself
obliged to ask a more definite understanding than is afforded by your
highness’s note touching the point heretofore presented by me (No. 141),
as to the difficulty, if not impossibility of affixing the seal to the
thousands of volumes already dispatched to the interior of the Empire
for sale and distribution. It is also highly important to be exactly
informed what is to be the cost of sealing the books. Both these points,
you will observe, are without mention in the answer of his excellency
the minister of public instruction.
Possibly his excellency will permit a suggestion that he furnish me a
copy of the regulations which may have been issued upon this subject.
That, it seems to me, is but right, particularly as a mode of dealing
with the Bible society whose property is the subject of regulation.
Until full information is furnished as requested, it will be my duty to
adhere to the objections stated more at length in my aforesaid dispatch,
No. 141, and to protest against the execution of the plan of his
excellency, above referred to.
I avail, &c.,
