Mr. Blaine to Mr. King.
Washington, November 8, 1889.
Sir: I have received your No. 34 of the 10th ultimo, recalling to the attention of the Department the correspondence with your legation in 1883–’85, touching the attack made in the former year on the American missionaries, Rev. Mr. Knapp and Dr. Reynolds in Kurdistan, by Moussa Bey, who, at the instance of the British ambassador, is being tried at Constantinople on charges independent of the above.
Your conclusion that, in view of the apparent miscarriage of justice in Moussa Bey’s case to which the correspondence of 1883–’85 related, and the presence of the alleged criminal in Constantinople, it would be wise to re-open the matter with the Sublime Porte, seems to be justified by the details of your note of 7th ultimo, to the minister of state, of which you inclose a copy.
Your action is approved. It is hoped, as expressed in your note, that justice, however long deferred, may at last be done in respect of the well-grounded complaints of the United States Government, and its repeated and earnest appeals to the sense of justice and amity of Turkey for adequate redress for the wrongs suffered by these American citizens at the hands of a delegate of the power of the Sultan’s Government.
I am, etc.,