Mr. Blaine to Mr. Hirsch.

No. 66.]

Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 88 of the 22d ultimo, together with the translation which you inclose of a late memo-random of His Majesty the Sultan, in reference to your representations in the matter of the assault made on the American citizens and missionaries Messrs. Knapp and Raynolds, in Asia Minor, in 1883, by Moussa Bey.

It seems from the memorandum that His Majesty has been led to the belief that the Government of the United States, forsaking its attitude of neutral and impartial friendship which His Majesty so justly appreciates, has lent its attention to interested counsels and is demanding a reversal of the results reached under the lately established judicial procedure in the case of the alleged outrages against Armenians, of which Moussa was acquitted. As you clearly perceive, our complaint has nothing to do with this, but concerns alone the wrongful acts of Moussa against the American citizens named, which appears to have had no proper judicial examination since the summary and abortive investigation made in 1883. Notwithstanding the repeated admission by the Porte of the insufficiency of that examination, our persistent demands for a fair and open trial have been evasively met.

It is hoped that you have already had the promised opportunity of setting the matter in its true light before His Majesty, and of rendering it clear that the statements of the memorandum do injustice to the attitude of the United States.

I am, etc.,

James G. Blaine.