Señor Moret has been absent from Madrid since the early part of last month.
At the first opportunity after his return I shall refer to the matter in
conversation with him on the lines laid down in your instructions.
[Inclosure in No. 247.]
Mr. Strobel to
Señor Moret.
Legation of the United States,
Madrid, September 17,
1887.
Excellency: On the 22d of September, 1885,
under instructions from my Government, I had the honor to address a note
to your excellency’s distinguished predecessor, Señor Elduayen, giving a
statement of the results accomplished in the Caroline Islands by the
American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions during more than
thirty years of labor in behalf of civilization and morality. In view,
at that time, of the prospective occupation of those islands by the
Spanish Government, the confident hope was expressed that the good work
of the citizens of the United States, extending over so long a period,
might not only not be disturbed, but be aided and protected.
To this appeal on the part of the United States Government in behalf of
the humanizing efforts of its citizens, the reply of Señor Elduayen was
all that could be desired. In the note of this legation, dated October
15, 1885, his excellency forecast the attitude of the Spanish Government
towards the American missions in the following eloquent and explicit
language:
“In respect to the hope expressed in your note that nothing will
interfere with the operations of American citizens in the Carolines, but
on the contrary their good work may be aided and protected, the
Government of His Majesty will hasten to inform the Government of the
United States that nothing is so far from its intention as the process
of curtailing or embarrassing in the slightest degree the works of
morality and instruction to which you refer. The present constitution of
the Spanish state authorizes the Government of His Majesty to respect in
all the regions of our territory the free religious exercise which the
American Government desires, and, at the same time, the Spanish
Government sees with the greatest satisfaction the results obtained by
American citizens in what concerns civilization in general, and is
disposed, in regard to this, to favor and augment as far as possible
such results. It is to me a pleasing duty to give this affirmative and
satisfactory reply to all the points contained in your note, in order
that you may be good enough to transmit it to the Government of the
United States.”
In the correspondence between the Secretary of State of the United States
and the representative of Her Majesty in Washington, in February, March,
and May, 1886, further assurances were given that the Government of
Spain would guarantee to United States citizens in the Caroline Islands
full rights and complete protection.
With this reference to the declarations of the Spanish Government, I will
now beg to call attention to the following facts, and to submit them to
the consideration of Her Majesty’s Government.
Ever since their arrival in Ponape, the Spanish officials have
distinguished themselves by their unfriendly attitude towards the
American missions. All the schools have been closed but one, one of the
missionaries, by name Narcissus de Santas, has been forbidden to preach,
service has been suppressed at some of the churches, and lands granted
to the missions years ago by the native chiefs have been encroached upon
or seized.
This series of hostile acts culminated in the arrest of Mr. E. T. Doane,
a venerable missionary of almost 70 years of age, who had devoted the
best years of his life to the instruction and enlightenment of the
natives of the islands. The ostensible reason for the arrest of this
gentleman was a letter addressed by him to the governor, protesting
against the seizure of certain land belonging to the missions, in which
letter he made use of the word “arbitrary.” This protest was not made
until entreaty and appeal had failed. The reply made to the protest by
the governor was an order for his arrest on April 14 last, and he was
taken on board the steamship Manila. At the end
of three days, during which he had not been permitted to hold
communication with his friends, the governor sentenced him to fifteen
[Page 406]
days’ imprisonment for
writing the protest. After the expiration of the fifteen days he was
informed that he would be confined a still longer period, no reason
being given for this additional imprisonment. After more than a month’s
detention on the Manila he was removed to the
man-of-war Maria de Molina, and finally on June
11, about two months after his original arrest, he was ordered to be
sent to Manila and was taken to that port, where it is understood that
he has at length been released.
By this ungenerous treatment of these missions, followed by the
apparently harsh and unjustifiable arrest of an American citizen, the
authorities of the island have inflicted a great wrong upon the
interests of the peaceable American community—a community whose labors
for nearly half a century have tended not to hinder but to promote the
welfare of Her Majesty’s subjects.
In view of the heretofore unbroken friendship between the Governments,
and their treaty relations, and more than all, in view of the unreserved
and definite assurances in regard to these very missions to which I have
referred, the Government of the United States has received information
of these extraordinary measures and events with mingled pain and
astonishment, and feels justified in asking that the Government of Her
Majesty the Queen Regent will speedily restore these Ameriican interests
to their former effective and beneficent position, and that due
indemnity be made to the citizens of the United States in those islands
who have suffered damages in person or loss of property by reason of the
unwarrantable proceedings of the local authorities.
While expressing the hope and belief in behalf of the Government of the
United States that the Government of Her Majesty only needs to be
informed of these unfortunate incidents in order to take action in
harmony with previous declarations and the wise and liberal policy which
distinguishes it, I avail myself of this occasion to renew to your
excellency the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.