Mr. Terrell to Mr.
Gresham.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, September 14, 1893.
(Received Sept. 30.)
No. 59.]
Sir: The inclosed extract from a letter to Rev.
Edward Riggs, from Marsovan, under date of September G, just shown me,
conveys information that should be agreeable to the friends of Anatolia
College in America. The statement made by the grand vizier, which I
communicated in dispatch No. 50, August 31, was true, and his telegram from
there to his Kaimakam has, according to the inclosed extract, promoted more
kindly relations between the school and the local government.
With Marsovan annoyances I think we are done until the 19th of October, when
I will respectfully ask for the firman, unless it is sooner delivered, and
when, if it be not forthcoming, I will demand it, unless instructed to the
contrary.
This settlement indicated by the inclosure must not be regarded as evidence
of a more amiable feeling on the part of the Turkish Government toward
missionaries. Their position throughout Asia Minor is more precarious than
at any former period, and only two days ago a formal note from the Porte
requested me to withdraw missionaries from Bussorah, a town on the northeast
shore of the Persian Gulf, because
[Page 679]
of the prejudice there against them, and the alleged imprudence of their
conduct.
I hope to arrange this matter, as I have others, without troubling you with
it.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 59.]
Extract from a letter received by Mr. Biggs from a
private correspondent in Marsovan, Asia Minor, under date of
September 6, 1893.
Yesterday morning the kaimakam (local governor) sent for all the
missionaries, saying that he had some good news for them. They went, and
he informed them that he had telegraphic orders from Constantinople to
have the property transferred at once and to give the permit for the
building. “So,” said he, “build as soon as you please, and put up a
finer building than you had before.” His orders from Constantinople also
mentioned the treatment of Harootune (the cook who had been tortured), I
believe—at least he mentioned it to the missionaries—and told him to be
very polite to the missionaries. He asked the gentlemen whether he had
ever been otherwise than polite to them, and said that he had always
liked them and their schools, and had never believed any of the talk
against them; that he regretted exceedingly the incident concerning
Harootune, but he had stopped the brutality as soon as he had found it
out. The gentlemen assured him that they had nothing against him at all.
Well, he said, he wished to reply in this way to Constantinople and he
wished to be sure that the missionaries would report the same thing. He
asked that they would report to Constantinople that he had been polite
to them. They replied that Mr. Riggs had gone to Constantinople
intending to report well of him, and that they were always ready to
acknowledge that. So now the property is transferred. That was finished
yesterday. And now the plan of the new building in a revised form is
presented, or is to be presented to the kaimakam to-day, and the permit
for building to be obtained.
