Department
of State,
Washington, December 12,
1893.
No. 103.]
[Inclosure in No. 103.]
Mr. Gillespie to
Mr. Gresham.
Board
of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church,
New York, December 7, 1893. (Received December
9.)
Sir: It gives me pleasure, in behalf of the
Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America, to convey to you, and also through you to Minister
Terrell and Mr. Garginlo, the thanks of the board for the very efficient
service rendered in securing from the Turkish Government permission for
our missionary, Mary Pierson Eddy, M. D., to practice as a medical
missionary in Syria. We can not but regard this as a marked triumph of
skillful diplomacy and as evidence of the increasing influence of our
Government with the Sublime Porte.
It may not be amiss for me to advise you further that we are still
awaiting, with no little anxiety, the outcome in the case of the assault
on Miss Melton at Amadia. Recent letters surprise ns by intimating that
the Turkish Government is looking to Mr. McDowell, our missionary, to
furnish conclusive evidence of the guilt of the parties involved. In
view of all the facts in the case, this strikes us as in the highest
degree preposterous, and as indicating a desire on the part of the
Turkish officials to shift responsibility. It is well known that all the
information in possession of the missionaries was given promptly at the’
time and was quite sufficient to lead to the arrest and conviction of
the guilty parties. Those in position to understand Oriental character
assure us that the authorities could easily discover and bring the
criminals to justice were they profoundly in earnest in the matter. The
Board of Foreign Missions is of opinion that this can not be too much
insisted upon by our Government.
The President’s reference to the ease in his recent message to Congress,
as well as your own active interest in it, encourage us to hope that the
matter will be pressed still further on the Turkish Government till such
satisfaction is given as will assure the safety of at least those of our
missionaries who are American citizens.
Again thanking you in behalf of the board for your prompt and cordial
action in the past in matters affecting the rights and safety of our
missionaries, and begging you to take such other steps as you may deem
best in the case of the assailants of Miss Melton, so that the lives of
American citizens may not be imperiled without redress,
I am, etc.,
Jno. Gillespie,
Secretary.
