Mr. Gresham to Mr. Terrell.
Washington, December 22, 1893.
Sir: Referring to your telegram of 25th ultimo, of which I append a copy, and to instruction No. 101, of 7th instant, relative to certain citizens of the United States formerly subjects of the Porte, I have to say that the promise not to inflict penal imprisonment on these returning naturalized Armenians, nor to subject them to detention save such as may be incidentally necessary to their deportation, does not rest on your reported oral agreement alone, but is clearly inferable from the assurance given in Mavroyeni Bey’s note of November 22 last, that the arrest in the cases which had theretofore arisen had been provisional only. An important precedent of fact is thus established [Page 709] by the explicit declaration of the Porte through its representative here, and my acceptance of Mr. Mavroyenfs statement as fixing a rule in such cases was hot questioned by him.
Copies of Mavroyeni Bey’s note* and of the reply* thereto are inclosed for your information and the completion of your record in this relation. Acknowledging at the same time the receipt of your dispatch No. 114, of 27th ultimo, on the general subject,
I am, etc.,