Mr. Gresham to Mavroyeni Bey.
Washington, August 24, 1893.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 20th instant, in which you assert that everybody knows that the greater part of the Armenians who come to the United States do so for the purpose of speedily acquiring American citizenship and returning forthwith to Turkey to engage in sedition against the peace of the Empire. You also state that the naturalization of these agitators, and their permitted sojourn in the United States are not consistent with the principles of the Monroe doctrine, heretofore maintained by this Government, and that the Imperial Government may be constrained to object to the return to Turkey of Armenians who have changed their original nationality even when bearing American passports.
The Monroe doctrine simply relates to the freedom of the states south of the American Republic from European influences antagonistic to the United States; and I am unable to see the pertinency of that doctrine to the question you suggest. The naturalization laws of the United States are uniform in operation, and all aliens who duly comply with them are admitted to the benefits of American citizenship.
While this Government will not sanction any conduct of its citizens abroad whereby the peace of a foreign state may be disturbed, lean not admit that it would be just for the Porte to debar, as you suggest, a class of American citizens from peaceable entrance and sojourn in the Turkish Empire under the guarantees of treaties, because of the alleged wrongdoing of individuals of their race, any more than I can admit that the Government of the United States should withhold the privileges of peaceable sojourn and lawful naturalization from a large class of Turkish subjects.
Accept, etc.,