Mr. Hirsch to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, April 12, 1892.
(Received April 25.)
No. 427.]Sir: The missionaries of the American Presbyterian
Church have been established for many years among the Nestorians of Urumiah,
in Persia. During all of that time they have had teachers and book agents
among the Nestorians, across the frontier line, in the district of Garvar,
in Turkey.
I have just been informed of the closing, two years ago, of six of those
schools and of the arrest last month of five of the teachers.
In order to bring the matter to the attention of the Government, I have
to-day addressed a note to the Sublime Porte, of which a copy is inclosed
herewith.
I have, etc.,
[Page 558]
[Inclosure in No. 427.]
Mr. Hirsch to
Said Pacha.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, April 12,
1892.
The legation of the United States has the honor to form the imperial
ministry of foreign affairs that for more than fifty years the
missionaries of the American Presbyterian Church have had teachers and
book agents among the Nestorians in the district of Garvar, in the
vilayet of Van-Mutessariflik-Talamerk Kamakamlick of Dizze. Two years
ago six of their schools were closed by the authorities, who have
resisted every attempt to have them reopened. This illegal proceeding is
in plain violation of the instructions issued by the Sublime Porte, as
per vizirial order of May 16, 1889, in which all questions relating to
the closing of existing schools are ordered to be referred to
Constantinople for decision. In February of this year the authorities of
Dizze arrested five of the teachers of the American missions in that
district, and have detained them under bail at Talamerk. The only charge
against them is that they are in the employ of the Americans and that
they are Protestants.
Neither of these charges should for a moment subject a man to the least
molestation in this empire, and the legation therefore feels that all
that is necessary to insure the proper remedy is to bring this excess of
zeal on the part of the local authorities to the knowledge of the
imperial ministry of foreign affairs, for it is not a crime in the eyes
of the law to be a Protestant or an employé of the Americans. The
legation therefore demands that prompt measures be taken by the Sublime
Porte to release the arrested teachers, to reopen the illegally closed
schools, and furthermore that orders be issued to the Vali of Van to
extend the fullest protection to Americans in his province who reside or
travel there.
