Legation of the United States,
Constantinople, November 27,
1896. (Received Dec. 14.)
No. 1080.]
I will to-morrow endeavor to secure orders from the Porte to relieve him
from these annoyances which naturally embarrass.
[Inclosure in No. 1080.]
Mr. Tracy to
Mr. Terrell.
Marsovan, November 18,
1896.
Dear Judge Terrell: Yours concerning our
imprisoned professor is received. All the Armenian professors have
been called and examined, the Greek professor also, and about twenty
students, two of whom
[Page 876]
were
imprisoned two weeks. At last a paper came to me, also a separate
one to Mr. Riggs and one to Mr. White, these being identical in
character, requiring of each of us a statement over his own
signature as to whether he had been engaged with teachers and others
in the college in teaching the students, and others through them in
the country about, a secret form of language or cipher to be used
for seditious purposes.
The court says we are charged with this seditious action by one of
our pupils who was sent away during the summer. (This was a boy
about 11 or 12 years old, who was so dull and stupid and hopeless
that his patron withdrew support and he was sent off. He was a
laggard in the lowest preparatory class. He would do nothing but
scribble, and it seems that some of his nonsensical scribbling was
found in his pockets and seized as some wonderful cipher.) The boy,
who has no brains and no principle, may very likely have been
threatened and beaten or otherwise induced to testify that his
teachers had engaged in such work for seditious purposes. One of our
little boys here was struck on the face during an examination to
make him testify against his teachers.
The absurdity and abomination of these charges against me and my
associates is patent, but we were in doubt what course to take. Not
to reply at all seemed of very doubtful expediency; to reply to such
insulting charges seemed contrary to our self-respect and like
consenting to the jurisdiction of this court. It is the first
instance in which such jurisdiction has been extended over us. The
kaimakam told us that if we did not reply to the paper we would be
summoned to the court and would have to go. We finally sent a
written reply, denying utterly any such action, and stating that,
although there was no propriety in putting such questions to us, we
unofficially and of our own accord replied, etc. This attack upon us
seems to be from another vilayet, but whatever its source our
situation is becoming serious when such liberties are taken. It
looks as if a determined effort is being made to ruin us. Our course
you know fully. It is hard to bear such treatment. Are we to be
defended? We never know what a day may bring forth.
Yours, etc.,
