Mr. Morris to Mr. Seward.
Sir: * * * * * * * *
Mr. Wipperman has not been in any way molested in his functions by the government of the United Principalities since the incident referred to in a previous note and the correspondence between myself and the Porte on the subject. I suppose that the effort of the government of Prince Couza to obtain an indirect recognition of a simulated independence having failed, the question raised may be considered settled. The state of affairs in the Principalities has not been improved by their union, and the form of government established by the convention of Paris in 1856. Taxation has greatly increased without any compensation in the improvement of the country, and an arbitrary system of government has been introduced by Prince Couza, which has on several occasions nearly provoked a revolution. The Principalities, as well as Greece, instead of being assisted in the way of progress by the great powers to whom the former owes its partial and the latter its complete independence, have been regarded by them only as centres of intrigue for the ultimate dismemberment of the Ottoman empire, and its partition among themselves. For this reason, in Egypt, Greece, and the Principalities, there are Russian, English, Austrian, and French parties, but no party inspired by local, patriotic impulses. Foreign interests are allowed to predominate, and the local welfare is subordinated to the selfish schemes of the great states of Europe.
Within the Ottoman empire the Christian subjects enjoy a liberty of conscience that is not accorded to dissenters from the established faith in some of the most enlightened kingdoms of Europe. They are entirely exempt from military service. They pay but few taxes, and in most respects enjoy higher privileges than the native mussulman population. Many of them fill high posts of honor and profit under the government, while the commerce and trade and most lucrative branches of industry are in their hands. Their exemption from many of the burdens to which the native subjects are liable, conjoined with the special protection they enjoy in their religious belief from European powers, is, indeed, one of the chief causes of the jealousy that exists against them on the part of their fellow-subjects of the Mohammedan faith.
The return of the Sultan from his tour to Egypt was signalized by three nights of almost universal illumination in Stamboul and the Christian quarters of Galato and Pera. The American legation residence, in common with all the other legations, was illuminated, and, on the night of the passage of the Sultan through the streets of Para, the flag of the American Union spread its ample silken folds above him in sign of greeting to one of its true friends in the hour of calamity. On the day of the arrival of the Sultan the whole population of Constantinople and its faubourgs covered the shores and surface of the Bosphorus, and welcomed him back to the capital in the most enthusiastic manner. The unanimity of sentiment that pervaded this welcome, conveying, as it did, an expression of unlimited confidence in the future of his reign by all classes of his subjects, produced such a deep impression on the mind of the Sultan as to evoke from him a special act of recognition in an imperial Hatt.
The Turkish government has recently established a warehouse system. It has granted to a French company a privilege of thirty years’ duration to establish warehouses at Constantinople, Smyrna, Soulina, Salonica, Trebisond, Samsoun, Rodosto, Enos, and Beyrout, the most important ports of the empire. Goods deposited in these warehouses will not be liable for duties until three months after their entrance into these establishments.
[Page 369]The company is allowed to issue warrants on the deposit of merchandise, which will form an extensive discount paper for the new bank. The credit of three months in payment of duties will be of great benefit to foreign commerce, and particularly to that connected with Constantinople, the import and export tonnage of which last year represented a total of 6,584,610 tons. The government has made a free gift to the company of sufficient land at the above ports for the necessary buildings.
I have the honor to enclose a copy of the official journal containing the charter and statutes of the New National Ottoman Bank.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,