No. 458.
Mr. Brown to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, November 8,
1871. (Received December 11.)
No. 30.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose, herewith,
translation of a note addressed by the Sublime Porte to M. S. Franchi,
the embassador of the Papal See, terminating his mission. Since its
receipt the embassador has left for Rome.
The object of this mission was to induce the Ottoman government to compel
the American Catholic community of Turkey to continue to accept a
bishop, named M. S. Hassom, as its spiritual chief, appointed by the
Pope, against the wishes of the large majority of its most respectable
and influential members.
The Ottoman government has refused to admit the solicitations and
intervention of the Papal See, and maintained the perfect rights of its
own subjects to elect their bishop, and to administer their spiritual
interests themselves. During his residence here the papal embassador has
been the guest of the Sultan, and received many evidences of respect
both for himself personally and for the Papal See. His mission,
nevertheless, has been a total failure.
I have, &c.,
[Page 666]
[Inclosure.]
Translation of the text of a note addressed by H.
S. Server Pacha, minister of foreign affairs, to Mr. Franchi,
embassador of the Pope, September 27, 1871.
The Sublime Porte has taken cognizance of the note which your grace
did me the honor to address to me the 22d September, and I now
hasten to reply to the same as follows:
The imperial government has always confided the management of the
spiritual affairs of the different communities of the empire to
these same communities and to their churches. All of the public
documents of the government, as well as the treaty of Paris,
sufficiently prove this fact.
The Sublime Porte, therefore, has always conformed to the duties
imposed upon it by its own dignity and good faith toward treaties-by
abstaining from every thought or act of a nature calculated to
annihilate or weaken its enjoyments and sacred promises, or the
discussion of questions which are of the spiritual domain.
I need not add that the imperial government always reserves the right
emanating from its sovereignty to adopt directly, and without any
other intervention, with the different classes of its subjects, a
line of conduct at the same time just and equitable, in whatever
relates to their civil administration. If, consequently, any
discussions have occurred outside of the principles which I have
just exposed to your grace, you will be so good as to consider them
only in the light of preserving these same principles, which are
both true and salutary.
Your grace, as the embassador of the Holy See and the bearer of a
friendly letter addressed to His Sublime Majesty the Sultan, by His
Holiness the Pope, will always receive, during your residence here,
assurances of the high consideration and sentiments of esteem and
friendship which we entertain for his person.
Please accept also, &c.,
