No. 570.
Mr. Wallace to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Constantinople, September 7, 1883.
(Received September 24.)
No. 272.]
Sir: Upon the strength of a letter from Rev. Mr.
Knapp, of which a copy is inclosed, I have addressed a note to the Sublime
Porte which is herewith submitted by copy.
The statements of Mr. Knapp are in point of veracity sufficient of
themselves, but they have corroboration in the reports come to me through
the British embassy.
* * * * * * *
Very respectfully, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 272.]
Mr. Knapp to Mr.
Wallace.
Bitlis,
Turkey, August 21,
1883.
My Dear Sir: I wrote you 7th instant and gave
you an account of the agitation going on on the part of the Turks
against the Christians in the city, aggravated by the departure of Mr.
Eyres for Yan before he could accomplish his work.
I write now to give an illustration of this hostile feeling which is
manifested towards our Protestant community, and indirectly affects
me.
Our people commenced the middle of last month to build their high-school
building and hoped to have it completed by September 1, in season for
the new school year. But the Turks have united to interfere, threatening
personal violence; and also threatening to tear down the building if it
goes on. The result is that our people, fearing bloodshed, if not a
general massacre of the Christians, are naturally deterred from
prosecuting it. To add to their difficulty, owing to our pasha being
held in such disrepute both by the Turks and Christians, and it being
generally considered that there is practically no government, the Turks
have everything their own way.
I beg, in view of these considerations, our community have no confidence
in applying to the pasha for justice. They have a firman from the pasha to build. Soon the winter will be upon
them, and they will be without not only a school-house, but also a place
of worship (they having surrendered their chapel in which they have
worshiped for seventeen years past to be converted into a school
building), to say nothing of the great injury that the incompleted
building will sustain exposed to the weather in the winter.
Furthermore, they have a firman for building a new
church, and they hoped to lay the foundation this year; but I am now
told that the mussulman community are concocting plans to prevent this
firman from being carried out.
The building committee have held several meetings in their dilemma, to
which they invited me to be present, and they naturally look to me for
advice.
[Page 882]
This advice has been on my part for them to go on and build according to
their firmans until they are hindered even by
personal violence, and to take no notice of threats. But seeing the
present animus of these Koords, they consider such a course very
hazardous.
I ask what I should do in the premises. If there were an exhibition of
admonitory force to the extent of lifting up a little finger, the
opposers would retreat from their daring undertaking. As it is, we seem
to be altogether helpless, both our people as? community, as well as I
personally.
I pleading ask you, what shall I do?
I remain, yours sincerely,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 272.]
Mr. Wallace to
Aarifi Pasha.
United
States Legation,
Constantinople, September 6,
1883.
Highness: Referring to the cases of Mr. Knapp
and Dr. Reynolds, Americans attacked upon the highway, robbed, and left
for dead by Koords in the neighborhood of Bitlis, it is with the
greatest regret that I find it necessary to renew my demands heretofore
presented upon the subject. My regret, I beg to say, is heightened by
consideration of the failure of the orders you were good enough to issue
in behalf of the Sublime Porte for the apprehension and punishment of
the offenders. The goods and money taken from the American gentlemen
have been restored but in small part, while the robbers are at large. Of
course I cannot know what reports have been received by your highness
touching the affair, still I think you will excuse me for saying that
the facts are as I here state them, and for adding, with necessary
plainness, that the Sublime Porte cannot rely upon the governor to bring
the robbers to justice.
The information touching that official’s administration of his office is
from most credible sources, and justifies me in requesting and urging an
investigation of his official conduct; for bribery and corruption are
openly charged against him, and it is a common report in Bitlis that if
he is not actually confederated with the thieves, robbers, and lawless
Koords of the vilayet, he is at least overawed by them, and to such a
degree that good men of all nationalities and creeds are living in
constant fear, knowing it useless to approach him with petitions for
redress.
Now, your highness, I cannot assume to speak in behalf of the many good
Mussulmans who are thus misgoverned, or to ask redress for them, and I
do not; but I make certain of your seeing, and agreeing with me, that it
is my duty to call attention to the situation of my own countrymen who
live in Bitlis and the vilayet. They are in serious danger to life and
property, and share the general distrust of the governor to such extent
that they prefer to appeal through the legation to the Sublime Porte for
protection. There can be little doubt, in fact, that unless some good,
determined, fearless officer is sent to administer the affairs of the
province, you may look for news of riot and massacre of Christians any
day. I beg to repeat that the mischiefs there brewing cannot be too
speedily made a subject of vigorous inquiry and prevention.
I avail, &c.,
