Department
of State,
Washington, December 9,
1884.
No. 15.]
[Inclosure in No. 15.]
Mr. Smith to Mr.
Frelinghuysen.
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions,
Boston,
Mass., November 19,
1884. (Received November 19.)
Dear Sir: Permit me to call your attention to
one or two facts brought to my knowledge by a recent mail from Benguela,
West Africa.
You will recall from former letters of mine that the American
missionaries recently expelled from Bailunda and Bihé went to those
regions under the protection of the Portuguese authorities, both in
Lisbon and in Africa. The governor of Benguela saw and approved their
passports and took them under his protection. When the native King of
Bailunda, instigated by a Portuguese slave-trader, drove them out and
plundered them, the governor of Benguela promised them restitution of
property and redress of wrongs. This governor has since consulted his
superior, the governor-general at Loanda, and now informs these
Americans at Benguela that he has no authority in Bailunda, that he
sustains no official relations to the King of Bailunda, and that he can
do nothing in their case, except in so far as he receives authority from
the governor-general at Loanda. Accordingly, our missionaries have
carried their whole case to the governor-general, have recited the full
details of their coming to the country and of their expulsion, and have
asked justice and reparation at his hands in the name of their country,
of humanity, and of the treaty relations between the United States and
Portugal. Mr. R. S. Newton, United States vice-consul at Loanda, is
acting in behalf of the missionaries.
[Page 637]
In their letters to me, our men do not seem to feel much confidence that
any real justice will he done or any satisfactory reparation be made by
the Portuguese officials. They think that when her own interests are
concerned, Portugal has complete authority on that western coast of
Africa, but when she has no interest her authority is very meager and
very limited. I do not know that anything more can be done in behalf of
these Americans in Benguela than your excellency has already caused to
be done. It is of so much importance to the security of the work our
mission board is attempting there that the active friendliness of
Portugal should be secured; it is so needful to all enterprise,
commercial and geographical, that the native princes should be made to
respect the citizens of civilized nations, peaceably pursuing legitimate
business among them, that I am sure you will take any further steps in
the case which your own judgment shall decide to be wise and
needful.
Hoping that the claims of Portugal to exclusive authority in those parts
may be made to prove a reality for the benefit of these our
fellow-citizens, or that they may be definitely withdrawn, so that
something really effective from some other source may take their place,
and submitting the whole matter with most cheerful confidence to the
wisdom and decision of your excellency,
I am, &c.,
JUDSON SMITH,
Secretary American Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
