Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
While none of our citizens in Turkey have thus far been killed or
wounded, though often in the midst of dreadful scenes of danger, their
safety in the future is by no means assured. Our Government at home and
our minister at Constantinople have left nothing undone to protect our
missionaries in Ottoman territory, who constitute nearly all the
individuals residing there who have a right to claim our protection on
the score of American citizenship. Our efforts in this direction will
not be relaxed; but the deep feeling and sympathy that have been
aroused among our people ought not to so far blind their reason and
judgment as to lead them to demand impossible things. The outbreaks of
the blind fury which lead to murder and pillage in Turkey occur
suddenly and without notice, and an attempt on our part to force such a
hostile presence there as might be effective for prevention or
protection would not only be resisted by the Ottoman Government, but
would be regarded as an interruption of their plans by the great
nations who assert their exclusive right to intervene in their own time
and method for the security of life and property in Turkey.
Several naval vessels are stationed in the Mediterranean as a measure
of caution and to furnish all possible relief and refuge in case of
emergency.
We have made claims against the Turkish Government for the pillage and
destruction of missionary property at Harpoot and Marash during
uprisings at those places. Thus far the validity of these demands has
not been admitted, though our minister, prior to such outrages and in
anticipation of danger, demanded protection for the persons and
property of our missionary citizens in the localities mentioned and
notwithstanding that strong evidence exists of actual complicity of
Turkish soldiers in the work of destruction and robbery.
The facts as they now appear do not permit us to doubt the justice of
these claims, and nothing will be omitted to bring about their prompt
settlement.
A number of Armenian refugees having arrived at our ports, an order has
lately been obtained from the Turkish Government permitting the wives
and children of such refugees to join them here. It is hoped that
hereafter no obstacle will be interposed to prevent the escape of all
those who seek to avoid the perils which threaten them in Turkish
dominions.
Our recently appointed consul to Erzerum is at his post and discharging
the duties of his office, though for some unaccountable reason his
formal exequatur from the Sultan has not been issued.
I do not believe that the present somber prospect in Turkey will be
long permitted to offend the sight of Christendom. It so mars the
humane and enlightened civilization that belongs to the close of the
nineteenth century that it seems hardly possible that the earnest
demand of good people throughout the Christian world for its corrective
treatment will remain unanswered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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