It has been written me from the Department of State at Washington, D. C., that instructions were given about my affair, of which you have heard, no doubt, for three months have passed since the sad but accidental event which still keeps me away from my business and interests. At first I asked the protection of the United States consul in Smyrna, Mr. James H. Madden, a gentleman of great civility and devotion to duty, who, indeed, does honor to the position he occupies. From the petition which I first gave to Mr. Madden you doubtless know that on my return from America I had brought several agricultural machines. After that unforeseen event I was obliged to leave them by the banks of the Meander River, exposed to the changes of the weather and the mischievousness of ignorant peasants of the district. Besides, I was requested by the authorities there, of Nazili, to have this question of my citizenship settled. This affair, however, so long protracted, has caused me much loss, and will continue to do so, for the machines can not be used any more this season, after I make so many preparations and so many expenses to get them there. This delay and second long absence from the place whence I had so long before been away, and where such great interests of mine demand my being there, will not only cause me a heavy loss, but, if a little more protracted, will ruin me. There is no other question now but that of my citizenship, because I have settled everything in money with the Jewish boy's father, having gotten a regular receipt, signed by the father, mother, and grandfather of the child and some other witnesses, saying that they will refrain from any lawsuit. They thus recognize that the event was totally accidental, and was the result of the boy's own carelessness, and say that no one else is responsible for the accident. I will send you a copy of this receipt and one also to Mr. Madden. I beg of you to do all you can in my behalf, giving me thus your valu able protection; that orders be given to the examining magistrate of Nazili that he may postpone his demands for the time being, at least, and let me regulate my business there. I have to take and keep my machine in a safe place and attend to my other interests, which day by day are getting more and more hurt. This delay, I beg will be granted until the question of my citizenship is finally settled. For in connection with the accident with the Jewish boy, I am always ready to follow your orders, and be wherever you might consider good to show me, just as I mentioned this in my first petition to Consul J. H. Madden. Hoping that you have already considered and given favorable reports about my case, and this will be the object of your immediate interest and attention. I remain, etc., Mr. Gresham to Mr. Terrell. S. A. SEFERIADES. No. 222.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your No. 283 of the 9th instant, in regard to the case of Socrates Seferiades, has been received. You report that Seferiades has settled his difficulties with the kindred of the boy who was killed, and you inclose a memorandum of an interview which you had, on August 7, with the grand vizier and minister for foreign affairs on the general subject of expatriation of Turkish subjects, from which it appears that Turkey claims the right to punish, by expulsion or exclusion from the Ottoman Empire, any of its natives who were naturalized by another Government without the Sultan's consent, and that the naturalization of an Ottoman subject, no matter of what race, is regarded as an offense in itself for which the Porte claims the right to punish him. This Government, while abundantly showing its disposition to respect the sovereign rights of Turkey in regard to the exclusion or expulsion of objectionable aliens, as aliens, has repeatedly made its position known touching any possible claim of Turkey to punish its former subjects on the ground of their having embraced American citizenship under the due operation of our laws. Such a pretension will not be acquiesced in, and you will earnestly contest it should it be seriously put forward. I am, etc., W. Q. GRESHAM. No. 433.] Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, February 17, 1895. (Received March 8.) SIR: I have secured through an unofficial request the recognition by iradé of the acquired nationality of Socrates Seferiades, about whom there was so much trouble. He is a native Greek and a gentleman. He failed to inform me of facts regarding his business connection with American industries, which, if known at first, would have caused me to recognize his citizenship. The iradé relieves me, and will exempt him from molestation. I have, etc., A. W. TERRELL. MARSOVAN COLLEGE. (See Foreign Relations, 1893, pp. 593, 597, 598, 603, 604, 606, 608, 617, 618, 620, 624, 625, 626, 627, 630, 631, 632, 633, 635, 641, 651, 665, 669, 672, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 689, 691, 694, 700.] No. 287.] Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, August 17, 1894. (Received August 30.) SIR: Though a month has passed since my return to this post, the Sultan of Turkey has not redeemed his promise to me to issue the iradé "for Marsovan College during my absence to America or soon after my return." The excuse that armed sedition is in Armenia no longer exists. Your telegram to my predecessor, on April 12, 1893, instructed him to demand that the "school be granted a license and full protection," etc. That protection can be afforded here only by "an iradé." The Porte so understood it, and, so understanding, promised it to Mr. Thompson. I have, etc., A. W. TERRELL. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Terrell. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 31, 1894. I have received your dispatch, No. 287. This Government thinks it has a right to expect full compliance with promise to issue iradé to Marsovan College. Delay incomprehensible. PROTECTION TO TURKISH SUBJECTS TEACHING IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS. Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] CONSTANTINOPLE, September 8, 1894. Native Armenian teachers in American college, Aintab, have been arrested as implicated in sedition. No American consul within nine hours. Ottoman Government agrees no search of college shall be made in absence of consul. Missionaries here think arrested men are Ottoman subjects. They telegraphed home, but know only what I have told them as above. They fear systematic effort to destroy missionary schools by arresting native teachers. I will, if necessary, send Mr. Riddle to Aintab. To what extent shall I go for the protection of subjects of Turkey engaged in teaching in American schools? TERRELL. No. 300.1 ntino Mr. Terrell to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Constantinople, September 11, 1894. (Received September 27.) SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have received from the grand vizier, through his secretary, a verbal message, notifying me of the arrest of native teachers in the American schools at Aintab and Marash as suspected of being seditious. The verbal message having been reduced to writing, a copy is inclosed. I thereupon telegraphed you on the 8th instant, after an interview with the grand vizier, that no search would be made of the schools in the absence of a consul; that the missionaries feared a systematic effort to destroy in this way the missionary schools, and that I would send Mr. Riddle to Aintab if necessary. A copy of this telegram is inclosed. I learn from Dr. H. O. Dwight that only two of the accused parties (Bezdjian and Levonian) are in fact connected with American schools, and that both of them are Ottoman subjects, though the former is a graduate of Yale College. These arrests, made at a time when there is no armed sedition in Asia Minor, and coupled with the earnest regret expressed to me by the grand vizier that Armenian teachers are employed in the American schools, are suggestive of the methods adopted to destroy the college at Marsovan. Certainly no more effective method could be devised by them than to arrest the native Armenian teachers if they desire the destruction of missionary schools. I find neither in treaties nor capitulations any formal rule by which I can interpose as matter of right to prevent the capricious arrest and imprisonment of Turkish subjects employed by American teachers. And yet when much money has been expended and houses built, after the Turks have for years permitted the employment of natives as teachers, justice would seem to require that I should have some right to prevent the destruction of American interests by their being capriciously arrested and imprisoned. To permit it would mean the departure of the missionaries from Turkey and the sacrifice of property values. I have, therefore, informed the Porte, in effect, that I claimed the right to be informed of the facts on which arrests of native teachers in American schools are based, and to judge if a prima facie case of guilt is established before bail can be refused. A copy of my note is inclosed for your information. I will not press this claim beyond the bounds of prudence at present, but await your instructions. # * Dr. Dwight, the chief representative here of missionary interests, insists that Article III of the treaty of 1830 vests in me the right to protect all Turkish subjects who are employed by Americans as teachers, and that an opinion of Caleb Cushing once given sustains him. * * * My failure to assume some right to protect the native and recently (since 1869) naturalized American teachers in missionary schools would mean, in my opinion, the speedy arrest and prosecution or expulsion of that class. This the missionary leaders assert would destroy missionary work in Turkey. * A letter has been received from Dr. Dwight, of the Bible House here, asking me to intervene and demand as a right that no Turkish employé in an American school should be arrested except with my consent or that of a consul. His letter and my answer are inclosed for your information. While I write, your telegram acknowledging receipt of my own concerning Marash and Aintab arrests of Turkish subjects employed by missionaries has been received. I have, etc., [Inclosure 1 in No. 300.] A. W. TERRELL. Verbal message from the grand vizier. The governor of Djebel-Bereket informs me that in consequence of the seditious papers discovered in the house of a Vasloumian in the village of Hakkiar, in the circuit of Hassa, who is known as being a member of the Armenian revolutionary committee, Serkis Levonian, domiciled in the quarter Cassalmaz at Aintab; Agob Bulbulian, religious president of the College of Aintab; and Hampartzoun Elmadjian, domiciliated at Aintab, and Alexan Bezdjian, chief teacher of the said college; and at Marash, Baron Simbat Caprelian, of Zeitoun, being implicated in the matter, they have been summoned and were taken under escort to Djebel-Bereket, and searches for compromising papers have been ordered. The vali of Adana has demanded also for the details of this matter. It is true that these people are Ottoman subjects, but as the college is placed under American supervision the vali asks the grand vizier as to the procedure toward those who belong to that college. [Inclosure 2 in No. 300.1 Mr. Terrell to the grand vizier. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, YOUR HIGHNESS: I have the honor to inform your highness that the teachers employed in the colleges at Aintab and Marash, whom you named in my last interview with your highness, have been for a long time employed as teachers in those American schools with the knowledge and consent of the Ottoman authorities. Their presence is necessary to the success of educational work in the colleges where they are employed, and no matter what may be their nationality their arrest can only be justified when a prima facie case of guilt is shown. Any other rule would destroy the schools and be opposed to justice. I therefore ask that the evidence on which they are arrested shall be submitted to me, that I may judge if there is a case of prima facie crime. I ask a teskereh for Mr. Riddle to go to these schools and to any other point the business may require, that he may examine the compromising facts discovered and report to me by telegraph. I also ask that if there are no facts discovered and the arrest of the professors rests on suspicion only, that they be released on sufficient bail to pursue their teaching in the schools until they can be tried. Receive, etc., A. W. TERRELL. [Inclosure 3 in No. 300.] Mr. Dwight to Mr. Terrell. CONSTANTINOPLE, September 6, 1894. DEAR SIR: In view of the reported arrest of professors connected with the educational institutions of the American board at Aintab and Marash, I am asked by my associates of the American mission to beg your consideration of the following statement: The arrests made in different parts of the Ottoman Empire during the past two years of individuals charged with sedition have been based, in a great number of cases, upon the merest suspicion, often upon personal grudge or prejudice, and sometimes upon the desire for gain on the part of petty officials. The searches of houses made in this connection have been made very frequently in the hope of chancing to find something which may be twisted into a justification of the act. Moreover such searches are made to excuse for seizing all books, all letters, all written or printed matter of any kind which may be found in the house. These are carried off and rarely returned to the owners. As a result of such searches in numbers of cases, men against whom no other ground of charge could be found have been charged with treasonable conspiracy on the ground of the possession of books freely allowed circulation in the past and acquired at that time, or on the ground of passages in letters, dated |