To our Legation in Constantinople.
Our thanks are due to our genial minister, Hon. A.W. Terrell, his accomplished secretary, and chargé d’affairs, J.W. Riddle, his interpreter and dragoman, Gargiulo; our Consul General, Luther Short, Esq.; the consular interpreter, Demetriades, from every one of whom we received unremitting care and attention during all the months of our residence at Constantinople, and without which aid we could not have succeeded in our work. There was not an hour that their free service was not placed at our command. Through them all governmental business was transacted. The day was never too long nor the night too short for any active help they could render; I only hope that our diplomatic service at all courts is as faithfully and cheerfully rendered as at Constantinople. In this connection I desire to make special mention of the assistance of United States Consul, Dr. Milo A. Jewett, at Sivas, and Consular Agent, Daniel Walker, at Alexandretta.
Both personally and officially I believe the record of Minister Terrell will sustain him. While firm and direct of speech he is a man of uncommon courtesy, abounding in the old time hospitality of his native state, Virginia. If at the close of his official term, he shall be able to report that through all the months—nay, years—of unheard-of troubles, dangers and deaths in the country to which he was assigned, while some hundreds of his fellow citizens were constantly and peculiarly exposed to these dangers, that with no direct governmental aid or authority, without even a ship of his own country in port, that no life in his charge has been lost, and that only such dangers, hardships and losses as were incident to the terrible transactions about them had been inflicted upon them, we will, I trust, look calmly at the results, and decide that if this were not diplomacy, it was a very good substitute.