Note:—The attitude of our Government with regard to the general question here involved has repeatedly been manifested through our State Department. On the occasion of the Mohammedan outrages against the Jews in 1840, and under date of August 19th of that year, Secretary of State John Forsyth addressed to our Minister to Turkey, David Porter, a dispatch as follows:
Sir: In common with the people of the United States, the President has learned with profound feelings of surprise and pain, the atrocious cruelties which have been practised upon the Jews of Damascus and Rhodes in consequence of charges, extravagant and strikingly similar to those, which in less enlightened ages, were made pretexts for the persecution and spoliation of these unfortunate people. As the scenes of these barbarities are in the Mohammedan dominions, and as such inhuman practises are not of infrequent occurrence in the East, the President has directed me to instruct you to do everything in your power with the Government of his Imperial Highness, the Sultan, to whom you are accredited, consistent with discretion and your diplomatic character, to prevent or mitigate these horrors, the bare recital of which has caused a shudder throughout the civilized world, and in an especial manner to direct your philanthropic efforts against the employment of torture in order to compel the confession of imputed guilt. The President is of opinion that from no one can such generous endeavors proceed with so much propriety and effect as from the Representative of a friendly power whose institutions, political and civil, place upon the same footing the worshipers of God, of every faith and form, acknowledging no distinction between the Mohammedan, the Jew and the Christian. Should you in carrying out these instructions find it necessary or proper to address yourself to any of the Turkish authorities, you will refer to this distinctive characteristic of our government, as investing with a peculiar propriety and right the interposition of your good offices in behalf of an oppressed and persecuted race among whose kindred are found some of the most worthy and patriotic of our citizens. In communicating to you the wishes of the President I do not think it advisable to give you more explicit and minute instructions, but earnestly commend to your zeal and discretion a subject which appeals so strongly to the universal sentiments of justice and humanity.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
J. Forsyth.
In 1870, when the persecution of the Roumanian Jews, which had been started in 1868, was growing from bad to worse, our government, at the instance of the Order of B'nai B'rith, (as noted on page [428]), established a diplomatic agency at Bucharest. On this occasion President Grant furnished Consul-General Peixotto with a special authorization, as follows:
Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C.,
December 8th, 1870.The bearer of this letter, Mr. Benjamin F. Peixotto, who has accepted the important, though unremunerative, position of United States Consul to Roumania, is commended to the good offices of all representatives of this Government abroad.
Mr. Peixotto has undertaken the duties of his present office more as a missionary work for the benefit of the people he represents than for any benefit to accrue to himself—a work in which all citizens will wish him the greatest success. The United States, knowing no distinction of her own citizens on account of religion or nativity, naturally believes in a civilization, the world over, which will secure the same universal views.
U. S. Grant.
President Grant's interest in the subject was furthermore evinced when, in 1871, at the earnest request of Hon. Simon Wolf, he called a special Cabinet meeting to consider the reported expulsion of the Jews of Russian Bessarabia. This meeting resulted in the sending of a cable dispatch to Minister Andrew G. Curtin at St. Petersburg, protesting against the ukase of banishment. The protest was heeded by the Czar and the ukase was rescinded.
As a further indication of the position taken by our Government in regard to the matter, we quote the following dispatch from Secretary of State Hamilton Fish to Consul General Peixotto:
Department of State,
Washington, D. C., April 10, 1872.Sir:—Among the large number of Israelites in this country there are probably few whose sympathies have not been intensely excited by the recent intelligence of the grievous persecutions of their co-religionists in Roumania. This feeling has naturally been augmented by the contrast presented by the position of members of that persuasion here, who are equals with all others before the law, which sternly forbids any oppression on account of religion. Indeed, it may be said that the people of this country universally abhor persecution anywhere for that cause, and deprecate the trials of which, according to your dispatches, the Israelites of Roumania have been victims.
This Government heartily sympathizes with the popular instinct upon the subject, and while it has no disposition or intention to give offence by interfering in the internal affairs of Roumania, it is deemed to be due to humanity to remonstrate against any license or impunity which may have attended the outrages in that country.
You are consequently authorized to address a note to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality in which you will embody the views herein expressed, and you will also do anything which you can do discreetly, with a reasonable prospect of success, toward preventing a recurrence or continuance of the persecutions adverted to.
I am, Sir, etc., etc.,
Hamilton Fish.