George D. Bayard to Smithers, May 4, 1885

Mr. Bayard to Mr. Smithers.

Sir: I have received Mr. Young’s dispatch No. 658, dated the 23d February, with inclosure, informing the Department that he had instructed the consul at Canton to recognize the right of John Frederick Pearson to American citizenship, and have given it my careful attention as well as Consul Sickels’ dispatch No. 135, of January 3, 1880, to the Department, and Mr. Payson’s approval of his course in this matter, of March 24, 1880.

I inclose you an opinion on the question by the law officer of the Department by which you will see that inasmuch as Pearson’s father was an American citizen, the nationality of his mother previous to marriage would make no difference in the son’s nationality, provided he was legitimate, unless the father was a citizen of one of the States which prohibit marriage with Chinese, of which there is no allegation in the present instance.

There appears to be no doubt of the son’s good faith, and in the previous correspondence Consul Sickels speaks of him when at Bangkok as a young man of good character, and very clearheaded and intelligent.

As regards his legitimacy, the best way to bring out the facts would be to require Mr. Pearson to apply for a passport through the consul at Canton, making an affidavit to the circumstances of his case as given in Consul Seymour’s No. 101, of January 24 last, and substantiating it with certificates of his birth and of his parents’ marriage at Shanghai, by Rev. Father Desaggrue, which you say appears on the records of the Catholic church. This will make a complete record of the case, one copy of which can remain on the files of your legation, and another may be sent to this Department.

I am, &c.,