Charles Hale to William H. Seward, November 25, 1867

Mr. Hale to Mr. Seward

Sir : In my despatch No. 95, under date of 27th June last, brief allusion was made to the reported ill treatment of some of the native Coptic converts of the American missionaries in Egypt, a matter which has engaged my serious attention during nearly the whole of the time left at my disposal during the last summer.

There have been two principal cases of complaint on this score. The former was that of a Coptic teacher named Besh-et-ly, who, it was alleged, had been forcibly expelled from the village of Ekmim, in the month of May last, at the instance of the Coptic Patriarch, supported, as was alleged, by the Egyptian government.

Ragheb Pacha, at that time minister of foreign affairs, however, in several interviews, and finally in the written note under date of 5th June, of which a translation is hereto annexed, marked B, disavowed most emphatically the complicity of the government in these proceedings.

Besh-et-ly returned soon afterwards to the village of Ekmim, and has remained there pursuing his teaching of Protestant Christianity without molestation or hindrance on the part of any persons whatever.

Apprehensions, however, were entertained on the part of the missionaries of a repetition of annoyance to their converts among the native Coptic population of Egypt, and I accordingly continued to press the subject upon the attention of the government, in the hope of obtaining some result which should wholly remove all ground for such apprehension. Ragheb Pacha, having accompanied the viceroy in his excursion to Europe, was succeeded in the foreign office by Cherif Pacha, from whom I received on this subject, under date of the 17th of July, the note of which a translation is hereto annexed, marked C.

On the return of the viceroy to Egypt, Zoulfikar Pacha was named minister of foreign affairs; and shortly afterwards the second principal case of complaint arose, in the summary deportation, on or about 29th September, of an old man named Earn Stefanos, an early convert of the American missionaries, together with two of his relations, from their home near Ghous, in order to carry them, as it was believed, to the White Nile, where they would soon die. This was certainly done by officials of the Egyptian government, and, as was believed, at the instigation of the Coptic Patriarch.

Under the circumstances I felt myself justified, on the formal request of the American missionaries, in expressing myself in strong terms to Zoulfikar Pacha on this subject, first by telegram and afterwards in two notes, of which the latter was despatched from Alexandria on the 10th October. No direct answer was returned to either of these communications; but on proceeding to Cairo for the purpose of asking explanations, I was gratified to receive, immediately on my arrival, 12th instant, from Mustafa Aga, United States consular agent at Luxor, a report of which a translation is hereto annexed, marked D, announcing the return of Fam Stefanos and his companions to their homes; this release from confinement having occurred about the 26th October.

In an interview with Zoulfikar Pacha, I found that minister not disposed to talk much of this particular case, with the circumstances of which he said Ragheb Pacha was more familiar, but he renewed with emphasis the expression of the wish of his government to adhere to its avowed policy of religious toleration, and to make good its welcome to the American missionaries; and he said he would take the orders of his Highness with regard to any proposition that might be made for the purpose of removing difficulties or complaints in the matter.

Before taking further steps, however, I have deemed it proper to make the present report. In the former case of Besh-et-ly, the missionaries, by their written note to me, of which a copy is annexed, marked A, proposed that five demands should be made to the Egyptian government. Referring to their letter itself for the exact detail, these five demands are here briefly recapitulated as follows: (1.) The return of Besh-et-ly to Ekmim. (2.) The punishment of 89 persons, being nearly the whole population of that village. (3.) The appointment of a joint commission to be composed of an equal number of members appointed by the Egyptian government and by the American consulate general, “with full authority to examine witnesses wherever found and issue judgment according to the merits of the case ;” that is to say, a tribunal partly composed of a representative or representatives of the American government, to try native subjects of the Egyptian government for alleged offences against the principles of religious toleration proclaimed by the Egyptian government. (4.) A money indemnity to be paid by the Egyptian government equal to the expense of maintaining the American mission in Upper Egypt, 300 pounds sterling per month. (5.) The appointment, under certain circumstances, of an American consular agent “in every town in Egypt likely to be visited by American citizens, (that is, by the missionaries or any of them,) or in which there are American interests to be looked after ;” that is, where there may reside one or more native converts of the American missionaries.

These proposals were regarded as unnecessarily severe in the case of Besh-et-ly, and, as has already been stated, that particular case was regarded as substantially finished when, the Egyptian government having disavowed all part in his expulsion from the village of Ekmim, he did, in point of fact, return to that village and resume his residence and teachings, without molestation. The same proposals, mutatis mutandis, are nevertheless now suggested by the missionaries as proper to be urged on the Egyptian government as a sequel to the case of Fam Stefanos, notwithstanding he has been returned to his home inconsequence, as there is every reason to believe, of the representations made to the Egyptian government at the instance of the American missionaries.

The matter is respectfully submitted without further remark.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,