Francis to Mr. Mélétopoulo, June 23, 1872

Mr. Francis to Mr. Mélétopoulo.

My Dear Sir: Your esteemed favor of last evening is before me. I hasten to make reply, so as to disabuse your own and the mind of the prime minister of what seems to be an erroneous impression respecting the publication of the false reports in American newspapers about sending Greek criminals to America. These reports were not first published in America. 1. The detailed article, giving names of prisoners, their crimes, and terms of imprisonment to which they had been sentenced, and their alleged embarkation at Corfu for the United States on the 24th of April, appeared originally in the Ancona (Italy) Journal. It is so specific in its statements that, very naturally, it would be accepted in America as veritable, at least in substance, and it was copied into the New York Times and probably other American journals as a matter of news, 2. Besides this, I learn from a paragraph in the Washington Republican that a cable dispatch was sent to the American newspapers announcing the same thing. These statements, so positively set forth, would naturally be accepted as having foundation in truth, and hence they created attention and, no doubt, much surprise in the United States.

I am exceedingly gratified to learn that the story is altogether a fabrication, but it is unjust to lay the blame for its invention and circulation to the American press. As I have pointed out, it had its origin in Europe. I can assure you that, though entirely free, and, as is to be expected, sometimes hasty and inconsiderate in its utterances, the newspaper press of the United States is not reckless nor licentious. Least of all does it sympathize with efforts to slander and bring into contempt by persistent calumny a brave and friendly people and government. It has shown itself to be their friend in the past; it has never failed to give expression to the popular feeling of sympathy in the United States for weak and struggling nationalities that are striving for good government, and endeavoring to overcome the obstacles of enmity and prejudice that impede their progress.

I say so much as this for your information and to remove false and entirely unjust impressions toward American newspapers, impressions which I am sorry to see a prominent Greek newspaper, the Age, endeavoring to fasten upon the public mind by a long and very untruthful editorial in its last issue. _ With sentiments of sincere esteem, faithfully yours,