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Legation of the United States Constantinople Febry 15 1895
To the Honorable Walter Q. Gresham, Secretary of State - Washington, D.C.
Sir.
At this semi-barbaric court where so much depends on ceremonials, I have the honor to inform you of an embarassing condition of things, affecting myself.
The European idea that Ambassadors must in all things take precedence of Ministers, because of the ˆ fact that fact idea that they represent the person of the Sovereign, ex- ists here in full force. So that, if I have waited for an hour in the ante-room for an audience, until another has -
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finished his business, and then if ˆ the Persian Am- bassador arrives at the moment when I am to be ushered in, he takes precedence and enters; and so it may continue as long as Ambassadors arrive -- Bismark disregarded this rule, and received the representative of each sovereignty in the order of his arrival. I am told that this rule exists also does not obtain in England, and confess that I do not know what rule prevails at Washington. The
The theory on which ˆ this rule of precedence it is based when applied to the representative of a Republic, (who cannot represent the person of a Sovereign), is without force. Here it is carried so far that ˆ a separate one saloon is assigned to Ministers at the Selemlak Ceremony; they must occupy it unless an Ambassador attends, who is ushered into a loftier and more
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elegantly furnished room, into which the attending Ministers are then, -- and then only, invited.
The importance attached to precedence in rank or service at a dinner table is a matter of small moment; but it would be come a serious matter if guests in the seats of honor are sumptuously served, and those at lower seats neglected, or furnished with inferior diet. This analogy exists as applicable to the attendance at Selamlik.
So, it seems to me that the representative of a free country is hardly maintaining the dignity of its institutions, by sitting like Mordeaki at the Kings gate, while one by one the representatives of other powers pass and take precedence of him ˆ simply because they are the Ambassadors of Sovereigns + Kings and Empers {sic: "Emperors"?}, and represent their persons
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To avoid this unpleasant condition of affairs, I have until recently been permitted to visit the Porte on days not designated, as those whenˆon which foreign representatives couldˆmay be received. But now the Ambassadors go on every day in the week, and yesterday my humiliation was extreme when after waiting for an hour on the British Ambassador, the Austrian came just as I was about to be received. It was late, + so I passed out through the retinue of Officers who guarded the Porte, each knowing that the United States must defer to Austria
I do not ask that this this shall be remedied by by creating me an Ambassador. There are reasons why I think that if it were done I would ask to be recalled. But if we are not hampered by having adopted this arbitrary and unjust
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rule in the United States, I would be glad if you would authorize me to demand that I be received in the order of my arrival, at the Porte , and if Turkey cannot do this, then to announce that my wishes will be conveyed to the Porte when verbally expressed, by my Dragoman; when in writing, through him; and when a verbal communication by myself in person is nes- cessary {sic}, then at some place and in at some hour when Ambassadors will not {inserted later between this line and the next, in smaller script that runs down the side of the page: "¶ I present the question from the stand point of business. Ours is as important / to our people as that of other representatives to theirs; and it seems to me should not be postponed in deference to the gewgaws and trappings of an Ambassadors rank"} interfere. I think I will correct the partiality shown Ambassadors at the Selimlik ceremony through the Sultan himself. The other I will endure until I can hear your opino(?) receive your answer to this
I have the honor to remain, Your Obedient Servant, A.W. Terrell,