The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-28
IN OLD JERUSALEM.
American Citizens Who Protest
Against Injustice.

New York, Dec. PA letter to the
New York Times postmarked Jerusa-
lem, Dec S, 1896, which was delivered
yesterday, contained the report of
meeting held on Nov. 80, by citizens
of the United States living in Jerusa-
lem to take action in protest against
an order revoking certain privileges of
protection enjoyed under the prestige of
United States citizenship.
The meeting formulated an address,
and instructed a committee to forward
it to President Cleveland. The address
begins:
"At this moment, when this nation
(TurkeyC is shaking with apprehension
of civil discord and war, and when we
scarcely know what to look for on the
coming day. the situation of the United
States citizens resident here is made
extremely perilous by the untimely or
ders issued to cur diplomatic officers
to withhold all government protection
from those whom they may reasona bly,
suspect of not having the intention OF
returning to the United States.
Our government must certainly
know that independent of such an or
der the status of the United States
citizens in Turkey, although based
upon the rights, privileges and immu-
mites granted them by treaty, is al
ready non sisti potest. We, therefore,
protest against the application of this
order" 1
The reasons for the. protest are
summed up in five sections. The first
says that the rights granted by the
treaty to reside and own real estate in
Jerusalem are not limited in time, and
that those the order specially affects
are the multitude of poor, aged He
brews who have settled there to spend
their days in the land of their fore.
fathers.
The second is that it cannot be shown
that the loyalty of American citizens
has in any degree diminished by rea-
son of their absence from their native
or adopted country.
Section three in full states: while
residing in the sultan's dominions, they
enjoy the privileges of the extra terri
torlal jurisdiction OF the United States,
are subject to its laws and amenable
to its tribunal alone. The refusal of
the government to grant protection to
those who have never renowned their
allegiance, or to enforce treaty rights
on their behalf, is branding them with
the mark OF Cain, so that all who
meet them may STAY them"
In addition it is declared that the
order is equivalent to an act of ex-
patriation, a power never granted by
the constitution nor by any act of con-
gress to be exercised by any officers
over their fellow citizens.
The section says that the promulga
ton of the order at the present time of
danger is most impolitic and cruel,
and has added fuel to the increasing
hostility manifested toward all for
eigners and especially to Americans.
Section 5 reads: THE protection
which our consuls have been able for
some years to grant to US has been
more nominal than real. Redress for
offenses committed by natives against
United States citizens sought through
our consulate from the native court is,
in most instances. treated with dis
dain, and those referred to the authori-
ties at Constantinople are consigned to
some place whence there is no return.
Consequently grea:. wrongs from which
many of us are entirely innocent of
offenses. are suffering wrongs which
not only affect our rights, but in some
cases involve thousands of dollars, re-
main unredressed. Therefore, until
these wrongs are righted and our just
claims enforced, many of us are COM
PEELED to remain, however earnestly we
may wish to return to our native
land
In conclusion, the protestants say,
among other things:
I'VE consider. therefore, THIS order
was issued in contravention to existing
treaties, and that it expatriates loyal
citizens, and that the declarations
therein, that the fact of a person own
ing real estate here is to be taken as
prima facie evi3ence of an intention
never to return to the United States,
is an assumption warranted neither by
law nor reason, since some of us who
never expected or desired TO own one
foot of land in this country were COM
PEELED to accept land in lieu of our
claims from banks recently declared
bankrupt, and will have to retain Sos-
session of it until such time as we may
be able to dispose of it.
The laws governing United States
citizens domiciled in Turkey and in
semi-ciyilized and barbarous countries
differ most essentially from those which
govern our countrymen in Christian
countries. We are here within the extra
territorial jurisdiction of the United
States, and subject TO it's authority
alone. Such authority over its citizens
never was and is not exercised by the
United States in any country in
Europe.
I'VE therefore contend that this or
der is in contravention to law, and is
not applicable to us while the existing
treaty between the United States and
the sultan remains in force.