Part 5 (1/2)

_Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received December_ 24.)

(Extract.) _Constantinople, December_ l, 1843.

Having sounded Rifaat Pasha as to his intention of answering the representations of the Five Powers concerning the late religious execution, I was told by his Excellency that, although the Porte wished to avoid any recurrence of that atrocity, yet, as such executions, divested of the objectionable forms which accompanied the Armenian's death, were obligatory under the law considered by Mahomedans divine, and might be forced incidentally upon the Government, it would be embarra.s.sing to give an official declaration to that effect. Some ostensible record of the Porte's intention to avoid religious exeutions [sic] in future would, I humbly conceive, be satisfactory to Her Majesty's Government, and it would not perhaps be impossible to frame a reply, which might convey the required security without coming into collision with the Mussulman faith. There is reason otherwise to apprehend that the advantage now obtained will be of very short duration.

P.S.--There is reason to fear that another religious execution has recently taken place in the Pashalic of Brussa.

No. 13.

_Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received January_ 5, 1844.)

(Extract.) _Buyukdere, December_ 17, 1843.

I have the honour to state, and I do so with much concern, that the rumour, which has for some time prevailed, of another execution, similar to that of the Armenian youth, having taken place by order of the Porte, is now confirmed. The statements inclosed herewith describe the circ.u.mstances as far they are known. One of them is an extract of a despatch addressed to me by Her Majesty's Consul at Brussa, which is at no great distance from Biligik where the Greek was executed. The other was communicated to me by one of my diplomatic colleagues.

Rifaat Pasha in conversing with me some time ago alluded to this execution, of which I had then scarcely heard the rumour, and he spoke of it as a kind of accident, which had occurred prior to the late remonstrances respecting the Armenian, and which was not to be taken in proof of an objectionable policy at the Porte. With a variation of terms, and in some degree of facts also, he has offered the same kind of vague excuse to others, and I believe in particular to the Internuncio.

I presume that your Lords.h.i.+p would not approve of such an occurrence being thrown into oblivion without an attempt at explanation, and I am persuaded that any backwardness under such circ.u.mstances would only serve to confirm the Porte in her present infatuated course of policy. I have, therefore, communicated upon the subject with my colleagues of Austria, France, Russia, and Prussia, and finding them all substantially of the same mind, I have drawn up the instruction of which a copy is here inclosed, and sent it to Rifaat Pasha by M.

Pisani. Similar instructions were sent in by the others, though neither collectively, nor simultaneously, and perhaps not in writing by the Austrian and Russian Ministers.

Your Lords.h.i.+p will observe that we ask for a distinct a.s.surance from the Porte that measures shall be taken to prevent the recurrence of such revolting punishments in future. In proposing to make this demand I had in view the corresponding pa.s.sage in your Lords.h.i.+p's instruction, communicated to Rifaat Pasha, and I thought to satisfy M. de Bourqueney, who had presented an official note in the former instance and applied for an answer, without exceeding the limits which my other colleagues were prepared to observe. Their joint acceptance of the suggestion, and their engagements to make the same demand, induce me to hope that the Porte's reply will prove satisfactory, though I cannot yet speak with confidence in that respect.

Inclosure I in No. 13.

_Mr. Consul Sandison to Sir Stratford Canning_.

(Extract.) _Brussa, December_ 9, 1843.

A fresh instance, I learn, has unfortunately occurred about a week ago of the sanguinary spirit of the Turkish law and people against relapsed proselytes. A young Greek at Biligik in the adjoining district, who had become a Mussulman and returned to his own creed, has been put to death by hanging. He must have been a willing victim from what my informant states, as his profession of Islamism had been complete according to the usual rites.

P.S.--The execution of the Greek at Biligik took place, I further learn, after the return of an answer from the Turkish Government to a report on the case from the munic.i.p.ality of Biligik.

Inclosure 2 in No. 13.

_Extract of Letter communicated by M. de Cordoba to Sir Stratford Canning_.

_Constantinople_, 6 _Decembre_, 1843.

Un jeune Grec s'etait fait Turc dans un moment de mauvaise humeur; revenu a lui, il etait alle trouver un pretre et avait temoigne le desir de rentrer dans sa croyance. L'ecclesiastique, approuvant sa pensee, lui dit qu'il devait reparer sa faute en revenant publiquement sur son erreur. Le jeune homme, age de 22 ans, fit la chose comme elle lui etait ordonnee. Aussitot les autorites Turques s'emparent de lui et le mettent au secret: ceci se pa.s.se aux environs de Brousse. L'on rapporte le fait a Constantinople: ici, en depit des notes Francaise, Anglaise, &c., on tient conseil, et l'ordre est envoye de l'executer, et en effet il y a quatorze a quinze jours cet infortune a ete pendu publiquement a Biligik.

L'effet qui cet evenement a produit sur les habitans Turcs du lieu a ete tel que le Gouverneur a du prendre les plus grandes precautions pour empecher le ma.s.sacre de tous les habitans.

(Translation.)