Part 8 (2/2)

(Signed) STRATFORD CANNING.

No. 26.

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Sir Stratford Canning_.

Sir, _Foreign Office, March_ 19, 1844.

I have received your Excellency's despatch of the 10th of February, giving an account of the manner in which you had executed the instruction of the 16th of January, which I addressed to your Excellency on receiving your report of the execution of a Greek near Brussa on the ground of his having renounced his profession of Islamism and returned to Christianity.

I have to acquaint you that Her Majesty's Government entirely approve of your having rested your communication to the Turkish Minister on the terms of my instruction, and of your having steadily referred his Excellency to that doc.u.ment, while replying in a considerate and conciliatory manner to the remarks which he addressed to you.

Nothing, indeed, can be further from the wish of Her Majesty's Government than that a communication which they have been compelled by a strong sense of duty, and, I may add, by a sincere regard for the welfare of Turkey, to make to the Porte, should be rendered more unpalatable than from its nature it was likely to be, by being conveyed in harsh or dictatorial terms; and they wish, if the question is still under discussion when this despatch reaches your Excellency's hands, that you should constantly bear in mind, that Her Majesty's Government, although they propose to abide by the general tenour of the communication which you have been directed to make to the Porte, have no desire, and would deeply regret, that the acquiescence of the Porte in the demand which they have addressed to it, should be attended with unnecessary pain to the feelings of the Turkish Government.

Her Majesty's Government are persuaded that if the Ministers of the Porte will dispa.s.sionately consider what has been desired of them, they will find that, without any real sacrifice of national or religious opinion, they may place themselves in harmony with the wishes and the feelings of the Christian Powers. Her Majesty's Government have not urged, and do not propose to urge, them to abrogate any law, divine or human, but merely to revert to the system which Her Majesty's Government believe to have been for some time past constantly acted upon, and to allow the law to remain practically dormant, and thus silently withdraw from a practice which cannot be enforced without rousing the feelings of Christendom, and rendering it impossible for the Turkish Government to retain the good-will of Christian Powers.

The Ministers of the Porte cannot, on calm reflection, suppose that if they deliberately deprive their Government of the moral or physical support of Christendom, the Turkish Empire can long be preserved from the destruction with which, from numerous causes, it is continually menaced; neither can they believe that, although the sentiments of the various Powers of Europe on the question to which the revival of an obsolete practice has now unfortunately given rise, may be conveyed to the Porte in terms more or less decided, there is any real and essential difference between the expectations and the intentions of all. All must yield to public opinion universally expressed; and the Porte may rest a.s.sured that Christian States will, with one accord, refuse to tolerate any longer a practice which, both in the principle on which it rests and the manner in which it is carried into execution, is designed to stigmatize the faith which they profess and cherish.

I am, &c.,

(Signed) ABERDEEN.

No. 27.

_Count Nesselrode to M. de t.i.tow_.--(_Communicated by Baron Brunnow to the Earl of Aberdeen_, March 19.)

_St. Petersbourg, le_ 15/27 _Fevrier_, 1844.

Je n'ai pas manque de prendre les ordres de l'Empereur sur le contenu de votre rapport No. 10, du 21 Janvier/2 Fevrier, par lequel vous nous avez rendu compte de la facheuse impression que la nouvelle execution religieuse qui a eu lieu a Biligik a produite a Constantinople.

Sa Majeste a voue une attention serieuse aux diverses considerations que vous nous avez exposees pour decider du plus ou moins d'opportunite qu'il y aurait pour les Puissances de l'Europe en general, et pour la Russie en particulier, a protester contre des actes de cruaute incompatibles avec les principes d'humanite dont la Porte devrait se montrer penetree a l'egard de ses sujets Chretiens.

D'une part, nous avons reconnu la difficutte, pour ne pas dire l'impossibilite, de decouvrir le moyen propre pour paralyser d'une maniere definitive les effets de la loi du Coran qui concerne les apostasies; d'autre part, nous ne saurions ne pas elever la voix, lorsqu'il s'agit de l'application de la peine de mort a des individus qui, en embra.s.sant le Christianisme, ou en retournant dans le sein de l'Eglise, invoquent notre protection, et nous imposent le devoir de les soustraire aux rigueurs d'une legislation barbare.

Dans un tel etat de choses, l'opinion que vous a communiquee M. le Comte de Sturmer, nous a paru celle qui offre le plus de chances de succes. Cette opinion est d'ailleurs conforme aux vues que j'ai ete dans le cas de vous developper sur la meme matiere dans une occasion precedente. Il est donc de l'intention de l'Empereur que vous declariez a la Porte Ottomane, sous la forme d'un conseil bienveillant, que nous nous attendons positivement a ne plus voir se renouveler des executions qui soulevent contre elle l'indignation de toute la Chretiente. C'est dans son propre interet que nous lui adressons cette demande. La Porte ne doit pas se faire illusion sur les elemens qui fermentent en Turquie. Au lieu de s'aliener les sentimens des populations Chretiennes, le Gouvernement Ottoman doit travailler plus que jamais, a se les concilier. Qu'il comprenne enfin la necessite de laisser tomber en desuetude des dispositions surannees de la loi Mahometane, qui ne peuvent etre maintenues qu'au mepris des representations unanimes de toutes les Puissances. Tel serait a peu pres le langage que vous auriez a tenir, Monsieur, a la Porte Ottomane, de concert avec les autres Representans, et nous esperons qu'en la rappelant ainsi a la conscience de ses devoirs et de ses interets reels, nous l'empecherons de retomber dans la voie vicieuse qu'elle a suivie en dernier lieu.

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