=Source.=--_The Political Life of George Canning_, by A. G.
Stapleton. London, 1831. Vol. III. p. 286.
The treaty was signed on the 6th of July, 1827, by Prince Lieven,
Lord Dudley, and Prince Polignac.
In execution of this treaty instructions were sent in common
to the Representatives of the three Powers at Constantinople,
directing them to present a joint declaration to the Divan;
stating that their respective Governments had for six years been
exerting themselves to induce the Porte to restore tranquillity
to Greece; that these efforts had been useless, and that a war of
extermination had been prolonged, of which the results were on the
one hand shocking to humanity, while on the other they inflicted
intolerable injuries on the commerce of all nations. That on
these accounts it was no longer possible to admit that the fate
of Greece, concerned exclusively the Ottoman Porte, and that the
Courts of London, of Paris, and St. Petersburgh, therefore, felt
it to be their duty to regulate by a special treaty the line of
conduct which they had resolved to follow. That they offered their
mediation between the Sublime Porte and the Greeks to put an end to
the war, and to settle by an amicable negotiation the relations,
which ought for the future to exist between them.
That for the purpose of facilitating the success of the mediation,
they proposed to the Sublime Porte to suspend by an armistice
all acts of hostility towards the Greeks, to whom a similar and
simultaneous proposition was to be addressed.
Lastly, that before the end of a month, the Ottoman Porte must make
known its definite determination.
That it was hoped that that determination would be in conformity
with the wishes of the allied courts; but if the Porte refused to
comply with the request, or returned an evasive and insufficient
answer, or even maintained a complete silence, the allied courts
would be compelled to have recourse to the measures which they
should think most likely to be efficacious to put an end to a
state of things, incompatible with the true interests of the Porte,
with the security of the commerce, and the assured tranquillity of
Europe.
In the event of no answer, an evasive answer, or a refusal on
the part of the Porte, before a month had elapsed, the Divan was
to be informed that the Allied Courts would interfere themselves
to establish an armistice; but that, in the execution of this
resolution, they were far from wishing to put an end to their
friendly relations with the Porte.
The result of these representations was forthwith to be reported to
the Admirals, commanding the several fleets of the Allies, who were
instructed to make a similar requisition for an armistice, to the
Greek Government; and in the event of either that Government, or
the Porte refusing, or delaying, to consent to the establishment of
an armistice, coercive measures were to be taken to enforce it.
If the Porte should be the refusing party (for after the
propositions made by the Greeks there was little chance of their
not consenting to the armistice), the Allied Squadrons were to
unite, and the Admirals were to enter into friendly relations with
the Greeks on the one hand, and on the other, to intercept all
ships, freighted with men and arms, destined to act against the
Greeks, whether coming from Turkey, or from the coast of Africa.
But whatever measures they might adopt towards the Ottoman navy,
the three Admirals were especially instructed to take extreme care
(_soin extrême_) that they should not degenerate into hostilities.
The fixed intention of the three Powers was to interpose as
conciliators (_conciliatrices_), and any hostile step would be
contrary to the pacifick character, which they were desirous of
assuming.
The settlement of this treaty, and of these instructions to the
representatives of the three Courts, at Constantinople, and to the
commanders of the Allied Squadron, were Mr. Canning's last acts on
the subject of Greek affairs.