(Signed) ABERDEEN.
No. 27.
_Count Nesselrode to M. de Titow_.--(_Communicated by Baron Brunnow
to the Earl of Aberdeen_, March 19.)
_St. Pétersbourg, le_ 15/27 _Février_, 1844.
Je n'ai pas manqué de prendre les ordres de l'Empereur sur le
contenu de votre rapport No. 10, du 21 Janvier/2 Février, par lequel
vous nous avez rendu compte de la fâcheuse impression que la
nouvelle exécution religieuse qui a eu lieu à Biligik a produite à
Constantinople.
Sa Majesté a voué une attention sérieuse aux diverses considérations
que vous nous avez exposées pour décider du plus ou moins
d'opportunité qu'il y aurait pour les Puissances de l'Europe en
général, et pour la Russie en particulier, à protester contre des
actes de cruauté incompatibles avec les principes d'humanité dont la
Porte devrait se montrer pénétrée à l'égard de ses sujets Chrétiens.
D'une part, nous avons reconnu la difficutté, pour ne pas dire
l'impossibilité, de découvrir le moyen propre pour paralyser d'une
manière définitive les effets de la loi du Coran qui concerne les
apostasies; d'autre part, nous ne saurions ne pas élever la voix,
lorsqu'il s'agit de l'application de la peine de mort à des
individus qui, en embrassant 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 législation barbare.
Dans un tel état de choses, l'opinion que vous a communiquée M. le
Comte de Stürmer, nous a paru celle qui offre le plus de chances de
succès. Cette opinion est d'ailleurs conforme aux vues que j'ai été
dans le cas de vous développer sur la même matière dans une occasion
précédente. Il est donc de l'intention de l'Empereur que vous
déclariez à la Porte Ottomane, sous la forme d'un conseil
bienveillant, que nous nous attendons positivement à ne plus voir se
renouveler des exécutions qui soulèvent contre elle l'indignation de
toute la Chrétienté. C'est dans son propre intérêt que nous lui
adressons cette demande. La Porte ne doit pas se faire illusion sur
les élémens qui fermentent en Turquie. Au lieu de s'aliéner les
sentimens des populations Chrétiennes, le Gouvernement Ottoman doit
travailler plus que jamais, à se les concilier. Qu'il comprenne
enfin la nécessité de laisser tomber en désuétude des dispositions
surannées de la loi Mahométane, qui ne peuvent être maintenues qu'au
mépris des représentations unanimes de toutes les Puissances. Tel
serait à peu près le langage que vous auriez à tenir, Monsieur, à la
Porte Ottomane, de concert avec les autres Représentans, et nous
espérons qu'en la rappelant ainsi à la conscience de ses devoirs et
de ses intérêts réels, nous l'empêcherons de retomber dans la voie
vicieuse qu'elle a suivie en dernier lieu.
Recevez, &c.,
(Signé) NESSELRODE.
(Translation.)
_St. Petersburgh_, 15/27 _February_, 1844.
I have not failed to take the orders of the Emperor upon the
contents of your despatch No. 10, of the 21 January/2 February, in
which you have reported the painful impression which the fresh
religious execution which has taken place at Biligik has produced at
Constantinople.
His Majesty has given his serious attention to the various
considerations which you have laid before us in order to determine
the greater or less degree of propriety there would be in the
principal Powers of Europe generally, and in Russia particularly,
protesting against acts of cruelty incompatible with the principles
of humanity with which the Porte should show itself animated as
regards its Christian subjects. On the one hand, we have perceived
the difficulty, not to say the impossibility, of discovering the
suitable means of definitively paralyzing the effects of the law of
the Koran relating to apostacy; on the other hand, we cannot but
raise our voice when it is a question of inflicting the penalty of
death upon individuals who, in embracing Christianity, or in
returning into the bosom of the Church, appeal to our protection,
and impose upon us the duty of withdrawing them from the rigours of
a barbarous legislation.
In such a state of things the opinion which M. de Stürmer has
communicated to you, has appeared to us to be that which offers the
greatest chance of success. This opinion is, moreover, in conformity
with the views which I have had occasion to explain to you on the
same subject on a former occasion. It is then the Emperor's
intention that you should declare to the Ottoman Porte, in the form
of friendly counsel, that we positively expect no longer to witness
executions which array against it the indignation of all
Christendom. It is with a view to its own interest that we address
to it this demand. The Porte must not delude itself with regard to
the elements now in a state of fermentation in Turkey. Instead of
alienating from itself the feelings of the Christian population, the
Ottoman Government ought more than ever to labour to conciliate them
to itself. Let it comprehend, in fine, the necessity of allowing to
become obsolete antiquated enactments of the Mahomedan law, which
cannot be upheld but in disregard of the unanimous representations
of all the Powers. Such should be the purport of the language which,
Sir, you should hold to the Ottoman Porte, in concert with the other
Representatives; and we trust that in thus recalling it to a sense
of its duties and real interests, we shall prevent it from again
falling into the vicious system which it has recently followed.
Receive, &c.,
(Signed) NESSELRODE.
No. 28.
_Lord Cowley to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received March_ 21.)
(Extract.) _Paris, March_ 18, 1844.
With reference to the representations made to the Ottoman Government
by the French and English Representatives at Constantinople on the
subject of the execution of a Greek near Brussa, as reported in Sir
Stratford Canning's despatches of the 10th and 12th February, I have
the honour to state that M. Guizot has communicated to me the
substance of what passed at a conference which he has had within
these few days with Reshid Pasha upon that subject.
The Pasha said that he was instructed to express in strong terms the
concern of the Sultan at this interference of the Allied Sovereigns
(of Great Britain and France in particular) in the internal concerns
of his empire; that a compliance with these demands might be
attended with very serious consequences to himself and his
Government; and that he (the Pasha) was instructed to express the
fervent hope of his Master, that they would not be persisted in.
M. Guizot replied that the French and British Governments never
could desist from expressing their abhorrence of such atrocious acts
of cruelty as had been perpetrated upon the late occasion, and which
had given rise to a renewal of the requisition that the practice
should be entirely abandoned, and that they confidently expected
that their representations would have the desired effect upon the
Ottoman Government.
No. 29.
_The Earl of Aberdeen to Lord Cowley_.
(Extract.) _Foreign Office, March_ 22, 1844.
I transmit to your Excellency herewith a copy of an instruction
which I addressed on the 19th instant to Sir Stratford Canning, in
reply to his Excellency's despatch of the 10th of February last
relative to the execution of the Greek near Brussa, a copy of which
was forwarded to your Excellency on the 15th instant.
You will lose no time in communicating this instruction to M. Guizot
and you will at the same time, suggest to him the propriety of
instructing the French Minister at the Porte to make it perfectly
clear to the Turkish Government, that neither Great Britain nor
France demand the abrogation of any law of the Turkish Empire; and
that all that we desire is an assurance that the practice which has
so justly called forth the reprobation of all Christian countries,
shall cease, by the law being suffered to remain, as it had long
been, dormant.
No. 30.
_Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received March_
24.)
(Extract.) _Constantinople, February_ 29, 1844.
I applied to Rifaat Pasha on the 24th instant, in concert with the
French Minister, for an answer to your Lordship's requisition on the
subject of the executions for apostacy from Islamism. My application
was made in the form of an instruction to M. Frederick Pisani, and
Baron de Bourqueney adopted a similar line of proceeding. Copies of
my instruction to M. Pisani and of his report of Rifaat Pasha's
reply, identical with the report of the French interpreter, are
inclosed herewith for your Lordship's more complete information.
Several Councils have been held, as well at the Porte as at the
Sheik-ul-Islam's residence.
I inclose with this despatch a short report from M. Pisani, which
preceded the instruction referred to above.
Inclosure l in No. 30.
_Sir Stratford Canning to M. Pisani_.
Monsieur, _Péra, le_ 22 _Février_, 1844.
Le message que vous m'avez transmis avant-hier de la part de son
Excellence Rifaat Pacha, laisse tout-à-fait incertaine l'époque où
je recevrai une réponse à la communication importante que j'ai eu
l'honneur de lui faire le 8 du courant par l'ordre exprès de ma
Cour. Il est pourtant à désirer que cette incertitude ne soit pas
prolongée hors de mesure. La question dont il s'agit est toute
entière dans la dépêche officielle dont la copie se trouve depuis
quinze jours entre les mains du Ministre, et j'attends du
Gouvernement Ottoman la prompte solution d'une affaire qui touche de
trop près ses intérêts, son avenir, et ses rapports avec les
Puissances amies, pour que son Excellence soit autorisée à la
regarder comme purement du ressort de la religion.
Il me semble, au contraire, que cette question est, à ne pas en
douter, essentiellement liée avec les considérations les plus
élevées de la politique. J'aime par conséquent à croire que les
Ministres de Sa Hautesse ne méconnaîtront pas leur obligation d'en
mesurer la portée par les principes de la raison et les règles de la
prudence dont aucun Etat ne pourrait impunément se dispenser. Eviter
la responsabilité qui appartient nécessairement à leur position
serait-ce en effet autre chose que priver leur Souverain du gage le
plus sûr de leur exactitude à en remplir les conditions conformément
au but de leur nomination, aux exigeances de la conjoncture, et aux
inspirations de la sagacité que la Providence leur a accordée?
Je vous invite donc, Monsieur, à vous rendre de nouveau auprès du
Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, et à exprimer formellement à son
Excellence ma juste attente que le Conseil ne tardera pas à me faire
remettre par son canal une réponse catégorique et comme je l'espère,
satisfaisante à la demande d'un Gouvernement sincèrement ami de la
Porte. Vous lui laisserez une copie de cette instruction, et vous
vous entendrez quant au temps de sa présentation avec Monsieur
l'Interprète de l'Ambassade Française, qui est muni d'une
instruction pareille par son Ministre.
Je suis, &c.,
(Signé) STRATFORD CANNING.
(Translation.)
Sir, _Pera, February_ 22, 1844.
The message which you yesterday conveyed to me from his Excellency
Rifaat Pasha leaves altogether uncertain the time at which I shall
receive an answer to the important communication which I had the
honour to make to him on the 8th instant by the express order of my
Court. It is however to be desired that this uncertainty should not
indefinitely be prolonged. The question at issue is altogether
contained in the official despatch the copy of which has been for
the last fortnight in the Minister's hands, and I expect from the
Ottoman Government the speedy settlement of a matter which affects
its interests, its future position, and its relations with friendly
Powers too nearly for his Excellency to be authorized in considering
it merely as a religious question.
On the contrary it appears to me that without doubt this question is
essentially connected with the highest political considerations. I
am consequently fain to believe that the Ministers of His Highness
will not overlook their obligation to estimate the bearing of it by
the principles of reason and the rules of prudence which no State
can with impunity disregard. To shrink from the responsibility which
necessarily attaches to their position, what else would that be than
to deprive their Sovereign of the surest pledge of their diligence
in discharging the conditions thereof consistently with the object
of their appointment, the emergencies of the state of affairs, and
the inspirations of the sagacity which Providence has bestowed upon
them?
I accordingly request you, Sir, to go again to the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, and formally to intimate to his Excellency my just
expectation that the Council will not delay to cause to be delivered
to me through him a categorical answer, and, as I hope, a
satisfactory answer to the demand of a Government sincerely friendly
to the Porte. You will leave with him a copy of this instruction,
and you will concert as to the time of its delivery with the
Interpreter of the French Embassy, who is furnished by his Minister
with a similar instruction.