Correspondence Relating to Executions in Turkey for Apostacy from Islamism Part 5

_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 Lordship 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 Lordship 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 Lordship'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.)

_Constantinople, December_ 6, 1843.

A young Greek turned Turk in a moment of ill temper; having come to himself, he went to a priest and evinced a desire to return to his faith. The priest, approving his intention, told him that he must repair his fault by a public retractation of his error. The young man, who was twenty-two years of age, did as he was ordered.

Forthwith the Turkish authorities lay hold of him and shut him up: this happens in the neighbourhood of Brussa. The transaction is reported to Constantinople: here, notwithstanding the French and English notes, &c., a Council is held, and the order to execute him is sent off, and in fact this unfortunate person was publicly hanged at Biligik fourteen or fifteen days ago. The effect which this event produced on the Turkish inhabitants of the place has been such that the Governor has been under the necessity of taking the greatest precautions to prevent the ma.s.sacre of all the inhabitants.

Inclosure 3 in No. 13.

_Sir Stratford Canning to M. Pisani_.

Sir, _Buyukdere, December_ 16, 1843.

It is with sentiments of deep concern that I have received unquestionable intelligence of another religious execution, similar in principle to that of the Armenian Avakim. In stating this circ.u.mstance without delay to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, you will lay before his Excellency the substance of the two accompanying papers, which contain a relation of the princ.i.p.al facts. You will express the surprise and disappointment which I feel in the contemplation of so revolting an act, after the very distinct communications which had recently taken place between his Excellency and myself respecting the previous case. A full knowledge of the sentiments entertained by Her Majesty's Government, and also by four other leading Cabinets of Europe, has not to all appearance prevented the Porte from again publicly outraging the principles of humanity, and again exposing herself to the just animadversion of those friendly Powers.

Under these circ.u.mstances, and referring to the instructions of my Government already communicated to Rifaat Pasha, I deem it an indispensable duty to invite the explanations of the Porte, and to state my expectation that the Turkish Government will not only declare its regret for the two executions in suitable terms, but that it will accompany the declaration with an a.s.surance, admitting of no question for the future, that effective measures will be immediately taken to preclude the recurrence of such unwise and odious acts.

You will conclude by leaving with Rifaat Pasha a copy of this instruction, and by calling upon his Excellency to lay it before the Sultan, and to apprize you on an early day of the answer sanctioned by His Majesty, for the information of my Government.

I am, &c.,

(Signed) STRATFORD CANNING.

No. 14.

_M. Guizot to Count Ste. Aulaire_.--(_Communicated by Count Ste.

Aulaire to the Earl of Aberdeen, January_ 13.)

(Extract.) _Paris, le_ 9 _Janvier_, 1844.

Malgre les promesses formelles de la Porte, et les mesures qu'elle disait avoir prises pour empecher le renouvellement du douloureux scandale auquel avait donne lieu, il y a quelques mois, l'execution d'un Armenien supplicie pour etre revenu a la religion Chretienne apres avoir embra.s.se l'Islamisme, un Grec des environs de Brousse vient encore d'etre mis a mort dans des circonstances absolument semblables. Interpelle a ce sujet par M. de Bourqueney, la Porte n'a su alleguer pour se justifier que des malentendus et des meprises dont les allegations meme sont contradictoires. Un tel fait n'est plus seulement un outrage a l'humanite, c'est une insulte jetee a l'Europe civilisee par le fanatisme d'un parti que le Gouvernement Ottoman n'a pas le courage de contenir et de reprimer, a supposer qu'il n'en soit pas lui-meme le complice dans une certaine mesure.

Ce courage, il faut le lui donner en lui faisant craindre d'encourir le serieux mecontentement des Puissances dont l'appui bienveillant lui est si necessaire.

Je vais charger M. de Bourqueney de faire a cet effet une demarche energique aupres de la Porte, et je ne doute pas que Lord Aberdeen ne donne a Sir Stratford Canning des instructions a.n.a.logues. Le Gouvernement Britannique croira certainement aussi devoir se joindre a nous pour demander le concours des autres Grandes Puissances.

(Translation.)

_Paris, January_ 9, 1844.

Notwithstanding the formal promises of the Porte, and the measures which it had declared that it had taken to prevent the repet.i.tion of the mournful scandal to which a few months ago the execution of an Armenian who was punished for having returned to Christianity after having embraced Islamism, gave rise, a Greek of the neighbourhood of Brussa, has now been put to death, under circ.u.mstances precisely similar. On being questioned on this subject by M. de Bourqueney, the Porte could only allege in its justification misunderstandings and mistakes the very allegations with regard to which are contradictory. Such a transaction is no longer only an outrage to humanity, it is an insult cast upon civilized Europe, by the fanaticism of a party which the Ottoman Government has not the courage to keep within bounds and repress, supposing that it is not itself to a certain degree an accomplice in the measure. This courage must be given to it by causing it to apprehend that it will incur the serious displeasure of the Powers whose benevolent support is so necessary to it.

I am about to instruct M. de Bourqueney to take an energetic step for this purpose towards the Porte, and I doubt not that Lord Aberdeen will furnish Sir Stratford Canning with corresponding instructions. The British Government will likewise a.s.suredly think fit to unite with us in demanding the concurrence of the other Great Powers.