Correspondence Relating to Executions in Turkey for Apostacy from Islamism Part 9

Recevez, &c.,

(Signe) 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 princ.i.p.al 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 Sturmer 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 pa.s.sed 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 a.s.surance 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, _Pera, le_ 22 _Fevrier_, 1844.

Le message que vous m'avez transmis avant-hier de la part de son Excellence Rifaat Pacha, laisse tout-a-fait incertaine l'epoque ou je recevrai une reponse a la communication importante que j'ai eu l'honneur de lui faire le 8 du courant par l'ordre expres de ma Cour. Il est pourtant a desirer que cette incert.i.tude ne soit pas prolongee hors de mesure. La question dont il s'agit est toute entiere dans la depeche 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 pres ses interets, son avenir, et ses rapports avec les Puissances amies, pour que son Excellence soit autorisee a la regarder comme purement du ressort de la religion.

Il me semble, au contraire, que cette question est, a ne pas en douter, essentiellement liee avec les considerations les plus elevees de la politique. J'aime par consequent a croire que les Ministres de Sa Hautesse ne meconnaitront pas leur obligation d'en mesurer la portee par les principes de la raison et les regles de la prudence dont aucun Etat ne pourrait impunement se dispenser. Eviter la responsabilite qui appartient necessairement a leur position serait-ce en effet autre chose que priver leur Souverain du gage le plus sur de leur exact.i.tude a en remplir les conditions conformement au but de leur nomination, aux exigeances de la conjoncture, et aux inspirations de la sagacite que la Providence leur a accordee?

Je vous invite donc, Monsieur, a vous rendre de nouveau aupres du Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres, et a exprimer formellement a son Excellence ma juste attente que le Conseil ne tardera pas a me faire remettre par son ca.n.a.l une reponse categorique et comme je l'espere, satisfaisante a la demande d'un Gouvernement sincerement ami de la Porte. Vous lui laisserez une copie de cette instruction, et vous vous entendrez quant au temps de sa presentation avec Monsieur l'Interprete de l'Amba.s.sade Francaise, qui est muni d'une instruction pareille par son Ministre.

Je suis, &c.,

(Signe) 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 Emba.s.sy, who is furnished by his Minister with a similar instruction.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) STRATFORD CANNING.