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pulation to be massacred by the Turks, in retaliation.

We will consider as void, papers given to cruisers found beyond the prescribed limits; and ships of war of the allied pow. ers will have orders to arrest them, wherever they will be found.

There remains for you no pretext. The armistice, by sea, exists on the part of the Turks, de facto. Their fleet exists no more. Take care of yours-for we will also destroy it, if need be, to put a stop to a system of robbery on the high seas, which would end in your exclusion from the law of nations.

As the present provisional go. vernment is as weak as it is immo. ral, we address these final and irrevocable resolutions to the legisla. tive body.

With respect to the prize court which it has instituted, we declare it incompetent to judge any of our vessels without our concurrence.

We have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most obedient servants,

(Signed,)

Rear Admiral H. DE RIGNY, commanding his most Christian majesty's squadron.

EDWARD CODRINGTON, vice-admiral, of his Britannic majesty's ships.

The count L. DE HEIDEN, Rear-admiral, of his imperial majesty the Emperor of all the Russias. To the members of the permanent committee of the legislative body.

Hatti-Sheriff of the Ottoman Porte, to the Mussulmans of Europe and Asia, (December, 18, 1927.) Whatever little understanding we may have, we know that if all the mussulmans naturally hate the

infidels, the infidels on their part are the enemies of the mussulmans; that Russia, in particular, bears a particular hatred to Islamism, and that she is the principal enemy of the Sublime Porte.

For fifty or sixty years, anxious to put in execution her guilty projects against the Moslem nation and the Ottoman empire, she has always profited by the least pretence for declaring war; the disorders committed by the janissa. ries, who, thanks to God, are annihilated, favoured her projects; she has by degrees invaded our provinces; her arrogance and preten. sions have only increased, and she has thought to find an easy means of fulfilling her ancient plan against the Sublime Porte, by exciting the Greeks, who are of the same religion. The latter, assembled in the name of religion, re. volted simultaneously; they did the Moslems all possible evil, and concert with the Russians, who, on their side, attacked the Ottoman empire. This union had for its object the extermination of all the faithful, and the ruin of the Sublime Porte, which God pre.

serve.

Thanks to the divine assistance, and the protection of our Holy Prophet, this perfidious plot was discovered a short time before it was put into execution. The measures taken in the capital stopped in the beginning the guilty progress, the fulfilment of which seemed so easy. The sword did justice on many rebels of the Morea, Negropont, Acarnania, Missolonghi, Athens, and other parts of the continent and the isles, who dared at first to oppose the Moslems; they killed several of them;

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reduced the women and children to slavery; and under the title of "Government of Greece,” carried on the most unheard of excesses. For several years, both by sea and land, forces have been sent against them; but our land troops, discouraged by a want of pay, did not show the necessary zeal; our fleet also could not succeed on account of the former disorganization of the arsenal. The affair thus proceeded slowly; other Europeans, besides the Russians, furnished all sorts of assistance to the rebels, and became the peculiar cause of the prolongation of these disturbances. At length, led by the tricks and insinuations of Russia, England and France united with her; and, under the pretence that their commerce suffered from the long continuance of these disturbances, they made the Greeks renounce their duties of Rayas by all sorts of artifices.

It was proposed at different times to the Sublime Porte not to interfere in the affairs of Greece, by giving them a form of independent government; to separate them totally from the Moslems; to establish a chief, as in Wallachia and Moldavia; and to grant them their liberty on payment of an annual tribute. Such were the vain propositions made. As it is evident that their pretension to liberty tended to nothing less (Heaven preserve us from it) than to make all the countries of Europe and Asia, where the Greeks are mingled with the Moslems, fall into the hands of the infidels; to place insensibly the Rayas in the place of the Ottomans, and the Ottomans in the place of the Rayas; to convert, perhaps, our mosques into churches, and to make the

bell again resound-in a word, to annihilate, easily and promptly, Islamism; neither reason, law, policy, nor religion, permitted such propositions to be accepted. The Porte gave frequently, either in writing or verbally, the necessary answers, with all the official forms, and according to the tenor of treaties. Although the object of the Franks has been perceived from the beginning, and, every thing announced, that in the end the sabre alone must answer the propositions, yet, not to disturb the repose of the Moslems, and on the other hand, to gain the time necessary for the preparation of war, the Porte endeavoured to tempo. rize, as much as possible, with satisfactory answers and official conferences, of the subject of the dishonour and prejudice which the proposition of the three powers would cause to the empire and the nation.

Here we must observe, that although the demands made by the Russians at Akerman, on the subject of indemnification, and particu. larly with regard to the Servians, could be by no means admitted, although the circumstances being pressing, they were acquiesced in, in order to seize the opportunity of concluding a treaty for the safety of the Mahommedan nation; hither. to the greater part of them had been fulfilled; conferences were also commenced relative to the indemnified persons and Servia, and although these two affairs could not be amicably arranged, they were taken into consideration as acts of violence.

Russia did not, however, stop here. The military reforms adopted by the Porte gave her umbrage; she felt that resignation might make

that evil fall on her, which she had prepared for Islamism. Then she determined to give the Moslems no further respite. Russia, England, and France were to attack by force that liberty which was alone mentioned.

For a year past these three powers have together demanded Greek liberty through the medium of their ambassadors officially and openly, as a simple concession. The Porte could not yield according to the dictates of reason, poli. cy, and religion; the Moslem nation has been insulted by the proposition; and it is impossible that it can ever consent to it. The Porte endeavoured to make them renounce their pretensions, but without effect; proud of their strength, they persisted obstinately and rigorously to procure the acceptance of their demand, and ended by sending fleets into the Mediterranean. They openly prevented the Ottoman and Egyptian squadrons, destined to punish the rebels, from attacking the isles. These two squadrons having enter. ed the port of Navarino, awaited quietly the orders of the Porte, when the Russian, English, and French fleet entered unexpectedly as friends, into the same port, began a fire altogether, and every one knows the catastrophe which befell the imperial squadron.

The three powers having thus openly broken treaties, and declared war, the Porte had a good right to make reprisals, and to act very differently in the first instance with the ambassadors, the foreigners, and vessels which were here; but the ministers of those three courts having endeavoured to justify themselves by declaring that the commanders of the fleet had

given rise to the battle, the Porte had regard to circumstances, still preserved silence, and made use of policy for a last effort; at the same time it invited the three ambassadors to abstain from interference in Greek affairs. Deaf to the voice of justice, these infidels did not cease to require that their demand should be admitted, such as it was, relative to Greek liberty. It may be said, even, that their re. monstrances became more pressing. At length the hostile views of the Franks against Islamism be. came evident. Yet, for the sake of gaining time, at least till the summer, all possible caution was used in the conferences which took place some weeks ago. It was notified several times to the Am. bassadors, that as soon as the Greeks sued for their pardon, their faults should be forgotten-that their lives, their properties, and their lands, should be granted to them-that they should enjoy the most perfect tranquillity and security-that they should be remitted the capitation and other taxes owing since the insurrection; that no further questions relative to other imposts should be entertained; that besides, to please the three pow. ers, they should be exempt from tribute for a year; in short, that they should enjoy all the privileges of Rayas, but nothing beyond would be allowed.

In the course of the conferences, the Porte requested them to transmit to their courts these friendly declarations and sincere explanations, with the promise that the armistice demanded by themselves should be preserved till the receipt of the answer. This invitation only increased their pride and their pretensions. Finally, they de

clared that they would consent to nothing, unless the privileges in question were granted to the Greeks inhabiting ancient Greece, that is, the Morea, Attica, the Isles of the Archipelago; and they announced that they would leave the capital altogether.

Affairs are now in this situation. If now, God preserve us from it, after seeing such conduct, and such condition, it were necessary to beat a retreat, and yield to the demand in question, that is, the independence of the Greeks, the contagion would soon reach the Greeks of Rumelia and Anatolia, without any possibility of stopping the evil; they would all pretend to the same independence, or renounce the duties of Rayas; and in the course of one or two years, triumphing over the generous Moslem nation, they would end one day, by dicta. ting law to us, and (Heaven preserve us from it) the ruin of our religion and empire would be the result. While, thanks to God, the numerous provinces of Europe and Asia are filled with an immense population of Moslems, will the sacred book and law allow us to permit, through fear of war, our religion to be trampled under footto yield ourselves to the infidels, our country, our wives, our children, our possessions?

Although at first, the whole world were in the power of the infidels, yet, at the appearance of the true religion, God assisting the faithful, the Mussulmans our brothers, who have appeared and disappeared from the happy times of our great prophet till now, have never, in any war, from their sin. cere devotion and unshaking courage, considered the number of the infidels; but, united in heart for

the defence of religion, how many thousands of times have they not sent to the thousands of infidels! How many states and provinces have they not conquered with the sabre in their hands! So often as we unite together like them, and we fight for the glory of God, the Most High will enlighten us with his inspira. tions, and our holy legislator will cover us with his tutelary shield; his absent companions will serve as guides, and no doubt, under their auspices, we shall gain splendid victories.

If the three powers, seeing us, as before, determined to reject their vain demands, admit our an. swers and explanations, and cease to interfere in Greek affairs, good; if, on the contrary, they should persist in wishing to force us to accept their demand, then, even if (according to the tradition that all the infidels are only one nation) they should all league against us, we shouldd recommend ourselves to God; we should place our. selves under the protection of our holy prophet; and, united for the defence of religion and the empire, all the Visirs, Ülemas, Ridjas, perhaps even all the Musselmans, would only form one body.

This war is not like the prece. ding one-a political war for provinces or frontiers-the object of the infidels being to destroy Islamism, and to trample on the Mohammedan nation. This war ought to be considered as a purely religious and national war. May all the faithful, rich or poor, great or small, know that combat is a duty for us. Let them not then think of any pay; far from that, let us sacrifice our property and our persons; let us fulfil with zeal the duties which the honour of Is

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lamism imposes upon us; let us unite our efforts-let us labour, body and soul, for the maintenance of religion till the day of judgment. The Moslems have no other means of obtaining their salvation in this world or the other.

We hope that the Most High will deign to confound and disperse every where the infidels-the enemies of our religion and our empire and that, at all times, in all places, and on all occasions, he will grant to the faithful both victory and triumph. Our true situation being known to all Mussulmen, can we doubt that, however little faith and piety they may have, they will acknowledge their duty; that they will unite heart and soul for the maintenance of our religion and empire, as well for their salvation in this world as in the other ;-that in time of need they will perform with valour and zeal the duties of war, and fulfil the requisitions of our holy law? Suceour is sent from God!

Circular note of Count Nesselrode to the legation, respecting the relations with the Porte.

St. Petersburg, Nov. 12, 1827. At the moment when the decisive battle which the allied squadrons were obliged to fight with the Turkish and Egyptian fleet in the Bay of Navarino excites general attention, I consider it as proper to acquaint you, sir, of the point of view in which the imperial cabinet considers that remarkable event. Undoubtedly, it would have been our first wish to see the treaty of London carried into effect without bloodshed, and on this account we lament our victory; but, on the other hand, the emperor has imme

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diately perceived, that in the alternative of seeing the main object of that convention disappointed, by the annihilation of the Greeks on the continent, and the attack with which Ibrahim Pasha threatened the islands of the Archipelago, after the faithlessness of the latter had been proved by two violations, on the 13th and 21st of September, of the armistice solemnly concluded with him, the Admirals who had entered the Bay of Navarino with the most pacific intentions, but were then attacked, had merely fulfilled the instructions given them in accept. ing the combat, and that they have successfully served the common cause. The battle of Navarino places, in a clear light, the alliance, and the policy of the powers who signed the treaty of London; it gives reason to hope that the Porte, being at length made sensible of its error, will hasten to accept the terms, which certainly call for some sacrifices; but, at the same time, secure to it valuable compensation. The resolutions of the sultan must now decide those which our august monarch will take. At all events, whether the Porte may determine upon a conduct conformable to our wishes, or whether it may add to the disadvantages of its situation by hostile measures, his majesty the emperor is firmly resolved, in concert with England and France, to proceed in the execution of the treaty of the 6th of July; to effect with them the beneficent stipula tions of that treaty; and, in every state of affairs, to observe the generous principle which forbids the contracting powers to form any views of an aggrandizement by conquest, or of any exclusive advantage.

(Signed) NESSELRODE.

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