Correspondence Relating to Executions in Turkey for Apostacy from Islamism Part 7

No. 19.

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Lord Stuart de Rothsay_*.

My Lord, _Foreign Office, January_ 16, 1844.

I inclose for your Excellency's information, a copy of a despatch from Sir Stratford Canning reporting that a Greek has been executed near Brussa as an apostate from Islamism; and a copy of an instruction which I have in consequence addressed to that Amba.s.sador. Your Excellency will communicate this instruction to Count Nesselrode for the information of the Russian Government; but although Her Majesty's Government would doubtless see with pleasure that the other Powers of Europe should declare their abhorrence of so revolting a system as that which the Porte has twice acted upon within the last few months, they do not think it necessary formally to solicit their co-operation in a matter in which they all may be supposed to take a common interest, and to be prepared to act without previous concert with each other.

Your Excellency will therefore merely put Count Nesselrode in possession of the instructions given to Sir Stratford Canning, and leave to the Russian Government to determine for itself whether it shall instruct M. de t.i.tow to the same effect.

I am, &c.,

* A similar despatch was addressed on the 20th January to Sir Robert Gordon and the Earl of Westmorland.

(Signed) ABERDEEN.

No. 20.

_Lord Cowley to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received January_ 22.)

My Lord, _Paris, January_ 19, 1844.

With reference to your Lords.h.i.+p's despatches of the 16th instant on the subject of the execution of a Greek for returning to Christianity after having embraced Islamism, I have the honour to report that I had yesterday evening an interview with M. Guizot, when I communicated to him the contents of those despatches, and also of your Lords.h.i.+p's instructions to Sir Stratford Canning in consequence of the aforesaid transaction; and I have now the honour to inclose a copy of the despatch which, conformably to your Lords.h.i.+p's instructions, I have addressed to Sir Stratford Canning informing him of what pa.s.sed upon this subject between M. Guizot and me.

My despatch was forwarded last night to Her Majesty's Amba.s.sador at Constantinople, and will reach Ma.r.s.eilles in time to go by the steam-vessel which sails from that port on the 21st.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) COWLEY.

Inclosure in No. 20.

_Lord Cowley to Sir Stratford Canning_.

Sir, _Paris, January_ 18, 1844.

I have received instructions from Lord Aberdeen to communicate to the French Minister for Foreign Affairs your Excellency's despatches to his Lords.h.i.+p respecting the execution of a Greek near Brussa who had apostatized from Islamism, as also his instructions to your Excellency, under date the 16th instant, in consequence of that transaction. I am also desired to take the earliest opportunity of acquainting you with what may have pa.s.sed between M. Guizot and me after this communication.

I had this evening a conference with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, when I communicated to him the contents of your despatches upon this subject, and also Lord Aberdeen's instructions to you of the 16th instant, and I am happy to be enabled to state that M.

Guizot expressed his entire approbation of those instructions.

He also a.s.sured me that he had signified to M. de Bourqueney, in terms not less strong than those used by Lord Aberdeen in his instructions to you, the indignation and disgust of the French Government at this transaction, affording as it did a painful testimony of the total disregard of the Porte to the remonstrances of the Allies upon a previous act of a similar kind.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs then a.s.sured me that he had directed M. de Bourqueney to consult with your Excellency as to the best manner of carrying into effect the instructions of the two Governments. The Representatives of France at St. Petersburgh, Vienna, and Berlin, have likewise been directed to bring the subject under the consideration of those Courts; but M. Guizot inclines to the opinion that a separate, rather than joint, representation to the Turkish Government would be advisable. He trusts, however, that the British and French Plenipotentiaries will act in concert upon this occasion, as they have done successfully in every other transaction at Constantinople in which the Allies have taken any interest.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) COWLEY.

No. 21.

_The Earl of Westmorland to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received January_ 30.)

My Lord, _Berlin, January_ 24, 1844.

In compliance with the directions contained in your Lords.h.i.+p's despatch of the 20th instant, I have communicated to Baron Bulow your instructions to Sir Stratford Canning relative to the late execution of a Greek at Brussa. Baron Bulow gave me an instruction to read addressed to M. de Le Coq, which was dated only two days later than your Lords.h.i.+p's, and which expressed in strong terms his reprobation of the conduct of the Turkish Government upon this occasion. Baron Bulow felt the greatest satisfaction at the statements made by your Lords.h.i.+p, and determined to write again to M. Le Coq directing him to act in accordance with them. He hopes that by conduct and language so energetic as that adopted by your Lords.h.i.+p an impression may be made upon the Turkish Government, and an end be put to the barbarous cruelties of which it has of late been guilty.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) WESTMORLAND.

No. 22.

_Sir Robert Gordon to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received February_ 24.)

(Extract.) _Vienna, February_ 16, 1844.

In compliance with your Lords.h.i.+p's instructions, I have communicated to Prince Metternich, for the information of the Austrian Government, your despatch to Sir Stratford Canning relating to the execution of the Greek renegade by the Turkish authorities at Brussa on the ground of his apostacy from Islamism.

Whilst I stated to his Highness that my Government did not think it necessary formally to solicit the co-operation of the Internuncio in a matter which could only be viewed by every Government in Europe with the greatest abhorrence, I have been anxious to ascertain in how far the instructions which are forwarded from hence would be made to coincide with your Lords.h.i.+p's; and I have now to state that, although agreeing in the principle upon which have been founded the remonstrances of Her Majesty's Government, and seeking to arrive at the same result, the Austrian Minister has nevertheless a decided objection to the wording of your Lords.h.i.+p's instructions, and the peremptory terms in which it is endeavoured by them to enforce the Sultan's compliance.

No. 23.