land-troops, discouraged by the want of pay, did not display the necessary ardour. Our fleet also had no success, in consequence of the long-continued disorganization of the arsenal. The affair was in this way protracted. Other Europeans, beside the Russians, animated by ambition, secretly supplied all kinds of assistance to the rebels as well in deed as in promise, and were thus the principal cause of the prolongation of the troubles. At length, influenced by the Russians, England and France, united with Russia, and under pretext that their commerce was suffering from the long duration of the troubles, they induced by all sorts of artifices the Greeks to renounce their duty as Rayas.

"At different periods it was proposed to the Sublime Porte to cease interfering in the affairs of Greece by giving them an independent form of government, to establish over them a chief, as in Moldavia and Walachia, and to grant them liberty on payment of an annual tribute. Such were nearly the vain propositions made to the Porte. As it is evident that this pretension of liberty tended to nothing less than (from which Heaven defend us!) to cause to fall into the hands of the infidels all the countries of Europe and Asia in which the Greeks are mixed with the Mussulmans to put by degrees 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 bells resound in them -in a word, to crush rapidly and easily Islamism-neither reason, law, policy, nor religion, permitted the acceptance of such propositions. The Sublime Porte often returned, both by writing and verbally, the

necessary answers in all the official forms, and according to the tenour of treaties. Though the object of the Franks had been perceived from the beginning, and every thing announced that the sabre alone must at last reply to their propositions; nevertheless, that the repose of Mussulmans might not be troubled, and on the other hand to gain the time necessary for warlike preparations, the Sublime Porte endeavoured to temporise, as much as possible, by satisfactory replies, and by official conferences on the subject of the dishonour and prejudice which the propositions of the three powers would have caused to the empire and the nation.

"This is the occasion to observe, that though the demands made by the Russians at Ackerman, on the subject of indemnities, and particularly with respect to the Ser vians, were by no means admissi ble, nevertheless, circumstances being pressing, it was thought proper to acquiesce, right or wrong, and by necessity, in order to seize the opportunity to conclude a treaty for the safety of the Mahometan nation. Hitherto, the greater part of the articles have obtained their execution. The conferences relative to the indemnities and to Servia, were also commenced, and though these two affairs were not of a nature likely to be settled with a good grace, they were, however, taken into consideration as acts of violence.

"Russia, however, did not stop here. The military reforms adopted by the Sublime Porte gave her umbrage; she perceived that this regeneration might one day bring back upon herself the evil which she had prepared for Islamism. From that moment she resolved to

allow no relaxation to Mussulmans. Russia, England, and France, agreed together to establish by force that liberty which we have already described above.

"For a year past, those three powers have simultaneously demanded the liberty of Greece, through the medium of their ambassadors, officially and openly, as a plain matter of concession. To this demand, the Sublime Porte could not, according to law, reason, policy, or religion, subscribe. The Mussulman nation heard it with indignation, and it was quite impossible that it should ever be conceded. The Ottoman government endeavoured to make them renounce their pretensions by all kinds of arguments and replies; but its language produced no effect upon them. Proud of their force, they obstinately and rigidly insisted on the acceptance of their demand, and concluded by sending their fleets into the Mediterranean. They openly prevented the Ottoman and Egyptian squadrons, destined to punish the rebels, from attacking the islands. These two squadrons having entered the port of Navarino, were there tranquilly waiting the orders of the Sublime Porte, when the Russian, English, and French fleets, which unexpectedly entered the same port as friends, began to fire all three together, and all the world knows the catastrophe which resulted therefrom to the Imperial squadron. "The three powers having thus openly broken the treaties, and declared war, the Sublime Porte was fully entitled to make reprisals, and, in the first place, to deal differently from what it did with the ambassadors, their countrymen, and the ships which were here, but the ministers of the three

courts having sought to justify their governments by declaring, that it was the commanders of the Imperial fleet who had given occasion to the battle, the Sublime Porte, having regard to circumstances, still preserved silence, employing policy for a last effort; at the same time desiring the three ambassadors to desist from their interference in the affairs of Greece. Deaf to the voice of equity, those infidels never ceased from requiring that their demand, such as it was, relative to the liber ty of Greece, should be admitted; they might even be said to have become more urgent in their demand; lastly, the hostile views of the Franks against Islamism were openly disclosed. Nevertheless,

with the design of gaining time, at least till the summer approached, every possible management was resorted to in the conferences and communications which took place some weeks ago. It was notified in various answers to the ambassadors, that as soon as the Greeks should ask pardon, their faults should be wholly forgotten; that their property, their persons, their estates, should be untouched; that they would be excused the payment of the capitation and the other tributes which they owed since the revolution; that there would be no question of other tributes, but that besides, for the gratification of the three powers, they should be exempt from tribute during one year; in a word, that all the privileges which the quality of Rayas allowed of should be accorded them, but that nothing beyond that limit could be conceded.

"In the course of the conferences, the Sublime Porte earnestly entreated the ambassadors to trans

mit to their courts these amicable declarations and sincere explications, promising at the same time that the armistice demanded by them should be observed until the reception of the answers. This request had no other effect but to increase their pride and their pretensions. Finally, they declared that they would not consent to any thing less than the according the privileges which were the subject of the conferences, to the Greeks living in what was ancient Greece -that is to say, the Morea, Attica, and the isles of the Archipelago and they announced their intention of departing all three together.

"Affairs had arrived at this point. If now (which God forbid!) after having seen such conduct and a similar situation of things, we had found it necessary to beat a retreat and yield the point in question-that is to say, the independence of Greece-the contagion would soon have spread through all the Greeks established in Romelia and Anatolia, without the possibility of a stop being put to the evil. They would then all claim the same independencewould renounce their duties as Rayas; and triumphing in the course of one or two years over the generous Mussulman nation, would one day finish by suddenly giving us the law, and, (heaven avert the misfortune!) the evident result would be the ruin of our religion, and our empire. Whilst, thanks to God! the numerous provinces of Europe and Asia are filled with an immense Mussulman population, will the holy book and the law permit us, for fear of war, to suffer our religion to be trodden under foot, to deliver ourselves up, that our country, our children, our goods, and our possessions, may be

transferred by infidels from hand to hand?

Although in the beginning the whole world was in the power of the infidels, nevertheless, on the promulgation of the true religion, God assisting the faithful, the Mussulmans, our brethren, who have appeared and disappeared since the happy time of our great Prophet up to the present day, have never in any war, owing to their sincere devotion and unshaken courage, taken into consideration the numbers of the infidels. Hearti ly united in defence of religion, how often have they put millions of infidels to the sword? How many states and provinces have they not thus conquered, sword in hand! Wherever we unite like them, and confront the battle for the glory of God, the Most High will enlighten us with his inspirations, and our holy legislator will cover with his tutelary shield; his absent companions will serve us for guides; and no doubt under their auspices we shall gain brilliant victories.

"If the three powers, seeing that we are determined, as in times past, to reject their vain demands, should yield to our answers and explanations, and desist from the Greek affair, good and well. If, on the contrary, they should persist in wishing to compel us by force to admit their demands, even though they should-illustrating the saying all infidels are but one nation'-all league against us, we will recommend ourselves to God, place ourselves under the protection of our holy Prophet, and, united in defence of religion and the empire, all the Vizirs, the Ulemas, the Rajas, perhaps even all Mussulmen, will form only one corps.

"This is not like former con tests, a political war for provinces

and frontiers; the object of the Infidels being to annihilate Islamism, and to tread the Mahometan nation under foot. This war must be considered purely a religious and national war. Let all the faithful, rich or poor, great or little, know, that to fight is a duty with us; let them, then, refrain from thinking of their arrears, or of pay of any kind; far from such considerations, let us sacrifice our property and our persons-let us execute zealously the duties which the honour of Islamism imposes on us-let us unite our efforts, and labour, body and soul, for the support of religion until the day of judgment. Mussulmans have no other means of working out salvation in this world and the next.

"We hope that the Most High will deign to confound and scatter every where the infidels, who are enemies of our religion and our empire; and that in all times, in all places, and in all circumstances, he will grant victory and triumph to the Faithful. Our real position being thus known to all Mussulmans, can it be supposed, that inasmuch as they possess faith and piety, they will fail to recognize their duty, that they will fail to unite heart and soul for the maintenance of our holy religion and our country, as well as for their own welfare in this world and in that which is to come?that they will not readily perform with bravery and zeal the various services in war, and fulfil punctually the duties which our holy law imposes on us? Help comes from God!"

We subjoin the grand vizier's letter to count Nesselrode, and the answer written by the latter by the emperor's order. The first of VOL. LXX.

these documents show how the Porte gave out the assurance of its pacific intentions at the moment when it published the hatti-scheriff of the 20th of December; and the second, how Russia, though affecting to be forced to declare war against the Porte, held out the hopes of shortening its duration, by a speedy restoration of peace. "LETTER from the GRAND VIZIER to COUNT NESSELRODE, 23rd of Djenazin Ceval, 1243, November 30, (Dec. 12, 1827.)

"Our very illustrious and very kind friend, while we express our wishes for the preservation of your health and the continuance of your friendly sentiments, we remark, that in consequence of the convention of Akerman, happily concluded between the Sublime Porte and the Russian court, by which the relations of reciprocal friendship are still greater confirmed, the very illustrious Ribeaupierre, who had come to Constantinople as Extraordinary Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Imperial Court, has, in the usual form, delivered the letters of his majesty the emperor to the sultan, and his credentials to the grand vizier, and was received on the occasion with all the distinctions and honours due to the friendly and pacific intentions of both parties. Together with the fulfilment of these formalities, care was taken to direct in a suitable manner, all affairs relative to the discussion of the treaties concluded, and to regulate various other matters. Meantime, certain injurious proposals, contrary to the treaties, were pressed upon the Sublime Porte, with respect to which the Russian government has made known, in repeated communications and conferences, 2 D

JOHY