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Ottoman ministry was greatly mis. taken, if it believed that the conduct of the Russian ambassador at Constantinople was not entirely approved by his imperial majesty. The Sublime Porte could not be ignorant that M. de Ribeaupierre had not ceased to act on the affairs of Greece, according to the express commands of his sovereign, as it had before it the obligations which must guide, in this respect, all the measures of the three courts; and the Russian ambassa dor had officially declared that he was the organ of all the views and wishes of the emperor; as little could the Porte deceive itself with regard to the real motives of the proposals made to it for the pacification of Greece, as it was proved to it, that according to those tendering the peace, which was indispensable for the security of commerce, and the repose of Europe, would be established in those countries upon foundations which, far from affecting the integrity of the Ottoman empire, and merely altering the form of its old rights, would have afforded it great politi. cal advantages, means for promoting its internal prosperity, and pecuniary indemnities, for they are by no means burthensome concessions which it would make. After the Russian ambassador had fully developed these important considerations in all his conferences with the Turkish ministry, and as all his official and confidential notes he was not bound to allege them again in another official note, which was required of him without cause, and without object. He was besides acquainted with the resolutions and sentiments of the emperor, and the constant refusals of the Porte. He could not, therefore,

agree to wait, in the present case, for instructions, which he must consider as wholly superfluous. In the situation in which the Porte itself placed him, he had no alternative left but to maintain the dignity of his court by leaving Constantinople, at the same time giving to the Sublime Porte a salutary hint, and leaving it time, by the removal of pernicious and passionate counsels, to reflect on the dangers that surrounded it. The emperor sees with grief that the Porte, instead of duly appreciating this truly friendly policy, replies to it by actions which make its treaties with Russia null and void—that it has violated the principal conditions, impeded the trade of the Black Sea, and at the same time, attacked his subjects; and, lastly, has announced to all Mussulmen its resolution to return evil for good, war for peace-and never to fulfil solemn conventions. Af. ter so many hostile measures combined, notwithstanding the representations and the endeavours of the courts allied and in amity with Russia, your excellency will not be surprised to learn that I am ordered to reply to your letter of the 12th of December by the annexed declaration, which will be imme. diately followed by the march of the Russian troops, which the emperor orders to enter the dominions of the sultan, to obtain satisfaction for his just complaints.

The more sincere the sorrow of my august master at the necessity of being obliged to have recourse to force, the more agreeable would it be to him to shorten its duration, and if plenipotentiaries from the sultan present themselves at the head-quarters of the commander. in-chief of the Russian army, they

will meet with the best reception : that is to say, if the Porte sends them with the sincere intention of renewing and restoring the conventions that subsisted between the two empires, to accede to the terms of the treaty agreed upon on the 6th July, 1827, between Russia, England and France, to provide for ever against the recurrence of such acts as those which have given the emperor just grounds for war, and to make good the losses caused by the measures of the Ottoman government, as well as the expenses of the war, which will be increased in proportion to the duration of the hostilities. The emperor will not, indeed, be able to stop the progress of the military operations during the negotiations to be opened for this purpose; but he feels convin. ced that, with his moderate views, they will speedily lead to the conclusion of a durable peace, which is the object of his most ardent wishes. I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

Signed. Count NESSELRODE. St. Petersburgh, 14th (26th) of April, 1828.

ANSWER OF THE PORTE TO THE RUS.

SIAN MANIFESTO.

Men of sound judgment and upright minds know, and reflection united with experience clearly proves, that the principal means of preserving order in the world, and the repose of nations, consists in the good understanding between sovereigns, to whom the Supreme Master,in the plenitude of his mercy, has intrusted, as servants of God, with absolute and unlimited power, the reigns of government and the administration of the affairs of their subjects. It results from this prin

ciple, that the solid existence and maintenance of this order of things essentially depends upon an equal and reciprocal observation of the obligations established between sovereigns, which ought, therefore, to be respected in con.mon, and scrupulously executed.

God, all powerful, be praised for this, that the Sublime Porte has, since the commencement of her

the

political existence, observed those salutary principles more than any other power; and as the confidence of the Porte is founded on the pre. cepts of the pure and sacred law, and of the religion which Mussulmans observe in peace as well as in war, and having never consulted any thing but the law, even slightest circumstances, she has never deviated from the maxims of equity and justice, and as is generally known, has never been placed in the situation of compromising her dignity, by infringing without any legitimate motive,treaties concluded with friendly powers.

It is equally well known to the whole world and incontestible, that with regard to the treaties, conventions, and stipulations, for peace and friendship, concluded under diplomatic forms with Russia, as a neighbouring power, the Porte has constantly exercised the greatest care in respecting the duties and rights of good neighbourhood, and in availing herself of all proper means for consolidating the bonds of friendship between the two na. tions.

The Court of Russia has, however, without any motive, disturbed the existing peace-has declared war, and invaded the territory of the Sublime Porte. Russia alleges that the Sublime Porte has caused this war, and has published a ma

nifesto, in which she accuses the Porte of not having executed the conditions of the treaties of Bucharest and Akermann-of having punished and ruined the Servians, after having promised them pardon and amnesty-of having demanded fortresses in Asia, which were essentially necessary to Russia-of having, without regard to the two provinces of Wallachia and Molda. via, punished with death the most distinguished men of Greece-with having, while publicly declaring that Russia is a natural enemy of the Mussulman nation, endeavoured to provoke to vengeance, and direct against her, the bravery of all the Mussulman people-of having sign. ed the treaty of Akermann with mental reservation, seized the cargoes of Russian ships, and instigated the Court of Persia to make war upon Russia; and, finally, it is made the subject of complaint, that the Pachas of the Porte were making warlike preparations. It is these and other charges of the same nature, that Russia has brought forward-a series of vain inculpations, destitute of all real foundation. It will be proper to make each the subject of a reply, founded on equity and justice, as well as on the real state of the facts.

Though Russia has published that these are the principal motives for the declaration of war, it is,however, generally known, that the war which terminated with the treaty of Bucharest was commenced by her. self. In fact, before that war she had, on just and equitable grounds, dismissed the Waivodes of Wallachia and Moldavia, and Russia then pretended that the dismissals were contrary to treaties; and though the Sublime Port represented in an amicable manner things under the real aspect, Russia refused to listen

to the reasons advanced; and as she continued to insist in her preten. sion, the Sublime Porte, with the sole view of preserving peace, and in maintaining the relations of friendship, did not hesitate to restore the dismissed Waivodes, without paying attention to the conse. quences of such a condescension, but with Russia declared herself fully satisfied, and under the ministry of Gahib Pacha, then Reis Effendi, officially notified, through the first interpreter, Counsellor Fonton, that the differences and difficulties existing on that account, between the two courts, was completely removed, she immediately and unexpectedly made an at tack on the side of Chotieu and Bender. According to the regular course, the Sublime Porte demanded explanations from the Russian Ambassador, who tried to deceive, and formally disavowed what had taken place, adding that Russia was in a state of peace and friendship with the Sublime Porte; that if war had been intended, the ambassador must necessarily have known it; and that it could only be supposed that the Russian troops had some motive for advancing.

When the fact was finally proved, the Sublime Porte was under the necessity of resisting: but having a natural repugnance to war and the shedding of blood, she imposed on herself a sacrifice, and signed the treaty of Bucharest. Russia did not respect the treaty. Among other infractions, instead of evacuating the Asiatic frontier, according to the basis and the tenor of the treaty, she unjustly annulled that article, and regarded with indifference all the well founded remonstrances of the Sublime Porte. Finally, the Russian plenipotentiaries at Ackermann, having altered

and misinterpreted the pure sense of the treaty, and being no longer able to answer the convincing arguments of the Turkish pleni. potentiaries, declared that a long space of time having elapsed since the article in question had been executed, the fortress claimed could not be given up. To such language the Turkish plenipotentiaries might well have replied, that if the nonexecution in due time and place, of articles officially stipulated, warranted a total renunciation, the other articles, the more or less prompt fulfilment of which was demanded of the Sublime Porte, might also remain in statu quo. But their instructions did not authorize them to hold a language so foreign to the treaties, and so contrary to the law of nations. And their mission restricting them to the consolidation of the bonds of peace, they acceded. Nevertheless, the Russian declaration represents this demand of evacuation as having had no foundation in fact; and by pretending that we had already renounced it, evidently deviates from the path of truth.

It was agreed that the Russian tariff should be renewed every two years, and the other friendly powers have renewed their tariffs according to agreement. The tariff of Rus. sia, however, has undergone no changes for 27 years. Since the expiration of the term, the renewal has oft times been proposed to the Russian Envoys and Charge d'Affaires at Constantinople, but the application was always made in vain; Russia refused to do justice to the well-founded demands of the Sublime Porte. The conduct of Russia, as well in words as in actions, in these two affairs of the evacuation and the tariff, showing

so strikingly to what degree she respects treaties and principles of equity, how can she attribute to the Sublime Porte their violation? and how can such an imputation ever be admitted?

The Imperial amnesty promised to the Servians for the part they took in the war with Russia was fully granted after the peace; and as a consequence of the national clemency of his Serene Highness, particular concessions assured to them their welfare and their repose. The same nation afterwards disregarded the authority of the Sublime Porte, and dared to revolt separately and by itself. As the Servians are the subjects of the Sublime Porte, and as the Ottoman government is entitled to treat them according to their character, either by punishing or pardoning, the merited chastisement was inflicted, and happiness was restored to the country, without the sligtest injury to Russia, or infringement of the treaty of Bucharest. This affair of Servia, as well as other like points distinct from treaties, and even some events of smaller importance, which ought to be classed under natural accidents, always served as motives of complaints on the part of Russia, and also never renounced her embarrassing proceedings.However, the Sublime Porte continued to regard her as a public friend, to pay attention to all affairs which could have possibly any analogy with the treaties concluded between the two states, and to observe scrupulously the rules of good understanding.

Some time before the Greek insurrection, the Russian Envoy, Baron Strogonoff, pretending that the Sublime Porte had not executed certain stipulations, insisted in a

demand for conferences relative to the treaty of Bucharest. Positive answers and conclusive coversa. tions made known to him at different times, that as the articles had already been executed, or were being effectively and entirely car. rying into execution by the Sublime Porte, while, on the contrary, Rus. sia had yet to prove her amicable fidelity by fulfilling stipulations, the accomplishment of which had been deferred on her part, there was of course no occasion for the required conferences. However, as he persisted in exceeding the orders of his court, the opening of the conferences was at last conceded, but on the express condition of not introducing such objects as might extend the meaning of treaties, or change the tenor of conventions. In the course of the conferences the Russian Minister did not fail to raise more than one unreasonable discussion. However, the articles of the above-mentioned treaty were in the course of being examined, one by one, when the Greek insurrection broke out, and it is notorious that the obstacles occasioned by that event were calculated to retard the labour in question.

The fugitive Ypsilante then is sued from Russia to invade publicly and unexpectedly Moldavia, at the head of a troop of rebels. He spread trouble and disorder through the two principalities. Animated by the chimerical desire of establishing a pretended government for Greece, he excited to revolt the whole of the Greek people, who are tributary subjects of the Ottoman empire from father to son, misled them by his accursed proclamations circulated every where, and instigated them to disown the authority of the Sub. lime Porte.

Every power being authorized to arrest and punish malefactors within its own territories, and to manage all internal affairs tending to the main. tenance of good order, as soon as the flame of rebellion was lit up on every side, the Sublime Porte resorted to suitable measures, sent troops against the rebels to restore tranquillity, crush rebellion and purge the country, and laboured to restore the privileges of the provinces, being far from wishing to annihilate them by the destruction of the malefactors. It is evident, that no person whatever had any right to object to those and other measures which the Sublime Porte was obliged to adopt, and which in such a conjuncture could not be delayed. Nevertheless, the Rus. sian Envoy invented divers objections, and originated several unreasonable differences, by discourses and proceedings little becoming the agent of a powerful friend, in the midst of affairs so important which occupied the attention of the Sublime Porte.

Some time after, Ypsilante, being routed, returned to Russia, and the Hospodar of Moldavia, Michael Sutzo, having also taken refuge there with all his partizans, the Sublime Porte demanded, in the terms of treaties, that these persons should be delivered up, or punished where they were. Though between allied powers, there can be no great. er humanity than fidelity to treaties, Russia merely gave a vague answer, inconsistent with all diplomatic rules, saying that humanity opposed their delivery. She thus violated and annihilated existing treaties and rights, to protect, and perhaps pay particular attention to these individuals.

The remains of the rebels were

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