Correspondence Relating to Executions in Turkey for Apostacy from Islamism Part 3

No. 7.

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Sir Stratford Canning_.

(Extract.) _Foreign Office, November_ 4, 1843.

I have received your despatch of the 11th of October, reporting that the French and Prussian Ministers had received instructions from their respective Governments on the subject of the execution of the Armenian referred to in your despatch of the 27th of August.

I calculate that your Excellency will have received on the 24th ultimo my despatch of the 4th, by which your Excellency will have been enabled to acquaint the Porte with the feelings with which Her Majesty's Government had received the intelligence of that melancholy transaction. I have nothing to add to that instruction.

No. 8.

_Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received November_ 23.)

My Lord, _Buyukdere, October_ 31, 1843.

The instruction which I have received from your Lords.h.i.+p respecting the Armenian decapitated for returning to the Christian faith, cannot fail of making a deep and, I hope, a salutary impression upon the Ottoman Ministers.

I have had it carefully translated into Turkish, and placed in M.

Pisani's hands for communication to the Porte, accompanied with an instruction of which I have the honour to inclose a copy herewith.

Monsieur de Bourqueney having been directed to present an official note upon the same subject, I thought it advisable to give a certain degree of formality to the communication of your Lords.h.i.+p's despatch, and particularly to leave it with the Minister for Foreign Affairs in writing. A copy of the French Minister's note is herewith inclosed.

The presentation of this remonstrance has strongly excited the public attention, and occasioned no small embarra.s.sment at the Porte. It was proposed in Council to return it, but the suggestion was overruled, and I hear that nothing will be added to the verbal reply already given.

The substance of that reply, which M. de Bourqueney read to me from the report of his first interpreter, is by no means unfavourable.

The language employed by Rifaat Pasha in speaking of the French Minister's note to M. Pisani, admitted, in substance, that much might be said with reason against the manner and circ.u.mstances of the execution, but as to the act itself, he said that nothing could be alleged against a judgment founded upon the express will of G.o.d.

His answer to the communication of your Lords.h.i.+p's instruction has not yet reached me. It will have the greater interest as two more cases of religion involving capital punishment have recently occurred. The offender in each instance is a native Mussulman; and nothing, I conceive, but the late expression of indignation has prevented the Porte from executing the sentence of the law.

I am informed that Rifaat Pasha, on consulting the Grand Mufti as to one of these cases, was advised not to bring it under His Holiness'

notice as he had no choice but to declare the law; and a charitable intimation was added, that where a State necessity existed, the Porte would herself be found the most competent judge.

The Russian Minister informs me that he is still in expectation of instructions from St. Petersburgh. The Internuncio refers to the remarks addressed by Prince Metternich himself to the Turkish Amba.s.sador at Vienna. M. de Le Coq reserves the communication of his instruction, in the hope of being able to act simultaneously with M.

de t.i.tow. The silence of any one of the leading Courts on such an occasion would be a cause of just regret.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) STRATFORD CANNING.

Inclosure l in No 8.

_Baron de Bourqueney to Rifaat Pasha_.

_Therapia_, 17 _Octobre_, 1843.

Le Soussigne, Ministre Plenipotentiaire de Sa Majeste le Roi des Francais pres la Porte Ottomane, a recu de son Gouvernement l'ordre de faire a son Excellence le Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres la communication suivante.

C'est avec un douloureux etonnement que le Gouvernement du Roi a appris la recente execution d'un Armenien qui, apres avoir embra.s.se la religion Musulmane, etait revenu a la foi de ses peres, et que pour ce seul fait on a frappe de la peine capitale, parcequ'il refusait a racheter sa vie par une nouvelle abjuration.

En vain pour expliquer un acte aussi deplorable voudrait-on se prevaloir des dispositions imperieuses de la legislation. On devait croire que la legislation faite pour d'autres temps etait tombee en desuetude; et en tout cas il etait trop facile de fermer les yeux sur un pareil fait pour qu'on puisse considerer ce qui vient d'arriver comme une de ces deplorables necessites dans lesquelles la politique trouve quelquefois non pas une justification mais une excuse.

Lors meme que l'humanite, dont le nom n'a jamais ete invoque en vain en France, n'aurait pas ete aussi cruellement blessee par le supplice de cet Armenien, lors meme que le Gouvernement du Roi, qui a toujours protege, et protegera toujours la religion Chretienne en Orient, pourrait oublier que c'est le Christianisme qui a recu ce sanglant outrage, l'interet qu'il prend a l'Empire Ottoman et a son independance, lui ferait encore voir avec une profonde douleur ce qui vient de se pa.s.ser.

Cette independance ne peut aujourd'hui trouver une garantie efficace que dans l'appui de l'opinion Europeenne. Les efforts du Gouvernement du Roi ont constamment tendu a lui menager cet appui.

Cette tache lui deviendra bien plus difficile en presence d'un acte qui soulevera dans l'Europe entiere une indignation universelle.

Le Gouvernement du Roi croit accomplir un devoir imperieux en faisant connaitre a la Porte l'impression qu'il a recue d'un fait malheureus.e.m.e.nt irreparable, mais qui, s'il pouvait se renouveler, serait de nature a appeler des dangers reels sur le Gouvernement a.s.sez faible pour faire de telles concessions a un odieux et deplorable fanatisme.

Le Soussigne, &c.,

(Translation.)

_Therapia, October_ 17, 1843.

The Undersigned, Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the King of the French at the Ottoman Porte, has received orders from his Government to make the following communication to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

It has been with a painful astonishment that the King's Government has learnt the late execution of an Armenian who, after embracing the Musulman religion, returned to the faith of his fathers, and who, for this act alone, has been capitally punished, because he refused to redeem his life by a fresh recantation.

In vain can the imperious terms of the law be appealed to for an explanation of so lamentable an act. It might have been supposed that a system of law formed for other times had fallen into desuetude; and at all events it was too easy to overlook such a circ.u.mstance to admit of that which has happened being considered as one of those lamentable cases of necessity, in which policy sometimes finds not so much a justification as an excuse.

Even had not humanity, whose name has never been vainly invoked in France, been so cruelly hurt by the punishment of this Armenian,--even could the King's Government, which has always protected, and ever will protect, the Christian religion in the East, forget that it is Christianity which has been thus cruelly outraged,--the interest which it takes in the Ottoman Empire and in its independence would still cause it to behold what has occurred with profound regret.

That independence can in these times find a real security only in the support of the public opinion of Europe. The efforts of the King's Government have been constantly directed towards obtaining for it that support. This task will become much more difficult after an act which will excite universal indignation throughout the whole of Europe.

The King's Government considers that it discharges an imperious duty in making known to the Porte the impression which has been made upon it by an event unfortunately irreparable, and which, were it to occur again, would be likely to cause real danger to a Government weak enough to make such concessions to a hateful and lamentable fanaticism.

The Undersigned, &c.,

Inclosure 2 in No. 8.

_Sir Stratford Canning to M. Pisani_.

Sir, _Buyukdere, October_ 30, 1843.

In presenting to the Minister for Foreign Affairs the accompanying translation of an instruction addressed to me by the Earl of Aberdeen, with reference to the Armenian who was lately executed at Constantinople, you will be careful to impress his Excellency with a conviction of the deep and painful sentiments excited throughout Great Britain by that deplorable act.

You will require that the instruction be forthwith submitted not only to his Highness the Grand Vizier, but also to His Imperial Majesty the Sultan.

A copy of this letter, with a translation in Turkish, is to be left with Rifaat Pasha.