The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-22 00:00:00

_
ur 111%1' .0 ilOlllO yOU to reetity say haw
iu the cuuutry where 3ou

tr•le
sufa,• to till you that these is not one
to I e itatrllltlOS put forward in some j
▪ , tr.u:l
Lave deltoid an extension et' territory, or a
Vs anat
peallJa of •iur Asiatic frontier, or the right of no-
-91.";" ai.gme..ng the Patriarchs of Comtantinople,
AI ether protectorate tending to exceed that
cxera+e
•
•
thulitionally, fitefo, and of right, in
g'•-sef anterior treaties. You are sufliriently
„„
eu,e t.:MP ~
with the fichog of the Emperor to know that
et iayeted
ufav .100 1.0: desire the ruin and destruc:ion of the
•
pme;re, which be has twice saved ; that, on the
• s's •
he ha. always regarded, and still regards, the
lbw a. the best possible combination to
rivr:..ebrto.to all those European interests which world
L- into conflict should a void he made ; and I
t, the protection of the Green Ruseian rune In
to order to watch over its interests, we have no
Is7olt .other rights than those which are assured to us by
twat mates, our position, the influence which results
Moth rel.•aimis sympathies existing between 50,000,000
of ;he Greek rite, and the great majority of the
ems of the Sultan ; an influence which bile
11Cen:esti rah;
ed tje ages, which is inevitable, because it exists in
lie. and sot is winds; an influence which the Emma,
{,0.1 airs oly operating when he ascended the theme,
tho • o Is he cannot renounce in deference to unjust suspi-1
sea, without sbandouing the glorious heritage of his
,
pr accessory.
I write to till you how little foundation there is for the
• circulated on the subject of Prince Mencliikon
ohch has had no other object than the arraage-
mrs: et the cuirstion of the holy places.
It would be too long, Monsieur, were I to trace in detail
Ike hot,ry of all the phases through which this has passed
awe Mai yeas 1650. This question, it is satisfactory to know,
esenefint raised by us. We knew too well that it was big
with cosaequenoes for the peace of the East, and perhaps
else for the peace of the world. We have not ceased front the
tint to call the serious attention of the principal cabiailealle
the psalms which was preparing for us, and to the grave
eventuality to which it might give rise, and the successive
gen topmost which it has taken, bringing on the present
sass, has only too well justified our previsions. It will
gieto. for the moment to recsl to your recollection that in
oesetuence of the first concessions obtained by France, in
Spoor of the Latins at Jerusalem, end to the detriment of
ter ancient privileges enjoyed by the Greeks, the Emperor,
went each day that the evident partiality of the Porte for
the Lain* lea it into concessions more and more grave for
the rights and interests of the Oriental church, found him-
self compelled to address an amicable but serious letter to
the Sultan. The result of this act was first the convocation
of a committee formed esclmively of Turkish Clem's,
which undertook to make an arrangement proper to coo.
ciliate the various pretensions; then, afer long discussions,
a responsive letter of the Sultan reached the Emperor, an
wincing the solution of the question, and containing the
wee solemn promises that the rights granted to the Greek
smicasunities by the Porte should be maintained. A flramen.,
which contained the details of this arrangement was, at the
woe time communicated to us. At the head of this firman
sa autographic Ilatti-Sherif of the Sultan acknowledged
and consecrated in the most formal manner the anterior
acts granted to the Greeks at different epochs, renewed by
Sauk lishmoud, and confirmed by the reigning sovereign.
Mthough this letter end roman were conceived in •
spirit, and in terms which departed somewhat
from the strict stars pew which we were anthers
to maintain, still these documents having ago
Seared to the Emperor to satisfy to a certain geld
his Just Kilian!' for the interests and immunities of the
flusso•Greek cult at Jerusalem, • conciliatory desire in-
duced his majesty to accept them. Ile recognised them
so as to give them the value of a definitive and solemn en-
gagement.
la presence of these categoric documents, officially coon
Maaicated, alter a long and painful negotiation the impe-
ril government was certainly entitled to consider clewed a
debate which his moderation had prevented becoming
dangerous, and which left the Latins in possession of new
advastages. You know that unhappily it wax not thus
far I should be led to, were I to relate here all the acts of
weakness, tergiversation, and duplicity which marked the
conduct of the Ottoman authorities, when the time win
come to fulfil the engagements which they had contracted
toward us, and to proceed to Jerusalem, according to the
usual forms, to promulgate and register the execution o
the fireman. Sent fur this purpose to the Holy City, ac-
cording to the explicit assurance given to our mission at
Constantinople, the Turkish commissary, when on the spot,
dared to tell our consul, who insisted on the reading and
tecotration of the firman, that he knew nothing of the docu-
meat, sod that it was not mentioned in Ms instructions. Sub- I
sequently, upon our reclamation, the firman was read and
registered at Jerusalem, but then only with restrictions
damaging to the oriental faith. But the dispositions of the
act itself have been openly transgressed. The most flagrant
infraction of it was the placing the key of the principal gate
of the church at Bethlehem in the hands of the Latin
patriarch. This act was contrary to the exorets words of
the &inn. It profoundly wounded the clergy and all the
population of the Russo-Greea rite, because, according to
the ideas at:epted in l'ilestine, the possession of this key
seems to imply possession of the whole temple. The go-
vernment of the Sultan thus proclaims in the eyes of all
the supremacy which it accords to • rite which is not that
of the majority of its subjects.
Such forgetfulness of the most positive promises contained
in the letter of the Sultan to the Emperor—such open want
of faith, were certainty of • nature to autbotise our august
master, wounded in his dignity, in kis friendly confidence,
in his religion which is common to him with his people, to
demand a signal satisfactien. He preferred, however, to
obtain this satisfaction by pacific means. Ile endeavoured
Once moos to enlighten the sovereign of Turkey respecting
the wrongs which he was committing towards us
as well as against his own interests. For this
purpose he sent Prince hfenchikoff to Constantinople.
Ru mission had no objects not relative to the affairs of
the Holy Plates. He was first to negotiate instead of the
armee, which bad been neutralised, a new arrangement,
which,, without depriving the Latins of the advantages
which they had gained (for be did sot wish to place the
Forte in the false position towards Frown in which she had
placed herself towards us), should at least explain thew
concenous in a 'sinner to remove the appearance of a vie-
tory gained over the Greek church, and re-establish by
means of legitimate compensations the equilibrium which
had been disturbed.
Secondly, the object of the negotiation was to corroborate
this arrangement by as authentic set, which might be to us
at once a reparation ter the pest and a guarantee for the
This first pert of our easbasirdoes mansion, very diffi-
cult and thorny in itself, since it concerned the regulation
of the reciprocal, but coatTedidery, rights and interests of
Rsseia and Franco was conducted is an extreme spirit of
conciliation, to which, we are glad to say it, the French go-
vernment on its part responded. After long discussions,
two new firmed were obtained, with the acquiescence of
tb French ambassador.
But as I have just said, the question to be settled pre-
sented another side. To obtain an arrangement was ant
a:I Without an act which should give it validity, and sae
us a guarantee that the sew Simons would be executed,
it is evident that thew documents could have no value is
our eyes. The Emperor attached to this peculiar import-
acce,because, in fact, it constituted the only reparation which
he demanded for ass outrage to his dignity. This Prime
Ideochikoff was charged to obtain, by means of a cowed•
tom whish be was to sign with the Turkish government,
Ot treaty, properly so called, there was no question. The
form of this convention has been loudly declaimed against,
as if it attainted in some way }he sovereign right of the Sa-
tan, as conferring upon us, in fact, in the name of religisa,
A right to intersneddle perpetually in the interior dialed
Turkey. We believe that those who say so only conjure
phantom of their own imagination.
principle, neither • oenvention Doc even a MeV
would have had anything unusual about it, sad we eadlel
understand how it would have been mote ea &dant to the
rights of the Sultan than the capitulations or other ads
which Austria:and France already possess in Turkey. Fee
In principle—that is to say, in what concerns the indepen-
dence of the Sultan—it matters little whether as act ap-
plies to a large or small number of the subjects in foveae of
whom foreign protection is exercised. A guarantee by
treaty assured in another state to the interests of • foreign
communion, has always been customary. At the epoch of
the Reformation, states, even great catholic states, have
concluded treaties or conventions with other states, gua-
ranteeing privileges to protestant& in their own territories.
But these states have not considered that their sovereign
rights arid political independence are:injured by such coa-
/rations. Hoge much more, then, may such acts be con- I
eluded with a Mussulman state, the Christian subjects of
which have so often suffered in property as well as in
rights
As to the fact, the thing exists already, and the form of a
convention each as we pcopoP.o offers nothing new is the

!way ofreligious protection. The treaty of Kainardje, by
!which the Porte engages constantly to protect the Christian
religion, its ministry and churches in its 'Wee, implies
sufficiently for us a right of illance and remonstrance.
This right is again established and more clearly specified
Rin the treaty of Adrianople. Thus for eighty years we

have poeaeame d in writing the right which isnoW co- htebted,

and which is regarded as calculated to effect a revolution
in our relations with the Ottoman Porte, by conferring on
us a virtual sovereignty over the majority of its subjects.
Cute., during this lapse of time, if we bad been disposed
to abuse the power thus given to us, tt.e occasion would
not have failed, especially in later times in which
Europe delivered to anarchy, the governments power

less against interior discord, were sheorbed or dis-
tracted ►y the revolutions of the west, left us

free to follow out the ambitious views which we are sup-

posed to cherish. If we had entertained such intentions
should we have waited until peace was re-established in
Europe ? Should we have disposed of our forees so as to
offer to our neighbours a material or moral support?

Should we have laboured with zeal to reconcile our alike,