The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-07 00:00:00

THE SULTAN'S FIRMAN.

The following is the firman lately addressed by
the Sultan to Mustapha Pacha, general-in-chief of
the Imperial army of Batoum, interdicting the
commerce of slaves in the Black Sea :

" Man is the most noble of all the creatures formed
by the hands of God, who destined him to be happy
in making him free-born ; but, contrary, to that deci-
sion, the Circassians indulge in the strange habit of
selling their children and relatives as slaves, and even
of stealing children from each other, in order to
sell them like animals or articles of furniture. These
proceedings, incompatible with the dignity of man,
and contrary to the will of the sovereign Creator, are
altogether reprehensible, and I condemn them absolutely.
Wherefore, I have just given orders that, to prevent
that state of things from being continued, counsels and
directions should be given to the Circassians, and at the
same time proper measures be adopted to prevent the
embarkation of slaves on the coast ; and in order that
this decision be known to all the civil and military autho-
rities in these districts, the present firman has been ren-
dered expressly by my Imperial divan. Wherefore, a
vizir being thus informed of what I desire, you will pro-
ceed with that zeal and high intelligence which distin-
guish you, to make known my sovereign will to the
Circassians and all others concerned, by publishing it in
the most detailed manner. You will do all that your
sagacity and experience will suggest to you to put an
end to that traffic, and to prevent the passage and em-
barkation of slaves in the waters under your command ;
and besides, as it is urgent to punish all who contra-
vene these orders, and are guilty of selling their children
or reiatives, or the children or relatives of others, you
will not lose sight of that point ; in fine, you will pay
every attention to do everything indicated above, and
you will show full respect to the noble cipher with which
the present document is adorned. Given in the second
decade of the month of Mouharrem, 1271 (beginning of
October, 1854)."

(From the Siecle. )
Facts begin to declare themselves. While the
Russians continue to employ their means is la Rostopchin,
mutilating themselves in order to injure their enemies,
look at the spectacle presented by that "stationary Go-
vernment" the Turkish. We have already had from it
the free confirmation of the privileges granted to the
Greek Christians, the institution of mixed tribunals,
and the Hatti-Houinayoun against the corruption of
functionaries. These political reforms do not suffice for
it. It appears that it wishes to reconcile itself com-
pletely with philosophy and with the human race.
Henceforward, Russia alone in Europe will have her
slaves, and what is more anti-Christian, Russian-born
slaves, her Muscovite serfs, for whom the Czar, in order
to have soldiors, now traffics with his embarrassed nobles.
As to Turkey she repudiates slavery from whatever
quarter and for the profit of whomsoever it may come.
There can be uo longer an accusation brought forward
of the whole country being sacrificed for the pleasure
of the Sultan and the Vizir. Listen to the magnificent
preamble of the finnan which abolishes the slave-trade
on the coast of Circassia. 'Man,' says Abd-ul-Medjid,
is the most noble of the creatures which came out
of the bands of God, who destined him for happi-
ness, by causing him to be borne free.' After such
words, pronounced in the face of a nation composed so
long of its captives, its harems, and its janissaries, who
will longer deny the progress and the multiplicity of the
means which Providence makes use of to make it burst
forth. "God willed that man should ho happy, and he gave
him liberty." What philosopher could have expressed him-
self better? Liberty, the instrument and the indispensable
condition of happiness ! What political practician has ever
put forth a more complete and more fruitful truth? Follow
up, then,'Governments, the designs of God ! Do not op-
pose the happiness of free men, your people, by your
laws and your exigencies ! If the only result of this
sanguinary war which is now being carried on be this
declaration of the Sultan, of that Sultan who only a short
time ago represented the most immutable and infallible
despotism, and this proclamation of the rights of man
free and happy by destination, wo shall not repent of
having believed in the future of the struggle com-
menced between the East and the West. Contests
have frequently taken place for more trifling causes.
We areknot ignorant that the Russians, in order to jus-
tify their war of extermination in the Caucasus, had
previously ordered measures to prevent the sale of
slaves. But let the Czar, therefore, dare in the
face of his millions of serfs, and the millions of serfs
of his nobles, his first slaves, to declare that man is
born free, and that in creating him free, God wished to
make him happy ! Let him, therefore, dare, b y his word
of Autocrat and Pontiff, to break the bonds in which he
murders the body and soul of two-thirds of his subjects
Let him take up the generous gauntlet thrown down by !
the Sultan, and let him combat him with reforms Let
him open to civilised Europe the whole of Russia ;
let him receive it at St. Petersburg as Abd-ul-Medjid
receives it at Constantinople ; let him no longer
make any difference between the orthodox Russian and
the Catholic Pole ; let him place a curb on his perse-
cuting clergy ; let him establish tribunals where privi-
leged distinctions shall no longer prevail ; let him declare
war against the corruption of his functionaries ! .A.llons !
Despots, the lists are opened ! Let us not too much
censure our times ; it is not a contemptible epoch when
it does not depend on success alone to legitimise
causes. Certainly after having driven the Russians from
the Lower Danube, after having interested in its defence
great States such as France, England, and A%stria, the
Turkish Government, as well as so many other govern-
mentsplinpin,et:oolabrtnrn ea:moments
nocoorthfsopi
monarchies,
tinhosht
ifeaotbtnopae.;amgbseiebtavii
ettanritnoyirnoauyiosagbbdbluail
viretpg:laplaneaet:ctti-aioecilgtnoeeiert
according
:cnrnaghecuoi
aei sftsts foes:
eirgotxt,ollnt.
further
extreme
gained
etmgeht
cireeguaraisni
perilsti
oatnoensemdd the
hpiionne-ft
path of liberty, of progress, and of humanity.

-----
FAILURE AT AnnnoAvr.—Great consternation baa
been caused here by the failure of the Messrs. Brown
and Sons, tanners and curriers. The amount is npid to
ezma 90,0001.—Atinfrose Standard.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
NORTH BRITISH INSURANCE, COMPANY V. LLOYD AND

OTHERS.
Mr. Knowles applied to the Court for a rule to show
cause why the verdict in this case for the plaintiff should
not be entered for the defendant, or a new trial had. It
appeared that the plaintiffs had advanced Sir Thomas
Branker, of Liverpool, 10,0001., upon the security of
certain shares and a bill of exchange for 2,0001. accepted
by the knight's brother, Mr. James Branker;
it being understood that if the market value
of the shares should ever so fall in value
as to be not more than twenty per cent.
in excess of the loan, some additional security
should be given to the lenders. Subsequently, at the
instance of Mr. James Branker, the company consented
to give up the 2,0001. bill if the four defandants in this
case would become guarantees for 5001. each, and
thereupon Sir Thomas Branker went to those gentlemen
and said, " The North British have threatened to sell
my shares unless I find them some better security for
their loan—will you become my sureties for 2,000 ?"
They consented to do so ; but ultimately the insurance
company had to come upon them for the 2,0001., and as
they soon discovered that the bill transaction bad
been concealed from them, they resisted the claim ea
the ground that they had•been induced to give the gua-
rantee by fraud and concealment, but at the trial that
allegation was held to be immaterial to the case, and
the plaintiff obtained a verdict. Counsel for the de-
fendant, on the other hand, contend that the plaintiff
ought to have mentioned the bill to the defendant, but
the Court seemed to think that as there was nothing
fraudulent in the concealment, it could hardly i
be said that it vitiated the guarantee. Bow'
ever, the Court would take time to consider
the question of whether this particular disclosure ought
to have been made, but at the same time they pro..
nounced an opinion that if a creditor was bound to dig-
close all circumstances, irrespective of fraud, upon
changing his securities, there would be an end to the
safety or validity of all guarantees. They could, there
fore, assent to no such general rule.