The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-04 00:00:00

I'ROTEST OF THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH

MINISTERS AT ATHENS.
We read in the AI oniteur :—" The circumstances
Which led to the rupture of relations between
Minister
and Greece will be remembered. The
zwlinister of the Sultan at the Court of King Otho
Was charged by his Government to demand from
the Hellenic Cabinet explanations on the different
acts which proved the complicity of that Cabinet in
the revolt of Epirus. The Minister of Foreign
Affairs, M. Paicos, replied by recriminations, pre-
tending that Greece alone had a right to complain,
that Turkish troops had invaded the Hellenic
frontier, and had committed acts of sanguinary
violence on the territory of the kingdom. The
Ministers of France and England having, as repre-
Bentatives of the protecting Powers, received a com-
munication of the reply of M. Paicos to the represen-
tions of Nechet Bey came to an understanding to
'iProceedas,g to a scrupulous investigation on the facts
illeged by the Greek Government. It appears
ti the most formal manner from this investiga-
peu that not only none of the grievances of M.
iraieos was founded, but that the violation of the
„„Mier and the sanguinary acts with which he
charged the Turkish authorities were committed
olrY the Greek authorities and troops. It has, more-
l) er, been demonstrated by details given by the
qersons who took part in the aggression that the
erreek Government could not have been led into
iedr, and that it had a full and complete knots-
-110 ge of all the incidents of the affair, when,
thee to Nechet Bey, it accused the Turks of being
aoraseallthors of them. Less surprise will be felt at
"" a strange proceeding, when it is known that
theof
Cabinet of Athens still endeavours by all means
ef 113:taire Greece believe that its policy is approved
CY the great Powers, and that M. Paicos has
eeeded in disguising from the country and the
ambers the representations addressed to him
e°ncert by the Ministers of France, England,
Austria,th and Prussia, to induce him to satisfy
~t 3 demands of the Envoy of the Porte. M.
1v..1111 Rouen and M. Wyse have thought that it
Government
duty to make known to the Hellenic
do",i. ernment the sentiments with which such con-
-" vas calculated to inspire them. Iu conse-
Pa:nee they presented the following note to M.

" Athens, 20th April.
oh" Sir—We have purposely abstained from making any
Bervation on the note which you addressed to Nechet
the). 00 the 7th March last, and of which a copy has been
twllB4lited to us in our quality of representatives of the
Tn°,l)rotecting Powers—a note in which you pretend that
111,,11dali troops have passed the frontier, aud have, with
10;11inary acts of ~tiolence, invaded the Hellenic territory
reili
La rigorous investigation of the facts on which the
aor:' is founded should have permitted us to pro-
h,,7e,e definitively on the subject of the grievances
eenr",em. set forth. This investigation has been pro-
c''',ed to by all the means Chich an honest and
tartilleebere desire to ascertain the truth could furnish
IC have been questioned, and places and circum-
eratiresdexa. mined. We are obliged to say, both on account
utaes which we have to fulfil to our respective go-
:l'm:lents, and of the general interest of truth, that a
at number of proofs of incontestable exactitude has led
‘o Conclude that the accusation made in your note, far
-",,,,.111 having any foundation, leads to a result diametrically
results from this investigation that no corps of Albanians,
°f about 500 men,asyou° affirm, passed into the Hellenic
territory on the 26th of February pursuing the Christian
Peasants near Arta ; nor is it true that Lieutenant-Colonel
kiloctimos, commanding a battalion of light troops, after a
remonstrance made in moderate terms, ummoned the said
eorps to quit the Greek territory, neither was there any
tnga ement on the Hellenic t lastly, that the
g territory ; 110 r,
attalion, according to your assertion, rushed with im-
-stnosity on the invaders, and drove them beyond the
ntier. This engagement, in which, as you correctly
ate, 5 soldiers ands sergeant were wounded (the latter mor-
t 11 I •
-Y) as was also t e iorse of Lolonel o-
'
took place inh the presenceientenant-C of witnesses, Greeks as
as Turks, not on the Greek territory, but at some
quies from the Greek frontier, under the walls of Arta, at
lorne hundreds of stops from the cita,,el, where Lieute-
liaill'e Ski dimos with his battalion of royal
L 0.0ne.1 0 . troops,
tya.te,ning to the assistance ot haraischakis, with whom he
An communication in a time of peace,' to use your
44;trijonxepirleaswsir ,u'reauned in ceontempt of all the rules of inter-
dth Ottoman troops. By whom and
eoorety,,h,a,t reason has such a perversion of facts been con.
Who were the
u,vu What were the
hors of this machination . think that t?hat it is not neces-
84rY to causesNv e
h pronounce
'l4l remarking first duty of an accuser is
in this respect But we cannot refrain
tk, to you thatthe
tter of such gra-
th, Ke the trouble to ascertain for him. self the exactitude and
pity, real value of his roofs, and that in ama
ti di and in such a critical conjut,c
ertt artof minister is scarcely less
• ture the act of badly
ettl an ing on the pa a
INtble than that of being deceived.
Zlnetrated with this conviction, We are the more
ek
G:/,°PPertunity for a subsequent reparation if the ie
as there was ample time
ta•teraulent had been disposed to make one. But weknow
though Nechet Bey continued to reside here some
ret„ after the reception of your note, no explanation or
eriTatien was offered him before his departure for the
Itazr or the calumny of which his Government or himself
Off, the victim. As, in what concerns the gravity of the
tvitr e, and the demands of reparation, which are justified
be ~r_respeet to the offended Government, you :l.ppear to
ti04:17 sensible when Greece is supposed to be in pies-
rek_ we cannot believe that you will be so unjust as to
own'e to another country what you demand for your
that Assuredly your note on these two points is so clear
ilL,t.we could not adopt better language than :I ours—
de 'tilting only the word Turkey for that of Greece.
teeti7 Ourselves, as representatives of the two pro-
ivaeug powers, interested in the maintenance of the
LoePendence of the kingdom of Greece, which cannot
ties :more solid basis than the observation of the tree-
rnoßt _ created it, we protest in the most formal and
terri,7uergetic terms against the violation of the Ottoman
the ZrY mentioned above, aggravated as it has been by
tranaf'emPt made in the name of the Greek authorities
Part :fr,pi, it into an invasion of the Greek territory on the
Whitt, it troops. If we strongly insist on this
vhichu, it is on account of the ut.justifiable manner with
repres_You thought right, on a recent occasion, to treat the
coVatations which were addressed to you in concert with
bleat. ___.teagiles of Austria and Prussia. Our different Govern-
-404 " will learn with astonishment that a note, signed col-
Velyb3,3l,
wue representatives thia city of the four power;

and destined to support th 3 just grievances and demands
relative to such aggressions as are set forth in the note of
Nechet Bey, and which was remitted to you in time to be
communicated to the Legislature, not only was not pre-
sented to the Chambers, but that in the discussion in the
Senate on this communication so specially supported, and
in the reply to v hat was snore than an iuterpellation on
the part of the senators, no explanation was given by you
to satisfy them, no information was given of it to the pub-
lic, and no reply was transmitted to either of the minis-
ters by whom it was signed ; whereby the legitimate and
salutary effect which might have been produced in the
councils and on the public opinion of the country has
been prevented.
(Signed) "T. WI-SR.—BARON F. ROUEN."