Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-05-06
REVOLUTION AND MASSACRE IN
TUNIS.
From q French Paher.
FLORENCE. February

FLORENCE, February IS.
The most tragical events have lately ia.
ken place in Tunis. The reiypies family
has been totally extermiRated The follow.
ing are extracts from two letters written at
Goulette, which We have received by the
way OF LivourDe. We may aepend on the
correctness OF the facts they contain.
GoULETTE, January 80.
Sid Mahmoud Flassen, cousin of the reign.
ing hey of Tunis. en;oyed the confidence Of
his sovereign, whom he attempted to rem,
der pdious tn the people by all possible
means, and for long time med,tated his
rum. In the night of the 18th of December.
aiter III O'Clock, Fiassen, at the head of
great number of consprators and slaves of
dinerent religions, and having apparently
Seduced tue greatest part of the Seraelio.
ente ed the apartments of the hey and plung.
cd win his own hand a pJinard into the
heart OF the old man. At the same moment
the conspirators threw themselves on the
partlzans of Sidi Ottoman During three
arurs the friends of the assassinated prince
defended themselves with desperation
MANY were killed and nearly all wounded /.
but IN the end they found it necessary to
su65'it to the usnrper, who, in the midst of
mis- Carnage, had the good fortune to escape
unhurt himself.
While the interior of the SeragIio was in
undated with blood, the people and the
troops, accustomed to similar scenes, qnet .
y waited for the deVelopement of the hor.
rid tragedy.
The two sons of the unhappy Sid Otto
man were in their different beds with their
wives at the moment of the massacre of
thelr father. They scarcely had time to
r
the oeraslio, followed by few others, leav
ing 70 the mercy of the conspirators their
w,Ves' VINO we're massacred without pity.-
The two princes went immediately to the
suburbs, collecting as MANY of the iphabi
tants as they could, and presented them
selves at the gates Of the city, in hopes of
being supported by the people, but no one
TOOK up arms Tor them They then endeaa
vofed to make their escape. and threw
themselves into barque TO go 70 Goulette.
ihey reached there in the morning but
Mahmoud had been beforehand with them,
ana the authority was already in his hands.
lney we're instantly arrested certain of
their fate, they would have thrown them
selves into the sea, but were prevented and
closely piDioned, and put on two mules to
conduct them to Tunis At short distance
from the city they were met by their barba.
fous cousin, who ordered their throats cut
on the highway. ,
Mahmoud then returned to Tunis, where
he was recognized the absolute master of
the regency. He has gives his daughter in
marriage to Sadi Soliman Kiaja, chief Of
powerful party under the former dynasty.
and who had great influence over the peo.
pie. BY this means he gained him entirely
to his cause.
The prime minister Of the new sovereign
is Jussuf Koggia Sappatappa, to whom the
hey has promised his sister. Jussuf is fe
rocious man, who has begun his ministerial
career BY ordering the hanging of Mariana
StiBka, who enjoyed the favor Of Sidi Otto /.
man, but who had merited tSe general ha-
tired by his cruelty to the slaves, and his in
science towards the European consuls.
He was renegade, born at Sorrento, in the
kingdom of Naples, of poor and obscure
family, and who was slave at the age Of