The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-12-27
Circassian Address to the Queen OF
England.

A curious document has been delivered
at the English Foreign Office by two Cir
cassian Chiefs. 1t is an address to Queen
Victoria from the Circassian nation, pro-
testing against the aggressive war carried
on against them by Russia. The address
says:
Russia, in order to deceive the world,
conceals the very object of her continual
warfare against US and ours She ditfuses
the report amongst the civilized world
that she is fighting the Circassians simply
because they are savage, uneducated
and unrlly people, that, if left alone, would
destroy the property belonging to her
subjects in our immediate neighborhood.
1t is to show that these allegations are un-
true, and to implore protection, that We
coNe to this cs&StEy. About two years
ago, desiring to enter into the family Of
constituted nations, the Circassians and
Abyssinians elected kind of parliament,
which is now ruling our joint nations,
numbering about million souls. In con-
sequence Of this arrangement, not only
is there kind of constitutional govern
ment in our country, but oil the surround
aux u0tbOuSe 10 we'll ID tLlOSC " uO COlHe W
Us for trading purposes, are not subjected
to any kind of vexation. Should any
dishonest person attempt any wrong, the
injured receives redress, restitution Of
property, and the malelactor is severely
and lawfully punished; If the property is
lost, in that case compensation is given
from the public morey. To increase the
security and well being Of the inhabitants,
we lately framed many wel-calcuated
laws, which are put into execution by the
constituted authorities in each province.
Russia, being invidious of all the reforms
which we introduced into our country,
made great effort to crush our improve
ments. She invaded us, as before stated,
with an overwhelming force, destroyed
some Of our townships, burnt our dwell
ings and temples, contiscated all our goods,
butchered our men, and captured our wo
men and children in fine, she began the
work Of destruction against us, to emu
merate the atrocity Of which would battle
description. 81 ~ Driven to despair,
we determined to make last firm stand
sgainst our enemies with all the energy
We possessed, and the war was carried on
with fresh vigor eight months ago, caus.
ing the sacrifice of 25, 900 lives on both
sides, and an immense destruction Of
property. While we are on one side re-
peiling our enemies, and on the other try
ing to improve the government of our
country, Russia, by brute force, is trying
to conquer US. On the neutral Black Sea,
she is capturing, when she can, every
ship carrying our countrymen, so that We
have no home on land, no means of trav-
cling or refuge by sea. Still we would
rather die than submit to the yoke of
Russia. If we were to emgrate, aban-
doning our homes, for ages protected by
our forefathers, who shed their blood for
them, our poverty would prove q great
obstacle to our doing so; in fact, how
could we take our own wives and children,
and the widows, orphans, and helpless re-
lations of those slain in the war? Such
an undertaking would decimate the emf
grants and blow out forever our Circassian
name from the face of the earth. In
presence of these insurmOuntable difficult
ties we have resolved unanimously to
submit our cause to every great Power,
with The CONVICTION that they would high
ly disapprove the conduct of our foe, and
stigmatise it as it deserves.