New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-05
The InsurreetIon in Crete.
ArprAl 70 THE UNITED STATES.

APPEAL TO THE UNITED STATES.
London peppers state that the committee of depu-
ties in Crete have agreed to the following address
to the President of the United States:
Mr.. President-The GreeksIsland of Crete, the
native country of Jupiter and Mlnos, glorious in
the ancient times and happy insignificant to-day
and unhappy, signs before the Christian world
under the heavy yoke of the Mnssulman. Taking
up arms with the rest Of Greece in the glorious
struggle of 1921, in order to gain its liberty, it
has suffered al the woes of the history of that
epoch, which is only series of tragedies Our
fathers had Whitened the plains with their bones
during that nine years. struggle, and thousands of
women and children captured had been sold as
slaves, even the elder Of whom had done their part
Sin the pitiful drama. We had by general good
fortune gained all Of the country of the island and
one of the strongest forresses, and we hoped that
the time had come for us, like our Greek brothers,
the happy hour Of liberty, but we were disap-
pointed. Our sacrifice not being considered suti-
Gent we must suffer new dispensations.
Inexorable policy had delivered US anew to the
Ottoman yoke first under the yiceroy of Egypt and
then under the sultan. The three powers, in or
der to soften the injustice promised US on the 10th
i.of February and the Sth of August 1880, in the
protocols of London, at least paternal government
and assigned rights, but unfortunately even these
little benefits the government would not grant us.
The action of diplomacy was unjust and against
the nature of things and showed how human work
and that of wise men come to nought, for from
that time the island has never been quiet to enjoy
the blessings of peace, but is alwaysin cOnyul-
sion, and sometimes struggles for its only desire,
it's freedom, and sometimes for the performance
of the promises made 1.-THE protocols. In 1883
there was a revolution which was drowned in
blood. In 1S4l another had the same fate In
1868 ne asked the restitution of our rights, and
the putting in execution of the Haiti Humayoun,
but nothing was given except false promises. In
1861 q part of the people, on account of the op-
pressions and injustice of the governor, and by
their Ignorance, fell for moment into the traps
of the Catholic propaganda, believing that by
that means they would gain their liberty. A long
task, Mr. President, would be the relating of our
sufferings, in which every right thinking observer
must sympathise. Heavy taxes, and dispropor-
tionate TO our gains, we pay in different ways and
none of the benefits which the subjects of every
well governed kingdom obtain do we have. Trf-
bunals we have only in name, and Justice is
thing unknown to us; the government is the arbi-
trary Wiltof the governor.
Our children, from the lack OF schools, are
reared in the darkness of ignorance; in no public
position are we accepted; our evidence before the
tribunals has not the came weight as that of the
0ttomans. The evil that the Mussulmans do us is
seldom punished; religious liberation, which is SO
often proclaimed, is perverted and made vain.
We ourselves from the little means we have, sup
port our clergy, and, with little exception, our
schools Our language, which is the language Of
the country with Christian and Ottoman, is not
accepted at the tribunals; the government collects
only the taxes without rendering us any of the
simplest benefits. Such il, in few words, our
condition, the bettering Of which we have asked
many times from our government. This year, in
the month of May, we asked of the sultan, in the
peaceful and respectful way which is fitting relief
from the heavy loads equal Justice, the execution
| of some governmental reforms of those promised
| us by the protocols, and the Accomplishment of
the published Haiti Humayoun, which many times
have been promised to the Christians, nothing
being given.
Unfortunately tile Sublime Porte thought fit to-
throw contempt on our first petitions without ex-
aiming them, but to insult rs, and threaten our
chiefs that it would imprison them in the fortresses
unless they have written promises never again to
make complaint to it, and sent many soldiers and
ships in order to injure US. Being in such a des-
perate condition, we took mp arms to sustain our
selves against violence, and maintain with our
blood the sacred rights which as reasonable crea-
lures we have, the Tightyto demand. The struggle
which we have entered on is great as we are few
and weak. We have before US the colossal power
of one of the empires, but we have confidence in
our rights, and commend the unequal struggle to
the God who is the strength Of the powers of the
old and new world, being ready to sacrifice our
selves all for this. By origin and religion, by Ian
guage and tradition, we belong to the Greek race,
and our proper place is q part of the kingdom of
Greece. Such is the statement of the case.
And what does the Ottoman Empire gain by us2
Being subject to it we accomplish nothing except
continual and periodical disturbances and coils
ions; while being united with our mother race,
beside the bettering of ourselves will complete
the fullness of that nation which by the absence
OF its members is made unsound. Mr.. President,
II injustice in your mother land was set right by
the sacred struggle which, through the Divine
blessing, was conducted to triumph by the ever
to be-remembered Washington, how is ours JUS
titled? We should be happy if we had only the
shadow of the benefits which your country gained
in that epoch. Being in such condition, we, the
respectfully undersigned representatives of the
Cretan Christian people, dare to ask, Mr.. Presi
dent the interoession Of the great democracy over
which you happily preside, il order that our mat
tiers may obtain attention from the cabinets of the
great European powers. Blessing the Highest for
the prosperity and strength of the glorious democ
racy of the United States of America we take the
liberty of subscribing ourselves the humble SER
wants of your e3cellency, the representatives of
the Cretan people.
Here follow the signatures