The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-10-03
The Cre.an Appeal 20 ,he United states,


The Cretnn Appeal 10 ahe United states.
The following is the text of the address to the
President of the United States, as agreed upon
by the Chamber Of the Deputies in Crete. In
consequence of this appeal, the Porte has de-
cided on accrediins minister to the UNI,
ted States, who was to leave 1Constantinople
for Washington the last of September: ,.
{, MIR. PRESIDENT Greek Island of Crete
the native country of Jupiter and Minos, glori-
GUS IN tue ancient TIMES and happy, ins1gniff-
cant to-day and unhappy sighs before the Chris
tlan world under the heavy yoke of the Mussul-
in the glorious struggle in 1871 in order to gain
It's liberty, 1t has suffered all the woes of the
history OF that epoch, which is only a series of
tragedies. Our fathers had whitened the plains
WIN their bones during that nine years strug-
gle, and thousands Of women and children can
tured had been sold as slaves, even the elder Of
whom had done their part in the pitiful drama.
w had by general good fortune gained all the
island and one ofthe strongest fortresses, and
we hoped that the time had come for us, like
our GReek hretherss the happy hpnr of liberty;
/ put we Were disapponted. Our sacrifice not
being Considered sufficient, we must suffer new
dispensations. Inexorabfe policy had delivered
us anew tothe Ottoman yoize.,l ,ss7Lslass ~.
The three great, Powers, in order to soften
the ihjustice, promised us on the 10th Of Feb
rnaFy and the 9Th Of August, 1880, in the proto-
coils Of London, at least paternal .gouernment
and assigned rights; but unfortunately even
these little benefits the Government would not
grant u.s. This action Of diplomacy was unjust
and Against che nature Of things, and showed
how hunaan work and thatof wise men come
to noughA for Nq4 that time the island has
never been quiet enough to enjoy the BLESSINGS
OF peace, bat Is always In 6oiivulsions, and
sometimes struggles for its onlydesire, its free
dom, and sometimes for the performance of the
promises made the nrnfooOIo Tn 1Q2Q
was revolution, which was drowned in blood.
In AlS4l another had the same fate In 1853 we
asked the restitution of our rights, aud putting
IN execution of the Haiti Humayoun; but moth
ing was given except false promises. In 1851
part OF the people, on account of the Oppres-
sions and injustice of the Governor, and by
tnelr ignorance, fell for moment into the traps
OF the Catholic propaganda, believing that BY
tnat means they would gain their liberty.
"A long task Mr.. President, would be the re-
iating OF our sufferinps, in which every right
thinking observer must sympathize. Heavy
taxes, and disproportionate to our poor gains
we pay in different ways, and none of the ben
efits which the subjects of every well-goyerned
Kingdom obtain do we have. Tribunals we
have only in name, and Justice is o thing un-
known to us: the government is the arbitrary
will of the governor Our children, from the
lack of schools, are reared in the darkness OF
Ignorance IN no public position are we accept
ed; our evidence before the tribunals has not
the same weightas that ofthe o Otomans. The
evil that the Mussulmans do us is seldom pun
ished religious liberation which is SO often pro-
claimed is perverted and made vain. We our
selves, from the little means we have, support
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. = ,,s.,- -
Such is 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 prom
ised us by the protocols, and the accsmplish-
ment Of the published HATH Humayoun, which
many times have been promised to Che Chris
tians, nothing being given. Unfortunately the
Sublime Porte thought fit to throw contempt
on our first petitions without examining them
but to insult us, and threaten our chiefs that
1t would imprison them in the fortresses unless
they should write promises never again to
make complaint to it and sent many soldiers
and ships in order to injure US. Being in such
desperate condition, we took up arms to sus-
tain ourselves against violence and maintain
with our blood the sacred rights which "a reas-
enable creatures we have the right to demand.
The struggle which we have entered on is
great, and we are few and weak. We have be-
fore us the colossal power of one of the en-
spires, 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
language ana tradition, sEa helnng to.th9 Graak
race, and our proper place Is part Of the
kingdom of Greece. Such is the statement OF
the case. And what does the Ottoman EN-
pire gain by US? Being subject to it we 40
complish nothing except continual and period
fical disturbances and collisions while being
united with our mother race beside the better
ing of ourselves, We will complete the fullness
ofthat nation which by, the absence of its MEM
bers Is made unsound. r." p - ''''' 'ii
Mr.. President if Justice in your mother land
was set right by the sacred struggle which
through the Divine blessing, was conducted tC
triumph by the ever-to- aforementioned Wash.
ington, how is ours justified? We should be
happy if we had only the shadow of the bene-
tits which your country gained in that epoch
Being in such condition, we the respectfully
undersigned representatives Of the CretanC Chris.
tian people, dare to ask Mr. President, the in
tercessiOn of the great democracy over which
you happily preside, in order that our matters
may obtain attention from the Cabinets of the
great European Powers Blessing the High
est for the prosperity and strength of the glo-
rious democracy of the United States of Am
erica, we take the liberty of subscribing our
selves the humble servants of your Excellency,
the representatives of the Cretan people.
.t!a- Hero follow the sigaatures.I