The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-09-23
INTERSECTION OF CRETE.

show himself. and the insurgents, awe
struck, would hasten to surrender, and
give up a hopeless contest; but events
proved his antieipations to be incorrect.
As soon as be left Canea, he was aSsai.ed
by repeated and unlooked-for attacks. All
the de6les were strongly fortified, and he
vainly endeavored to dislOdge the Chris
tians who defended them. As soon as his
back was turned, the country he had
taken possession of was at once re-taken
by his obstinate antagonists. His con-
voys, when venturing to any distance from
the sea-shore, we're intercepted, and his
means OF communication with the forts
constantly cut of. Under these circum-
stances, he became filed with revenge
full wrath, and, in trayersing the DIS
tricts of Retimo and Mylopotsmo, he
destroyed and burned down everything be
met on his way. The richest province Of
the Island was changed into wilderness !
I LAssithi shared the same fate. The
Turks no longer made any distinction be-
tween the villages inhabited by insurgents
and those which submitted to their au-
thority. All were burned down, and the
Christians, without exception, murdered
in the most disgraceful manner-their ears
and heads being exposed in the public
squares Of the cities; the wounded merci-
lessly beheaded, and whole families burned
alive in their own houses. NJ. Murray, a.
English naval officer, Mr.. Dickson, H. B.
Ms Consul, Mr.. Tricou, French Consul,
and several others, bear witness to the
above statements.
Things came to such climax that all
the foreign agents. without exception,
could no longer refrain from showing thsir
indignation. On the 2lst Of July, the
French Consul wrote a dispatch to the
French Charge d'Afaires at Constantine
pie, which, after describing the barbarous
conduct of the 5achi-bozouks, finished by
stating that the Turks had proceeded
from powerlessness to wrath, and from
wrath to determination.
On the same day. Mr.. Dickson sent to
Mr. Ellis, the English Charge dAfaires at
Constantinople, a similar dispatch, in
which he requested him to let him know
if, in case hostilities did not cease, foreign
ships could not be allowed to take away
from the Island the Christian families who
would ike to leave it. 10 the following
week, the Consuls of England, France,
Russia, and Austria, horror-stricken at the
increasing cruelties, addressed to their re-
spectiye Governments, dispatches worded /
in identical terms, informing them that
" massacres of women and children were |
daily taking place; that the proper au-
thorities were unable to repress the insur-
rection, or put an end to the atrocities /;
and that it was absolutely necessary, on
the score of humanity, that the women
and children should be taken away to /
Greece"
The statesmen of Great Britain have
always aimed at acting consistently in
all points of their foreign policy, and as the
of the integrity of the Otto
man Empire is one of the principles form
ing the basis of their policy in Oriental
affairs, the English Consul received by re-
turn of mail dispatch, in postscript to
which it was stated "that there were no
reasons justifying English ships in taking
Cretans from their country to Greece"
Mr.. Murray, who had communicated his
wish TO save some of the victims from the
cruelties of 0mer Pasha, was requested to
let the matter stand, and informed that
nothing was to be changed from his former
This is certainly very log
cal course, but are there not circumstances
Il which those who hold in their hands
The fate of their fellow creatures, may
ihink that a moment of compassion, or
of sympathy, is still better
han all the skill Of the world?
Notwithstanding the attitude taken by
England, Russia and France sent instruc-
ions to the commanders of their squad
ons in the Leyant, by which they were
to take away from Crete the
women. children and old people DESTROYS
# escaping from the evils of the var
When this decision was made known to
lin, Fuad Pasha protested and Illuminated,
Iut after reflection, he declared that the
rOOps and ships under the command of
)mer Pasha would not prevent by force
be embarkation Of the fugitiyes. 1t was
he only means left to Turkey to avoid
lore cruel humiliation. The Russian En-
assador declared that if they attempted
0 hinder the Russian ships from accom-
fishing their mission of humanity, the
had instructions not to mind
:, but to 90 on Omer Pasha showed the
anne discomfort when he saw the Russian
nd French vessels. He wanted, as Prince
used to say, to suppress the
lsurrection BY suppressing the population,
I'D they had untimely interfered before he
ad done his task of destruction
One can easily imagine the rapture of