The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-30
WARS HORRORS.

WARS HORRORS.
THE discussions in the Turkish Cham
Der of Deputies with regard to the mas
sacres of Greeks in VIA and its neigh
borhood have been of the warmest
character. Petraki Effendi, the repre-
sentative of Rustchuk, has taken the
most active part. The only denial
which has been given to the facts stated
is by MuStapha Bey, who stated that
1.-The religion of Islam does not permit
the preparation of the acts imputed to
the Circassians. Therefore, as Mussul-
mans, they could not have committed
them" Whether they We're committed by
the Circassians in any other capacity than
as Mussulmans Mustapha does not say.
1t is fair to add that the great majority
of the members of the Chamber, Chris
tians and Noslems, alike, joined in the
demand for strict investigation, and
for the punishment of the offenders.
[ had prepared summary of the
facts set out in the debate in the
Chamber, but at the last moment
have received the following statement,
compiled from official sources, and
embodying the report to the Greek
Patriarch, which sets out the circum-
stances more fully than the report of
what was said in the Chamber does.
This will give a notion of the renewal
upon the Greek population of Eastern
Rumelia of what aroused the indigna-
ton of Europe when committed in
Southwestern Bulgaria:
On the 22nd of January the Command
,,,C hiaF NToIn,,nt
ing from the localities north of Adrian
ople, passed through VIA at the head
of an army of $4,000, and stayed one
night in the town. The inhabitants
spared no pains or money in providing
for the comfort of the General and his
army. Before taking his departure on
the following day the Pasha gave
orders to the civil governor of the town
to remain constantly there, protecting
the life, honor and the property of the
population, and not to leave the place
unless such circumstances should arise
as would render it impossible for him
to stay. The inhabitants, laboring
under great agitation, owing to certain
rumors which had reached them of at
tacks and raids committed elsewhere by
ShSdooIdhS, wal III pCSSCu VI lhC
Pasha to leave in the town a small de-
tachment of his forces to guard the
country, and, in case of need, be there
to repulse any possible attacks on the
part of marauders. The Pasha, how
ever, refused this request, on the ground
that any such detachment left behind
might ultimately have its line of retreat
cut off, adding that there were other
detachments coming after him which
had orders to halt wherever their pres
ence might be required, and to which
he requested the inhabitants to show the
same courtesy that they had shown to
himself and his army, and prepare the
provisions they would necessarily re-
guire. The same things were repeated
to them by the officers who passed
through on the following day. The in
habitants, exclusively Greeks, immedi-
ately set to work and prepared such a
quantity of bread and provisions as
would have sufficed for the requirements
of double the number of the forces eX-
pected, and, having got everything for
their reception ready, waited for their
coming, like hospitable innkeepers, at
the very doors of their houses.
In the midst of the refugees, follow
ing in the wake of Mehemet Ali Pasha,
and who since the day before had been
constantly passing through the town,
there suddenly appeared, coming to-
ward VIA, a large body of armed men,
consisting entirely of Bashi-Bazouks,
Zeibecs and Circassians. Not the slight
est suspicion of them entered into the
minds Of the population. On the con-
trary, some of the townspeople, in ODE
dience to the orders received from the
Commander-in-C Chief, and confding in
the assurance given by him and his of
ticers, went fearlessly forward to meet
the newcomers, and offer the provis-
ions they had prepared. 1t is at this
point that the curtain is drawn up, and
a sight presented to the world so ghast-
ly that the understanding fails to COM
prehend it, and before which magma
ton itself becomes distracted with hor-
ror and wonder. No sooner were they
in the town than these savage herds of
marauders, without single word of
explanation or warning, fell like hun
CRY wolves upon the unprepared and
peaceful inhabitants, seized almost all
of them, and, after plundering them OF
what they happened to have about their
persons, obliged them by pointing their
guns at their heads to say whether and
where they had any money hidden.
There is no torture which they did not
invent in order to extract from the
mouths of their victims such a confess
sion. Massacres, murders, tortures,
mutllations, rapine, pillage, fire-such
was their Internal programme. Priests
were seized, insulted, and ultimately