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legal excuses and real obstacles which the Sublime Porte had, with good faith, at different times alleged on this subject.'

Finally, the fatal event at Navarin-an event unheard of and unexampled in the history of na. tions-still made no change in the amicable relations of the Sublime Porte; but, not content with the concessions which the Sublime Porte might, from regard solely to the three powers, and without any farther addition, grant to the country still in rebellion, the Russian envoy departed from Constantinople without motive or reason.

Were the Sublime Porte to detail her numerous complaints, and insist upon her just rights, each of the points above stated would become in itself a special declaration. But the circumstances which preceded and followed the Greek insurrection, having clearly demonstrated what was its origin and the natural progress of events having only tended to confirm the opinion previously formed, the Sublime Porte, without wishing to impute the origin of the revolution to any quarter, continued to testify towards Russia all the respect and all the friendship which treaties and vicinage required; she endeavoured to maintain the most favourable relations; but of this no account was taken. Besides, inasmuch as the Sublime Porte, from the desire of preserving peace, dis. played a mildness and condescension, in so much did Russia oppose to her reserve and hostile proceedings. It was natural that such a conduct should excite in the minds of Mussulmans the idea of innate enmity, and awaken among them all the ardour of Islamism.

Besides that nothing can prove the reproach which Russia addresses to us of having concluded the treaty of Ackermann with a mental reservation-the proclamation which the Sublime Porte, for certain reasons, circulated in its states, being an internal transaction, of which the Sublime Porte alone knows the motive, it is evident that the language held by a government to its own subjects cannot be a ground for another government picking a quarrel with it.

Nevertheless, immediately after the departure of the envoy, the Grand Vizier, in an official letter to the Prime Minister of Russia, clearly expressed that, faithful to the good intentions so long manifested, the Sublime Porte was always desirous of maintaining peace. Now, if Russia had equally desired, as she pretended in her declaration, sincerely to maintain peace between the two states, as all discussions between powers ought to be based on the text of treaties, or on official documents, the official letter of the Grand Vizier well deserved to be accepted and taken into consideration according to diplomatic practice, and in the hypothesis of this proclamation having given some suspicion to Russia, the course of com. munication not being obstructed between the two courts, Russia might have applied amicably to the Sublime Porte to ascertain the truth, and to clear up her doubts. Far from following this course, perhaps even without taking into consideration the correct informa. tion transmitted on the subject by the representatives of other friendly powers who were still here, she hastened to class that proclamation among the number of her com

plaints and pretexts. Then is not the party which has declared war evidently that which must have concluded the treaty of Ackermann with a mental reservation? The facts carry their proof along with them, and relieve us from the necessity of further demonstration.

We come now to the seizure of the cargoes of Russian vessels. Trough the corn which the Ottoman provinces furnished is, thanks be to God, sufficient for the consumption of the capital, nevertheless the blockade, established contrary to peace and good under. standing for the purpose of preventing the Mussulman troops in the Morea from receiving provisions, we had determined to transport from certain parts of Romelia to that peninsula the grain destined to the capital, it became necessary to supply the deficit thereby created here in a way heretofore prac. tised, and which equally affected the merchants of other friendly nations. The corn of the Russian merchants was purchased at the current market price for the sub. sistence of Constantinople, and the amount paid to the owners. This measure, arising solely from the blockade, cannot be made a just cause of complaint against the Sub. lime Porte. Besides, the immense losses which the Sublime Porte has experienced in consequence of the Greek revolution, as well as the damage caused at Navarin, give it a full right to complain, while others had no right to speak of their losses, their commerce enjoying greater advantages than before.

As to the reproach of having excited Persia against Russia, it is a

pure calumny. Never did the Sublime Porte think it consistent with its dignity to instigate one nation against another. Far from exciting Persia, the Sublime Porte observed the strictest neutrality, neither mix. ing itself up with the origin or the is. sue of the war or the peace between the two empires. If some neighbouring pachas made preparations, they were only measures of precaution usual to every state bordering upon two other nations at war. It thus clearly appears that the endeavour of Russia to ascribe these preparations to hostile intentions towards herself, has as little foundation as the rest.

Russia has constantly made use of the protection, and of the interests which she felt or possessed, in favour of the unfortunate inhabitants of Wallachia and Moldavia, to excite all sorts of dissentions against the Sublime Porte. Would any one wish to convince himself that her true object was not to protect them, but to pick a quarrel with us, let him consider the evils which have been inflicted upon them by the invasion of Ypsilante, and by the unjust inroad of the Russian army in contempt of treaties. Such are the inhabitants whom Russia pretends to protect: It is to Russia to whom they owe their ruin. It was very easy for the Sublime Porte to cause her victorious troops to enter the two principalities after she knew that Russia was making preparations to invade them; but never having at any time permitted, contrary to the divine law, the least vexation towards her subjects, and being anxious to secure the welfare and tranquillity of the provinces under the shade of the imperial throne, she

abstained in order to spare the misfortunes of the inhabitants.

In a word, the Sublime Porte makes the present declaration that none may have any thing to say against her; that it may be weighed in the balance of equity and trutů, how much injustice there was on the part of Russia in resisting the important demands and grave complaints of the Sublime Porte, which are as clear as the sun; in inventing all kinds of objections; in interpreting in a thousand different ways the system followed by the Ottoman government; and in de claring war without motive or necessity; in fine, that, exempt from every kind of regret respecting the means of resistance which the Mussulman nation will employ, relying upon the divine assistance, and acting in conformity with the holy law, she may be able to clear her conscience of an event which will occasion now and henceforward trouble to so many beings, and perhaps may shake the tranquillity of the whole world.

them, the permanent commission of the national assembly has the honour to submit some views on that subject, which it believes to be better founded as they result from actual observation and local knowledge.

In considering the question of the frontiers of Greece, one is struck with the necessity of not limiting them too much. A state, rising on the border of a vast empire, its natural enemy, without sufficient territory presents an easy prey, creating by its very weakness the disposition to invade it on the first opportunity. If, in the desire of bringing about a peace, this view of the subject is disregarded, the seeds of speedy destruction will be sown in the work itself.

This inconvenience becomes still more serious, if the new state at its birth is burdened with a pub. lic debt and a yearly tribute, without sufficient extent of territory to furnish the necessary revenues to discharge these obligations. This will at the same time call into existence and pronounce a decree of Declaration addressed by the govern. in a situation to fail in its sacred endeath upon the state, by placing it ment of Greece to the powers signing the treaty of July 6th,t owes its creation and territory. gagements-engagements to which 1827, in relation to the boundaries of Greece.

Egina, Dec. 30th, 1827. The treaty of July 6th, concluded between France, Great Britain and Russia, with the view of putting an end to the effusion of blood in the east, does not fix the frontier line between the belligerent parties. The serious difficulties presented by this question in more than one aspect, without doubt oc. casioned this omission. Hoping to be able to remove a portion of

But since the allied powers have thought it worthy of their solicitude to undertake the pacification of Greece, reposing upon their good will, we confide these ques. tions wholly to their wisdom, trusting that the work will be as solid as worthy of their high reputation, and confine ourselves to lay before them same observations upon the localities. It is certain, that the best frontiers will be those, which form the shortest possible line of demarkation and which may be at

the same time easily guarded. The more obstacles that they offer to an invasion on either part, the more certain and durable will be the peace.

The line of mountains in the south of Thessaly and those of Phocia or of Boeotia do not present these advantages. The famous passes of Thermopylæ, since the recession of the waters of the gulf bounding it, only form an or dinary passage. Besides, they may be passed on the flank in many places, and especially by the very large road of Assaniana, not distant from Neopatra. The expedition of Brennus, who with the Gauls, passed and repassed these mountains at pleasure, proves this; and all the conquerers who have come among us, as the Romans, the crusaders, and the Turks, have not met with any serious resist

ance.

The frontiers which are comtemplated on the west of Greece upon the same line in Acarnaia or Lower Epirus do not afford any greater security. In the Peloponne. sian war, the belligerent armies traversed them without difficulty. The Romans, in the Macedonian, and afterwards in the Etolian war, did the same; and we also find that the Albanians did in the middle ages. The events in the present war but too well prove the same facts.

Another inconvenience not less serious is, that line of demarkation cannot be traced in this part of Greece, without many windings, which considerably elongate the frontier line. A strong line is vainly sought in the courses of rivers, unless they are bordered by mountains. Greece is a narrow strip of land projecting between

two seas, and the rivers running from its mountains to one or the other of these seas, do not traverse a sufficient tract to enlarge them before they discharge themselves at their mouths. They are consequently too small to serve for frontier lines.

The first part

The true line of demarkation which nature seems to have formed expressly to separate for ever the north of Greece from the adjoining countries, and which has constantly triumphed over political and military events in all ages, is traced on one side by the northern mountains of Thessaly, and on the other by the course of the river Aous or Vojussa, and the mountains that crown it. of this line begins in the environs of Hatrin, to pass by Savia, at Grenuera, following, at the same time, the course of the Haleacmon, at the highest elevation of Pindus ; the other would commence at the district of Canitza, to descend to Vehemera. This second part is called by some geographers the defiles of Pyrrhus. It was these defiles that the Roman general Flaminius, after having reduced Macedonia, vainly attempted to pass, and after long and useless efforts, was forced to write to Rome, that the inhabitants of Upper Epirus were a savage and barbarous people, who little deserved the protection of the senate; and it was necessary to draw a military cordon on their frontiers, to check their invasions on neigh. bouring countries. We have just said that it is nature herself who seems to have separated, by these frontiers, Greece from the neighbouring countries. In fact, Lower Epirus, or Epirus, consisting of Thesprotia, Molossida, is still go.

verned by the population of that nation, and the towns of Prevesa, Asta, Janina, Paramythea, recal the acts of Nicopopolus, Angos, Amphilocheum, Battenotum, &c. However great the tendency of the Greeks in their prosperity to extend their colonies, which they pushed into Italy, Gibraltar, and the coasts of the Euxine, they were never able to establish themselves beyond the banks of the Atus or Vojussa. On the other hand, numerous eruptions made in the middle ages, by various conquering nations, and especially by the slaves, and by the Albanians in Epirus, did not succeed in des. troying the Greek race, its language, and that spirit which is natural to it; that race, on the contrary, remained essentially predominating, so powerfully did its local connexions prevail over the effects of time and the force of events. As much may be said for the natural frontier, which separates Macedonia from Thessaly. The first of those provinces is peopled, in a great measure, by Mirous or Bulgarians, who have been established there for many centuries, while we do not find those heterogeneous elements in Thessaly, which has been enabled, from its geographical position, to preserve itself more entire through successive ages. It will not be useless to remark, en passant, that even the Turks, according to their national prejudices, considered all the countries, on this side of the Nardar, as less Mussulman, and attached less value to them, than the other parts or states which form the Ottoman empire. In fact the Albanians, and other Mahommedans there established, present a strange difference in their lan

guage and and ideas. It appears clearly that this line of frontier, or rather this separation, formed, in ancient times, the true limit of Greece, properly so called, as it forms at the present day that of New Greece. It avoids, at the same time, by its regular direction, the zigzags, if they sought not to follow it, and which, among other inconveniences, would have that of too greatly extending its limits. It may be objected, that it embraces some small points where the population has remained the tranquil spectators of events; but there are other localities, such as Naourta, the Peninsulas, Capaddra, Modena, Choria, &c. which have taken an active part in the war, and are not comprehended in it. The necessity of this arrondissement justifies, and even de. mands, these beneficial measures. The plea of necessity would find even here its application in the interest of the belligerent parties, and the powers who would be their guarantees; for unhappy facilities for violating the frontiers of the neighbouring states would drag, sooner or later, one of the parties into a war, in which the guarantees would be compelled to offer a new intervention, which could not be other than onerous to them in more than one respect. The commis. sion demands nothing further, but proposes that which it believes to be founded on justice, and for the interests of the general safety. The tribute which the three allied powers have in their wisdom stipulated shall be paid, and which the Greeks have consented to pay, would only be a species of indemnity for the concessions which the Porte would make to them.

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