No. 29.
Mr. Kasson
to Mr. Evarts.
Vienna, May 14, 1878. (Received May 29.)
Sir: Yesterday evening the following telegram was delivered to me. At first, upon observing the errors of the address, I supposed that it was sent to this legation by mistake for that of some European power; but subsequently I was informed that similar telegraphic appeals were delivered also to the embassies of the European powers. I therefore transmit it at once, with all the errors of the telegraphic text, for your information, in compliance with the request of the memorialists, having no reason to doubt its genuineness:
[Translation.]
His excellency the ambassador of the Empire of America, at Vienna, from Galarasi:
The undersigned beg permission to communicate the reasons for this telegram to the high ministers for foreign affairs of your empire. With sentiments of the deepest [Page 39] respect, the undersigned, poor Mussulmans, inhabitants of Silistria and population of the district, have the honor to advise you that fifty thousand souls de plus quale are now in our district, in which number only ten thousand Christians are included. Moreover, pursuant to the final conditions of peace, the fortresses of Silistria have been transferred to Russia. To-day, unfortunately for us, a great change in the local authority has been made. Only two months ago the malefactors, disturbers of the public peace, have through their depredations begun to cause apprehensions of regrettable and unhappy occurrences, inasmuch as travelers and traders who pass over the country, as well as the inhabitants of the Mussulman villages, have been robbed, stripped, severely beaten, seriously bruised, wounded, and even killed by the Bulgarian brigands. Up to this present time we have lost sums amounting to several millions, represented in animals and other property in the district; finally, during the last few days the Russian soldiers in the city have threatened to enter our houses, and even the apartments of the women, without previously asking our permission, and in disregard of our religious customs. Entertaining no longer confidence, we consider our present position full of danger, and would regard ourselves fortunate in finding an opportunity of removing to some other place, even with the sacrifice of all our property and possessions. In the name of justice and humanity, by which we are entitled under the law of civilization to address high impartial judges and demand aid and protection, we pray also in the name of our distressed families, that the necessary measures may be adopted in this matter for the purpose of respecting the security and tranquillity of these populations. On the part of the Turkish nationality.
MEHMED HAKKO.
HADJI SOULEIMAN.
HUSSEIN GHULCHEN IBRAHIM.
Silistria, April 30, 1878.
I ought to add that during the last few weeks there have been throughout European Turkey so general and so uniform movements, nominally on the part of Greek and Mussulman inhabitants, for the expression of discontent with Russian and Bulgarian rule, and with the arrangements made at San Stefano, that I have been forced to the conclusion that they were inspired by the agents of a government practically acquainted with the force of public opinion, desirous to modify or change the present direction of Christian sympathy, familiar with the means of creating a public sentiment, and interested in the result. European Turkey has for many years been the special field of diplomatic and international intrigue. Just now Greece in the south, Austria and Servia in the west, and England everywhere, are at work to support their respective claims by appeals to one or another portion of the greatly diversified population of the provinces of Turkey. The object of most of the recent appeals is not so much affirmative as negative; it appears to be chiefly the negation of the present arrangements. In some cases, however, they express a desire for annexation to a different nationality from that proposed.
I am, &c.,