No. 504.
Mr. Maynard to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of the United States,
Constantinople
,
February 15,
1878. (Received March 12.)
No. 224.]
Sir: For several days past there has been in
the city much anxiety and public excitement. In a recent dispatch, No.
219, I mentioned the movement of the British fleet from Besika Bay to
the entrance of the [Page 854]
Dardanelles. On the 10th instant the fleet was announced once more, and
its arrival expected that day. It did not come as anticipated, and it
was derisively placarded as lost. This morning, however, four ironclads
arrived off the Bosphorus and anchored at the Prince’s Islands. Five
more ships are reported inside the Straits, making a fleet of nine
vessels near at hand, and it is understood against the protest of the
Sublime Porte.
It has been the current belief that the Russian army, but a few hours
distant, would be allowed by the Turks, if not invited by them, to march
upon the city, should the British fleet arrive, and it is now hourly
expected, and rumors many are afloat of its near approach. Apprehension
is alive. There seems to be no available Turkish force remaining, and it
is supposed the Sultan will retire to Broossa or to some other point in
Asia, if indeed he has not, as many think, already gone. The Sultan
gone, the grand vizier no more, the general assembly dissolved, the army
practically disbanded, a Russian force in the capital, a British fleet
equally unwelcome in the harbor, altogether seemed an ill-boding
concurrence of events. The papers this evening contain a
carefully-prepared statement, evidently authorized, purporting to give
the actual condition; and considerably modifying the popular estimate. A
copy is inclosed. Even as here stated the situation is very critical,
and gives food for serious thought. The inquiry is constantly heard, Is
the war ended, or has it only just begun?
I have, & c.,
[Inclosure in No. 224.]
Statement of the political situation in
Constantinople.
[From the Daily Levant Herald of
February 15,
1878.]
A special ministerial and national council was held on Wednesday last
at the imperial villa of Yeldiz-kiosk, under the presidency of the
Sultan. All the ministers, several senators, the president and
vice-presidents of the chamber of deputies, four of the principal
ulemas, and several general officers, in all some forty-three high
Ottoman dignitaries, were present. At this council, Ahmet Veffyk
Pasha, the prime minister, made a statement recapitulating the
important events which have happened during the past few weeks. He
pointed out that, at the extraordinary council of war which was held
about a month ago, the conclusion was arrived at that Turkey had no
longer sufficient forces to continue the armed contest with Russia
with any chance of success. He reviewed the negotiations which had
been entered upon relative to the armistice, as also those which had
taken place between England and Russia, and he read to the council
the general bases of peace, as also the terms of the convention of
armistice. His highness the Turkish premier went on to say that ten
days ago England asked permission of the Porte to allow her fleet,
stationed in Besika Bay, to pass through the Straits of the
Dardanelles and enter the Sea of Marmora, but that the Ottoman
Government had declined to give this permission, basing its refusal
upon the treaties now in force, whereupon the British fleet had
withdrawn from the entrance of the Straits. Some three days ago,
however, England had repeated her request, and, to complicate
matters, the Russian Government had also apprised the Porte, by a
direct telegraphic dispatch from St. Petersburg, that it would cause
its troops to enter Constantinople as soon as the English fleet
appeared before that capital. The Porte, thereupon, submitted to the
English ambassador (Mr. Layard) the painful position in which it was
placed by this determination of the English cabinet; but,
notwithstanding such appeal, Her Majesty’s ambassador insisted, and
the Porte, not wishing to oppose by force a power with which she was
not at war, contented itself with recording a protest against the
passage of the Straits. His Highness further said that, these being
the circumstances, it behooved the extraordinary council then
convoked to come to a decision on the subject of the occupation of
Constantinople by the Russians. After deliberation, all the members
of the council came to the conclusion that it was necessary to
submit to the demand of an occupation of the capital put forward by
Russia, and a council-minute was signed to that effect, three or
four members only of those present [Page 855] refraining from affixing their signatures to
this document. The council then further decided that a special
commission of Turkish generals should come to an understanding with
the Russian commanders, in order that the Russian troops should not
be allowed to circulate in any considerable numbers in the bazaars
and in the public thoroughfares, and with regard to other suitable
measures advisable to be adopted, so as to obviate the danger of
conflicts and to insure public order and security during the Russian
occupation. A member of the council expressed his opinion that it
would be desirable that, while such occupation lasted, the Sultan
should proceed to some place of residence in his dominions other
than Constantinople, but His Highness Ahmet Veffyk Pasha set aside
this matter as not being within the province and competency of the
council to deal with. Before the council separated, a telegraphic
dispatch from St. Petersburg was received, addressed by the Emperor
of Russia to the Sultan, in which the Czar stated that, having
learned that the Sultan had communicated by telegraph direct with
Queen Victoria, he (the Czar) consented to wait a few hours longer,
not wishing to cause unpleasantness to His Majesty.
