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CORRESPONDENCE

RELATING TO
EXECUTIONS IN TURKEY
FOR
APOSTACY FROM ISLAMISM.

[stamped:] BIBLIOTHÈQUE DU PALAIS DE LA PAIX

Presented to the House of Lords, by Her Majesty's Command.

May, 1844.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY T. R. HARRISON.

CORRESPONDENCE

RELATING TO
EXECUTIONS IN TURKEY
FOR
APOSTACY FROM ISLAMISM.

No. 1.

Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Aberdeen.—(ReceivedSeptember 20.)

(Extract.) Buyukderé, August 27, 1843.

Within the last few days an execution has taken place atConstantinople under circumstances which have occasioned muchexcitement and indignation among the Christian inhabitants. Thesufferer was an Armenian youth of eighteen or twenty years, whohaving, under fear of punishment, declared himself a Turk, went tothe Island of Syra, and returning, after an absence of some length,resumed his former religion. Apprehensive of the danger but resolvednot to deny his real faith a second time, he kept out of sight tillaccident betrayed him to the police, and he was then thrown intoprison. In spite of threats, promises, and blows, he theremaintained his resolution, refused to save his life by a freshdisavowal of Christianity, and was finally decapitated in one of themost frequented parts of the city with circumstances of greatbarbarity.

Inclosed herewith is a statement of the particulars drawn up by Mr.
Alison.

It is not merely on grounds of humanity that I would draw yourLordship's attention to this incident: political considerations ofserious importance are connected with it; and on this account, noless than from regard for the tears and entreaties of a distractedfamily, I exhausted my influence in vain endeavours to divert thePorte from its purpose. Every Member of the Council to whom Iapplied, returned the same answer, expressing a willingness to meetmy wishes, and regretting the inexorable necessity of the law.

For my own part I do not believe that any such necessity exists. Thedetermination of the Government to sacrifice the Armenian youth, inspite of my earnest solicitations, unless he recanted publicly, ispart and parcel of that system of reaction which preceded my arrivalhere, against which I have constantly struggled, and which,notwithstanding the assurances given to me, and the efforts of itspartisans to conceal it, is day by day gaining strength, to thedespair of every enlightened Turkish statesman, to the prejudice ofour relations with this country, and to the visible decline of thoseimprovements which, in my humble judgment, can alone avert thedissolution of the Sultan's empire.

The law, which, in this instance, has torn a youth from the bosom ofhis family, and consigned him to an ignominious and cruel death,would apply with equal force to a subject of any Christian Power.

Such of my colleagues as I have consulted upon this subject appearto take a view of it similar to my own, I refer, in particular, tothe Austrian, French, Russian, and Prussian Ministers: each of themhas told me that he intended to recommend the question to theserious consideration of his Government.

Since my arrival here one British and two French subjects havedeclared in fa

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