Karl Marx 
Reshid Pasha's Note—An Italian Newspaper 

on the Eastern Question 

New-York Daily Tribune. 
Nr.4068, 2. Mai 1854 

From Our Own Correspondent. 

London, Tuesday, April 18, 1854. 

The Governments of England and France are said to have at last exchanged 
copies of an offensive and defensive treaty, comprising Five Articles. The 
contents are not yet known. 

The treaty between Austria and Prussia is not yet concluded, the point of 
dissension being the occupation of the frontiers touching on Russian Poland, 
which the Prussian Court partly declines. 

On the 6th April a Te Deum was celebrated at Athens in honor of the 
anniversary of Greek Independence. It was not attended by the Embassadors 
of the Western Powers. On the same day the Observerof Athens registered 
sixteen royal ordonnances accepting the resignation of twenty-one generals, 
colonels, and other officers, all of whom were about to join the insurgents. 
On the day following the news reached Athens that the insurgents had been 
fearfully beaten near Arta. The very place where the battle was fought 
denotes that the insurrection had made not the slightest progress, and that 
its only victims until now have been the Greek peasants themselves who 
inhabit the frontier districts of the kingdom of Greece. 

You will remember that in 1827 the Embassadors of Russia, England and 
France demanded that the Sublime Porte should recall every Turk from 
Greece, whether settled there or not. The Turks refusing to acquiesce, 
obedience was enforced by the battle of Navarino. A similar order has now 
been issued against the Greeks, on the part of the Sublime Porte; and as 
neither the letter of Reshid Pasha to Mr. Metaxas, the Greek Embassador, 
nor the circular of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe to the British Consuls, has yet 
been published in the London papers, I give you a translation of each from 
the Journal de Constantinople of April 5: 

"Answer of Reshid Pasha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
to the note of M. Metaxas. 
Constantinople, 3d Redjeb, 1270, (1st April, 1854.) 
I have taken cognizance of the note which you addressed to me on March 26, 

Reshid Pasha's Note—An Italian Newspaper on the Eastern Question 

with respect to your resolution to quit this capital. The Government of the 
Sublime Porte not having obtained from that of Greece due satisfaction in 
return for its just reclamations, with respect to the actual events, and the 
Chargé d'Affaires of the Sublime Porte being obliged to quit Athens in 
conformity to his instructions, it is proper, Sir, that you also quit this city. 
I remit you, accordingly, in compliance with your demand, your passports. 
As from this day the diplomatic relations as well as the commercial ones are 
broken off between the two countries, we have come to the decision that 
the Hellenic Chancelleries established in the different provinces of our 
empire, as well as all the Greek Consuls, are to return immediately to their 
country. The merchants and other Hellenic subjects residing in Turkey must 
likewise withdraw from Constantinople; but in order to protect the interests 
of Greek commerce, we will grant them a delay of fifteen days. As to those 
who are established in the provinces, this delay will only be counted from 
the day of reception of the order for their departure. It is proved by positive 
statements that it is not in consequence of any neglect, but rather of the 
tolerance of the Greek Government, that our frontier provinces have been 
invaded. Although the Imperial Government has unquestionably the right to 
stop and confiscate all vessels found in our harbors, as pledges of the very 
considerable expenses incurred by us, my august master thinks it cor- 
responds better with his sense of moderation not to inflict any losses on 
Greek subjects in a question only regarding the Greek Government. When 
that government shall have returned to more equitable sentiments, taking into 
its consideration international rights and the rules of the jus gentium, then 
the occasion will have arrived for examining the question of the expenses 
caused by this insurrection. All Hellenic ships are, therefore, allowed to 
return without any hindrance, during the term fixed for them, to their own 
country. It has been enjoined on the proper authorities to facilitate the 
departure of those Greek subjects who are poor and destitute, and to use 
as much indulgence as possible toward the sick and infirm. (The most 
Christian and civilized Government of Austria manages these things in a 
different style—witness the expulsion of the Ticinese.) I think it expedient 
to repeat once more that the Hellenic Government alone has enforced upon 
us this decision, and that all the responsibility consequent upon it must 
entirely rest with Greece. 
Reshid Pasha." 

According to this order 3,000 Greeks embarked at Constantinople on the 
5th of April, and we hear that the Pasha of Smyrna has already published 
the order for the Greeks inhabiting that city. 

The circular addressed by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe to the British 
Consuls in Turkey and Greece, runs as follows: 

Karl Marx 

"Constantinople, Saturday, April 1, 1854. 
Sir: It has come to my knowledge that the Hellenes who have invaded the 
frontier provinces of Turkey are exciting the Greek subjects of the Sultan 
to revolt, by declaringthatthe Governments of France and England are ready 
to support them in overthrowing the authority of the Sultan. I am also in- 
formed that similar maneuvers are employed with a view to persuading 
people that the French and English Embassadors will give protection to all 
the Hellenic subjects in Turkey, as soon as the Porte—in consequence of its 
diplomatic and commercial rupture with Greece—shall notify its intention to 
expel them from the States of the Sultan. Whereas such suppositions have 
a tendency to encourage false hopes, to mislead well-disposed men and to 
aggravate, criminally, the evils inseparable from a state of war, I hasten to 
give you the assurance that these assertions have no foundation at all. Those 
who for one moment rely on falsehoods so transparent and so incompatible 
with common sense and facts, must be very ignorant and credulous indeed. 
But such is unfortunately the case everywhere, incountries where the means 
of publicity are only imperfectly developed. You know as well as I do, that 
England and France are entirely with the Sultan in the noble resistance he 
opposes to a violent and unjust aggression. It necessarily follows that the 
two allied Governments cannot view, but with painful feelings of indignation 
and reprobation, a movement calculated only to benefit Russia, without even 
having the merit of being spontaneous, and which must ultimately embarrass 
the Porte and its allies, while it offers no other prospect but the ruin of those 
who thus expose their Uves for so chimerical an illusion. We must pity the 
innocent families unfortunately implicated in the consequences of a brutal 
and unprincipled policy; but on our part there can exist no relations with the 
leaders, nor any dissimulation of the sentiments which the conduct of a 
senseless party cannot fail to inspire. I have to recommend to you not to 
neglect any opportunity of making known the contents of this circular to all 
those who may be disposed to allow themselves to be misled by the false 
assertions which it denounces. 
Stratford de Redcliffe." 
The populations most immediately interested in the issue of the eastern 
complications are, besides the Germans, the Hungarians and Italians. It is 
of some consequence, therefore, to know the intentions of the diverse parties 
of these nations with regard to their relations toward one another. The 
following article from the Turin Unione, which I translate for this purpose, 
will show you the views of the constitutional party in Italy, which seems to 
be quite prepared to sacrifice Hungary in order to recover Italian inde- 
pendence. The secret of the duration of the Austrian Empire is no other than 
this provincial egotism which blinds each people with the illusion that they 

Reshid Pasha's Note—An Italian Newspaper on the Eastern Question 

can conquer their liberty at the sacrifice of their fellow-people's inde- 
pendence. 

"The English journals take great pains to give the impending war with 
Russia a character of liberty and European independence, while, in fact, they 

have nothing in view but their own commercial interests; in proof of which 
Lord John Russell recommends us Italians to remain quiet, and gives us to 
understand that Austria may one day or other become more humane. Thus he 
recognizes, at least, that at present she has nothing humane at all about her. 
Nevertheless, philanthropic England is trying to secure her alliance for the 

‘triumph of the liberty and independence of Europe.' As to the French press, 
it is not free, and under the dread of receiving warnings for the first time 
and being suspended for the second one, it cannot but make itself the echo 
of what is desired by the Government. Besides, the French papers are not 
accustomed to consider the questions of the day on a grand scale, and 

undergo too much the impulse of fashion. The German liberal papers write 
under the pressure of the immense fear which Russia causes them and justly 
so, if we consider the influence she has already acquired over' the two princi- 
pal powers of Germany. But what do we want? The independence of Italy. 
As long, however, as there is talk about the territorial integrity of Turkey 
and European equilibrium as based on the treaty of Vienna, itis quite natural 
that we should continue to enjoy that identical status quo so contradictory 
to our wishes. What does Russia pretend to? To get rid of the Ottoman 
Empire and consequenüy of the equilibrium of the status quo and to revise 
the map of Europe. This is the very thing which we want. But it will be said 
that Russia wants to revise it in her own fashion. It is exactly this which may 
turn to our benefit, because neither France, nor England, nor Germany can 
tolerate this new aggrandizement of the territory or influence of an Empire 
that possesses already too much of both, and thus they will be forced to look 
out for a bulwark against her. This bulwark canbe no other State but Austria, 
toward whom the occidental States are obliged to show generosity and to 
give her the whole Valley of the Danube, from Orsova to the Black Sea and 
below the Danube, the Dobrodja and the keys of the Balkans. Austria would 
then possess: 

1. A vast territory, with a population kindred to her own. 

2. The whole course of a great river, so necessary to the commerce of 
Germany. 

In such a case Austria would no longer want Italy, as far at least as her 
defense is concerned, and she would concentrate about six millions of South 
Slavonians and four millions of Daco-Romanians, in order to associate them 

with three other millions of the former and about as many of the latter, who 
are already subject to her dominion. 

Karl Marx 

Integrity and Independence of Turkey! Two solemn paradoxes. If you 
understand by independence the liberty enjoyed by a nation to govern itself 
according to its own principles, and without the right of any foreigner to 
intermeddle, that independence was already much compromised by the 
treaty of Kainardji, and received its death-blow (colpo di grazia) from the 
recent treaty with the Occidental Powers. Consequently it is no longer the 
Sultan who governs Turkey, butthe European Powers; and from the moment 
that Mussulmans and Christians, conquerors and conquered, are subjected 
to an equality before law; from the moment that the rayahs—forming four- 
fifths of the population—are to have arms in their hands, Turkey no longer 
exists, but a transformation is set on foot that cannot realize itself without 
violence and the most serious disorders, and without the two sects who, 
during four centuries, have been accustomed to detest each other, coming 
to blows. Then let us hear no more ofthe independence of Turkey, except 
as a fable. 

And the territorial integrity! Was itthen not France and England which, 
in agreement with Russia, wrested from Turkey the Greek Kingdom, viz: 
the Pelopennesus, Attica, Boeotia, Phocis, Acarnania, Aetolia, the Island of 
Negroponte, etc., with a rnillion of inhabitants? Was it not they? Is it not the 
French who took Algiers? Was it not France, England and Russia who gave 
to Egypt a half-independence? Was it not the Englishman who, fifteen years 
ago, seized upon Aden, on the Red Sea? Is it not also the Englishmen who 
covet Egypt? And Austria that covets Bosnia and Servia? Why then speak 
of preserving a state of things against which all conspire, and which is unable 
to continue by its own force? 

We conclude, therefore, that Russia, while intending the overthrow of 
Turkey, is intending a good thing; that also the Western Powers are justly 
inspired, if they intend to oppose the encroachments of Russia, but if the 
latter powers want to gain their object, they must dispense with the diplo- 
matic hypocrisy in which they have enveloped themselves, and must be 
resolved to undo Turkey and revise the map of Europe. That is the point they 
must come to." 

Karl Marx.