Page:The promises of Turkey.djvu/8

4 years later the same words were replaced in the mouth of the same Sultan, and again, of course, at the instance of the Powers. The white fortresses of Sebastopol then lay crumbled in ruins, the docks torn with explosions, the Russian arsenals riddled and ruined with cannon-shot and shells; the soil of the Crimea had been soaked with blood. Again the throne of Turkey had been upheld by Western Powers. The people of England and the people of France knew little or nothing of the condition of the subjects of the Porte; their Governments had never striven to inform themselves concerning the internal affairs of Turkey. But cruel facts could not be kept hidden even from men who were quite ready to frown upon those of the consular body who were resolved to tell the truth. To make the Peace of Paris without consideration for those who were degraded and suffering because of the non-fulfilment of the promises of Gulhané, would have been an outrage upon common humanity. And thus it came to pass in 1856, that Sultan Abd-ul-Medjid was invited to give pledges, which should be guarantees, for the better government of his subjects. The Hatti-Houmaïoun of 18th of February, 1856, was addressed to the Grand Vizier A'ali Pasha, who was charged with the execution of the Sultan's promises.

In order to make the introduction of the promised reforms most easy, and to avoid the subordination of the Sultan's authority, this Hatti-Houmaïoun was made a part of the general Treaty of Peace between Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, Sardinia and Turkey, by means of the ninth Article, which was as follows:— "'His Imperial Majesty the Sultan having, in his constant solicitude for the welfare of his subjects, issued a Firman, which, while ameliorating their condition without distinction of religion or race, records his generous intentions towards the Christian population of his empire, and wishing to give a further proof of his sentiments in that respect, has resolved to communicate to the contracting parties the said Firman, emanating spontaneously from his sovereign will.'"