STATE PAPERS. 



243 



nation which has violated all that 

 is sacred among men, has the same 

 rights as other nations ? that the 

 French democrats, instead of being 

 treated like pirates by the Turks, 

 ought to be admitted on an equal 

 footing with the ancient and sincere 

 friends of the country ? 



But the Ottoman officers who 

 command in certain provinces do 

 not confine themselves to a parti- 

 ality in favour of the French, diffi- 

 cult to be interpreted ; they even 

 seem, since the beginning of the 

 present war, to have lost sight of 

 all the obhgations of neutrality ac- 

 knowledged by civilized nations. 

 At Smyrna, the sailors of the con- 

 vention were seen to commit open 

 hostilities against the British officers 

 and seamen, without the aggressors 

 having been given up, or even 

 searched after. 



In the same harbour of Smyrna, 

 ships have been, at different times 

 seen, arming and fitting out as pri- 

 vateers against the English, \\'ithout 

 the smallest interruption on the 

 part of the magistrates. Prizes 

 taken by the French cruizers were 

 seen to be brought thither publicly 

 and without obstacle. 



A squadron of frigates and armed 

 ships of that same nation remained 

 in the harbour as frequently, and as 

 long, as it thought proper ; it 

 blocked up, as it were, the harbour 

 of Smyrna, and interrupted the 

 commerce of nations for near two 

 years. 



In this selfsame position, and in 

 the distance marked out by the rules 

 of neutrality, the French armed 

 ships took prizes, and even in sight 

 of the Turkish fortresses they 

 searched and plundered neutral 

 ships, and even those of the subjects 



of the Subhme Porte. What is the 

 consequence to be drawn from these 

 facts ? It is natural to suppose, 

 that what is lawful for one party, 

 must also be lawful for the other. 

 A British officer of the royal navy 

 acted in consequence; he attacked 

 and captured one of the enemy's 

 frigates in a bay called Turkish, 

 having, however, previously made 

 himself sure that there was neither 

 a Turkish fort or flag in it, in order 

 to avoid every thing that might be 

 deemed an insult to the jurisdiction 

 of the Sublime Porte ; and having 

 afterwards resolved to indemnify 

 the inhabitants of the coast for the 

 damage he might have done them, 

 if they had actually been sufferers, 

 he offered freely to me to promul- 

 gate his name. 



If the French Democrats were 

 susceptible of those feelings whick 

 influence other men, that occurrence 

 would havs brought them to their 

 senses ; and seeing that an abuse, 

 subsequent to the indulgence which, 

 they enjoyed on the part of the 

 Turkish commandants, might be 

 followed by disagreeable conse- 

 quences ; and, finally, even com- 

 promise the Sublime Porte herself, 

 they would have taken the resolu- 

 tion to forbear from committing 

 their unlawful depredations, and 

 to conform themselves forthwith to 

 the rules prescribed by the law of 

 nations. 



But the result was quite different; 

 the French having obtained exclu- 

 sive immunities and privileges from 

 the Turkish government, talk of 

 avenging themselves on those who 

 durst imitate their example ; they 

 have the audacity to threaten the 

 peaceful inhabitants of Smyrna with 

 pillage and death ; they provided 

 ^ 2 arms. 



