Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Declaration Of War By The Sublime Porte Against France.
the rights of nations , and in violation ofthe ties subsisting betwejn the two courts , they came , in a manner altogether unprecedented , like a set of " pirates , and made a sudden invasion in Egypt , the most precious among the provinces ofthe Ottoman Porte ; of which they took forcible possession at a time when they had experienced nothing from this Court but demonstrations of friendship . Upon the first surmise of the French projeit to invade that province-, Ruffiii , their charge d ' affaires at this residence , was invited to a conference ,
where he was questioned officially about this business : he first declared he bad no intelligence whatever respecting it ; but he gave it , as a speculation of his own , that , it such an enterprize ever proved true , it probably must be to take revenge ofthe Beys , and to annoy and attack the English settlements in the East Indies . In answer to this , it was circumstantially stated to him , that the smallest attempt , on the part of the French , upon Cairo , on whatever pretext it might be foundedwould be taken as a declaration of war
, , and thereby the friendship subsisting between the two courts since the most ancient times would , both in a legal and political sense , be converted into enmity ; that the Ottoman empire would not suffer the loss of a handful of sand ofthe Egyptian territory ; that the whole Ottoman sect would set itself in motion for the deliverance of those blessed lands ; and that , if the chastisement of the Beys was necessary , it behoved the Sublime Porte to inflict it on them as her dependents ; that the interference of the French in this
business was inconsistent with the ri ghts of nations ; that the Court of Great Britain , being the dearest friend of the Ottoman empire , the Sublime Porte would never consent to the passage of" the French troops through her territory to act against their settlements ; that , in short , should even their expedition to Egypt have no other object but this , it would be equally construed into a declaration of war ; of all which he was charged to make the earliest communication to the Directory in this very language .
' Dispatches , bearing instructions to the same effect , were at the same time written to Aali Effendi , the Sublime Porte ' s ambassador at Paris , who was moreover directed to demand officially an explanation of the matter upon the spot . Before the communications sent by Ruffin to the Directory , and the dispatches transmitted by the Sublime Porte to the ambassador before-named , a letter of an ok ! date was received by the said Ruffin , expressing that Buonaparte ' s expedition to Egypt was true , but that the object was to secure
some commercial advantages , by bringing the Beys to an account , arid to hurt Great Britain ; that an ambassador had been appointed to prefer several propositions favourable to the interests c . f the- Ottoman Porte , and to adjust the affair in question ; with this farther .- ridiculous hint , that , were the Porte to declare war for this against the Republic , both courts would lay themselves open to . m attack on the part of the Emperor ; all this the said charge d ' affaires delivered officially , and he also presented a copy of that letter .. Upon the other baud , in the answer received meanwhile from the Ottoman ambassador above-mentioned , it was stated that , in conformity to his instructions , he had had an interview with Talleyrand Peritrord , the
Minister of external relations , in which he had produced his dispatches , explained their purport , and demanded officially a categorical answer : that the said minister ( forgetting , as is to be supposed , the tenor of the letter which had been written to Ruffin some time before ) positively disavowed the expedition against E gypt , and said that Buonaparte ' s expedition had no other object but the conquest of Malta : that the abolition of the Order there being a measure conducive to the benefit of all the . Turks , the Sublime
Porte ought to feel even obliged by it ; that the Directory-had nothing more at heart than to maintain the peace existing with the Porte since time immemorial , and more and more to strengthen die same ; thus barefacedly exhibiting a scene of the most artful duolicity .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Declaration Of War By The Sublime Porte Against France.
the rights of nations , and in violation ofthe ties subsisting betwejn the two courts , they came , in a manner altogether unprecedented , like a set of " pirates , and made a sudden invasion in Egypt , the most precious among the provinces ofthe Ottoman Porte ; of which they took forcible possession at a time when they had experienced nothing from this Court but demonstrations of friendship . Upon the first surmise of the French projeit to invade that province-, Ruffiii , their charge d ' affaires at this residence , was invited to a conference ,
where he was questioned officially about this business : he first declared he bad no intelligence whatever respecting it ; but he gave it , as a speculation of his own , that , it such an enterprize ever proved true , it probably must be to take revenge ofthe Beys , and to annoy and attack the English settlements in the East Indies . In answer to this , it was circumstantially stated to him , that the smallest attempt , on the part of the French , upon Cairo , on whatever pretext it might be foundedwould be taken as a declaration of war
, , and thereby the friendship subsisting between the two courts since the most ancient times would , both in a legal and political sense , be converted into enmity ; that the Ottoman empire would not suffer the loss of a handful of sand ofthe Egyptian territory ; that the whole Ottoman sect would set itself in motion for the deliverance of those blessed lands ; and that , if the chastisement of the Beys was necessary , it behoved the Sublime Porte to inflict it on them as her dependents ; that the interference of the French in this
business was inconsistent with the ri ghts of nations ; that the Court of Great Britain , being the dearest friend of the Ottoman empire , the Sublime Porte would never consent to the passage of" the French troops through her territory to act against their settlements ; that , in short , should even their expedition to Egypt have no other object but this , it would be equally construed into a declaration of war ; of all which he was charged to make the earliest communication to the Directory in this very language .
' Dispatches , bearing instructions to the same effect , were at the same time written to Aali Effendi , the Sublime Porte ' s ambassador at Paris , who was moreover directed to demand officially an explanation of the matter upon the spot . Before the communications sent by Ruffin to the Directory , and the dispatches transmitted by the Sublime Porte to the ambassador before-named , a letter of an ok ! date was received by the said Ruffin , expressing that Buonaparte ' s expedition to Egypt was true , but that the object was to secure
some commercial advantages , by bringing the Beys to an account , arid to hurt Great Britain ; that an ambassador had been appointed to prefer several propositions favourable to the interests c . f the- Ottoman Porte , and to adjust the affair in question ; with this farther .- ridiculous hint , that , were the Porte to declare war for this against the Republic , both courts would lay themselves open to . m attack on the part of the Emperor ; all this the said charge d ' affaires delivered officially , and he also presented a copy of that letter .. Upon the other baud , in the answer received meanwhile from the Ottoman ambassador above-mentioned , it was stated that , in conformity to his instructions , he had had an interview with Talleyrand Peritrord , the
Minister of external relations , in which he had produced his dispatches , explained their purport , and demanded officially a categorical answer : that the said minister ( forgetting , as is to be supposed , the tenor of the letter which had been written to Ruffin some time before ) positively disavowed the expedition against E gypt , and said that Buonaparte ' s expedition had no other object but the conquest of Malta : that the abolition of the Order there being a measure conducive to the benefit of all the . Turks , the Sublime
Porte ought to feel even obliged by it ; that the Directory-had nothing more at heart than to maintain the peace existing with the Porte since time immemorial , and more and more to strengthen die same ; thus barefacedly exhibiting a scene of the most artful duolicity .