The Address that was sent by twelve hundred and fifty four of the most influential chiefs and elders throughout the provinces of Circassia:
ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND
To the reigning Sovereign, the highly venerated Potentate, the Possessor of the provinces and the crown, and the magnificent Monarch of England (of the imperial brilliant threshold), this humble representation of her servants the Circassians.
We have long suffered from the outrages of the Russians; yet the falsehoods they promulgate against us are more injurious, inasmuch as they assert that, from the one sea to the other, all the territory of the provinces of Circassia has been bestowed on them by the Sublime Porte; that hostages have been given them, and that it is entirely in their power; that the tribes of Circassia are under their domination – slaves subjected to their supreme orders; that from one sea to the other they have long since conquered the country by surrounding it with fortresses. Thus they seek to exalt themselves in the eyes of the other powers, while it is as apparent as the mid-day sun that all their statements are false. Thus they have long continued to harass us, in the hope of at length acquiring the absolute mastery.
The truth is, that formerly Persian merchants came and went, and made sales and purchases; but since the Russians intruded themselves this commerce is cut off.
In reply to the allegations of the Russians, your humble servants, the Circassians, solemnly protest, that never since its commencement did the Ottoman power conquer us with the sword; never did it bring us succour in our distress; and never at any time did we pay it tribute: on the contrary it took our children and sold them as slaves in its bazars. And such having been the case, how could the Sublime Porte bestow us upon the Russians? If it had friendship for them, it might have given them some of the countries under its sway, but it had not either the power or the right to give them ours.
As to the forts which the Russians have constructed, they do us neither good nor harm. We are disposed to be in amity with our neighbours, but never shall we in any way be subject to the Russians. We hope in God that we shall never be subjugated by them, and through the help of the Almighty this hope may be fulfilled, for the Lord is a just God, and He will grant us his aid, that to the last among our tribes we may sustain the war against the Russians, and through His almighty succour never submit to them.
Although the governor of Anapa failed in performing his duty, he was a servant of the sacred and illustrious Chief of the Mussulman faith, and with the help of God we trust, that our connexion with that sacred and illustrious religion may remain unimpaired. If therefore the Ottoman government will now accept of our adhesion, we will henceforth submit ourselves voluntarily to it and to its orders, on these conditions: 1mo. That it shall entirely desist from taking and selling us as slaves. 2d. That it shall furnish us with cannons, soldiers, ammunition, and the other appurtenances of war, sending us also treasure, and assisting and succoring us faithfully; then we will be obedient to it. Let it send us also officers that we may begin the war with the Russians in earnest; and then, with the aid of the Almighty, we pledge our lives and our souls, that we shall take vengeance on the enemy. We engage moreover on the part of our tribes, that when the war is finished we will repay the Ottoman government the whole of the expense it shall have incurred: it shall be reimbursed for everything. And these matters having been thus arranged with the forementioned government, we will remain submissive to its orders, and under its entire direction.
But if the Ottoman government will not aid us and furnish us with cannons, ammunition, troops, appurtenances of war and treasure; and if it shall not cease as in time past to take us for slaves, then we shall not subject ourselves to it, nor recognise its sovereign as ours; but if it furnish us with cannons, ammunition, troops, appurtenances of war and treasure, and aid and protect us, then shall we be submissive to its imperial orders, and will begin in earnest to take vengeance on the Russians in war, and at the termination of the war, we bind and oblige ourselves to repay all the expense which the Ottoman government may have incurred, and never to submit to the Russians; for in fine, if the war should render us feeble, we will disperse ourselves upon the mountains sooner than surrender to them. 8th paragraph, page
If, however, your Majesty should not deem these arrangements advisable, we trust that your Majesty, and the other Powers, will issue orders that we may continue free and independent like Persia, Affghanistan, and other mountain-countries; and when your Majesty has thus definitively ordered and arranged, we will consider how we shall next proceed. If, however, the above arrangements could be made with the Ottoman government, we should esteem it a special favour, and we should be perfectly satisfied.
Sefir Bey, our minister, has been ordered to present our humble petition to your Majesty, and to the Ottoman Emperor, and we well act in conformity with what may be done and spoken by him.
May your Majesty, whose person is endowed with every exalted quality – with intelligence and with compassion – deign to receive this the humble address of our tribes. On your Majesty’s supreme will our destiny depends.
1254 (Year of 1838)
(N.B. – To this address were appended the signatures of about twelve hundred and fifty of the most influential chiefs and elders throughout all the provinces of Circassia)
Source:
Pages 445, 446, 447 and 448, Journal of a Residence of Circassia During the Years 1837, 1838 and 1839. By: James Stanislaus Bell VOL. II.
