HC Deb 23 July 1860 vol 160 cc13-7
SIR JAMES FERGUSSON

said, he wished to ask the noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Office a question with respect to a semi-official article which appeared in the Constitutionnel of Saturday on the subject of Syria. The article contained the following passage:— There is so perfect an agreement between the national and political sentiment in the Government of the Emperor that the Resolutions which are going to be taken apropos of the affairs of Syria, had been pressed for at the same time that it was called for by the unanimous impulse of the French press. The most energetic adhesion will reply, in Europe as in France, to the noble initiative which all the world expects of the Sovereign who governs us. No one will be surprised to hear that French troops will be immediately embarked to bear succour to the Christians in the East. The article went on to state that the French were bound to interfere by the Treaty of 1856, and was signed by M. Grandguillot. Another paper, the Independence Beige, pointed out that the statement recently made by the noble Lord in the House of Commons must have been made in ignorance of the Resolution of the French Emperor, which, it added, must therefore have been taken without premeditation. In the Moniteur of yesterday there appeared an official article to the following purport:— The propositions which the Government of the Emperor has made with the object of arrest- ing the shedding of blood in Syria, and of protecting the Christian populations, have been accepted by the Great Powers. England, ready to cooperate with her ships, recognizes the opportunity for the mission of a corps of troops, of which France would furnish the whole or the greater part. Austria and Russia give the same opinion. The Foreign Minister of Prussia has gone to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent to take his orders. A convention should be signed to determine the character and object of the European intervention. One waits only the acquiescence of the Porte. He had therefore to ask the noble Lord whether the Report was correct that a reconciliation between the tribes of Lebanon had taken place; whether the Government were in possession of information that French troops had embarked or were about to embark in the south of France for service in the East; whether any intervention which might take place in Syria would be confined to the coast or be extended inland; whether the Government had consented to intervention in Syria by force of arms, and last, whether they would protest against any such intervention until the consent of the Porte had been obtained?

LORD JOHN RUSSELL

Without answering the assertions which the hon. and gallant Member has read from French and Belgian newspapers, I may state what has occurred with respect to this very painful subject. Some time ago, upon the receipt of an account of massacres committed by the Druses on or near the coast of Syria, an order was sent to the Admiralty that Admiral Martin should proceed thither, should put himself in communication with the Consuls, and, if necessary, in order to stay the progress of the massacres, should be authorized to land the Marines of his fleet. Subsequently, accounts of a still more dreadful character were received. We were informed of a transaction marked with peculiar features, which took place at Dehr-al-Kamar. Statements were received from various quarters, that the Pasha in command at Dehr-al-Kamar informed the Christians of the neighbourhood that he expected an attack would be made upon them by the Druses, who were encamped in the vicinity, and he therefore advised them to come into the town. When the Christians were assembled in the town, he advised them, in consequence, it is said, of a demand made by the Druses, to give up their arms. They gave up their arms, which were sent away apparently with the view of their being taken to Damascus, but were captured on the road by the Druses. The Pasha then ordered that the Chris- tians should be confined within a building in the centre of the town. They were there confined for a considerable time, with very little food, and consequently fell into a desponding and weak condition. He then assembled them all in a court, and ordered the gates to be thrown open. The Druses entered, armed with both muskets and swords, and shot or cut down nearly the whole of these unhappy persons. Some few escaped, and reported at Beyrout what had happened. A gentleman who is well acquainted with that country and with some of the Druse chiefs, was prevailed on to go to one of those chiefs, for the purpose of endeavouring to stay the progress of these outrages. He accordingly saw the chief, who told him that he had been opposed to this attack on the Christians; that he said all he could against it, and was able to say no more; that he had no influence with the people, and that the massacres would probably continue. On returning to Beyrout this gentleman wont to the town, where the massacres had taken place. He described the streets as being strewed with dead bodies, the stench from which was horrible; the Druses were going about with their heads partially covered to protect themselves against the stench; but, at the same time plundering, laughing, and joking in the midst of this horrible scene. It seems to be the general impression among the Europeans on the coast that the Turks, for some reason or other, which I will not now discuss, had not done all they might to prevent these massacres, and had shown more sympathy with the Druses than with their unhappy victims. Soon afterwards we received accounts of a rising at Damascus, when 500 Christians were killed, including, what perhaps may not be true, the Dutch Consul, and scenes of a similar nature at other places.

The French Ambassador came to me on Wednesday last and stated the opinion of his Government, that these massacres could not be stayed unless a body of European troops was sent to Syria. I stated that the Sultan had sent a considerable body of troops there, and that it was to be hoped that that would be sufficient to restore order. The French Ambassador replied that, seeing the apathy and indifference to preserve Christian life already shown, there was reason to fear that the Turks that might be sent to Syria would not evince sufficient energy to prevent the Christians from being massacred. He referred to the treaty of 1856 and other provisions by which the Christian subjects of the Porte are to have their interests cared for by the European Powers, and he asked whether Her Majesty's Government would consent, in common with the other European Governments, to send a body of troops to Syria. I said I would consult with the Cabinet on the subject, promising to give the French Ambassador an answer on the same evening. The answer I gave in concurrence with the opinion of the Cabinet was, that, considering the circumstances and the accounts which were received, Her Majesty's Government could not object to European troops being sent to Syria; that we hoped to have a squadron on the coast; but that it would not be necessary to send any English troops; that perhaps Austria might send some troops, but that the force might be chiefly French. It was also stated that Her Majesty's Government were of opinion that in order to regulate the proceedings, and especially the period of the stay of the troops, it was necessary to have a convention, and that, above all, the Porte should be a party to the convention. At the same time, I added that if the principle were agreed to I did not think it necessary, supposing the urgency to be so great and Christian life in jeopardy, to wait for all the details to be agreed upon, or for the signature of the document before the expedition was sent out. This answer of the Government was transmitted to Paris, and the other Powers were at the same time, or immediately afterwards, consulted; and I have been informed that certain Governments, and principally the Governments of Austria and Russia, have agreed to the proposition. The Foreign Minister of Prussia declared his concurrence, but sent the proposition to the Prince Regent, who was at Baden. Thus the European Powers appear to be agreed; but I have not yet received any account of what is the opinion of the Porte. We have thought, in these circumstances, that it was impossible for us to object that a force of European troops should be sent to Syria. Of course, the convention is not yet signed; it is still a matter of negotiation as to how its terms should be drawn, what should be the stay of the French troops in Syria, and in what manner they are to act. We were informed, I believe, on Saturday last, that a brigade of French troops was to be sent to Syria. The convention must, of course, be made with the consent of the Powers of Europe and of the Porte, The hon. Gentleman has asked whether it is true that Syria is now pacified, and that peace has been made between the Druses and the Maronites. We have received a very short telegram from Constantinople stating that peace had been signed between the Druses and Maronites on the 10th instant, but the telegram conveys no particulars.