Egypt -- History -- Mohammed Ali, 1805-1849; Syria -- History; Turkey -- History -- 1829-1878
“His Highness consents to re-equip the fleet of the Sublime Porte, to
victual it, in a word to put it in a state to sail at a moment’s notice
for Constantinople, on the express condition,—a condition which you
yourself have laid down,—that the said fleet shall remain in our port
until the official notification of the Powers which shall guarantee the
hereditary government of Egypt to his Highness.
“Besides this, on the formal demand which you have made to the Viceroy
thereupon, his Highness will send to Beyrout, and that forthwith, an
officer of his household, (already appointed,) who will be the bearer of
the necessary orders for the evacuation of Syria by his son Ibrahim
Pacha and his whole army.
“This envoy will embark on board the steamer which you have placed at
his Highness’s disposal, and will be accompanied by an English officer,
on his way there and back again.
“This is written with lively gratitude for the care and the delicacy you
have shown in the solution of this difficult question. And in the name
of his Highness,
“I am, &c.,
(Signed) “BOGHOS JOUSSOUF.”
I had already detained the Oriental with the India mail three days, and
not thinking it proper to keep her longer, I decided on sending the
correspondence by her, and the Convention, when signed, by the Medea. I
wrote at the same time to Lord Palmerston.
“Medea, Alexandria,
Nov. 26, 1840.
“My Lord,
“I have sent to the Admiralty copies of my correspondence with the
Egyptian Government. I am not able to send the reply to my last letter,
because it will not be ready till to-night, when everything will be
signed. But I am just come from the Pacha and Boghos Bey, who have
consented to the immediate evacuation of Syria. But as I have already
kept the Oriental three days, I did not think it right to detain her
longer. I hope I am right, and that I have done what I think you wish;
and as I feel certain the Turkish army, as it is, could not have
followed up Ibrahim without cavalry, artillery, or commissariat, I
thought it better to get them out of Syria by treaty. Had we attacked
them at Zachle, it would have been different; but they are retired on
Damascus. A French steamer arrived here three days ago with a
negotiator, besides the one they had here; and they did all they could
to prevent this. But six eighty-gun ships negotiate better than a
steamer. I should have sent your Lordship copy of the papers, but I
could not any longer detain the Indian mail. I shall, probably, send a
steamer home with the Convention.
“I have done what I think will meet the views of the Government. I know
the responsibility I incur. But an officer ought not to be afraid of
acting without instructions, when it is for the advantage of his
country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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