Page:The European Concert in the Eastern Question.djvu/86

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CHAPTER III.


SAMOS AND CRETE.


1830–1878.


The intervention of the Powers requestedPrince Leopold, in his letter of 11th February, 1830, accepting the throne of Greece, submitted to the Conference of London his hope:—

That the Greek inhabitants of the Islands of Candia and Samos, who are to be restored to the Porte, may have their civil and religious position fixed and ameliorated by the intercession of the High Powers, as well as by a liberal application of the Treaty of the 6th of July, that they may be secure from all vexation, and protected against all acts calculated to lead to an effusion of blood[1].

The reply of the PowersThe reply of the Conference is contained in its Protocol of 20th February to the following effect:—

The allied Powers cannot admit the right of intervention of the Sovereign Prince of Greece, in regard to the manner in which the Turkish Government exercises its authority in Candia and Samos. These islands are to remain under the dominion of the Porte, and are to be independent of the new Power which it has been agreed to establish in Greece. However, the allied Powers hasten to declare to Prince Leopold, for the personal satisfaction of His Royal Highness, that in virtue of the engagements which they have contracted by common agreement, they consider themselves bound to assure to the inhabitants of Candia and Samos security against all molestation, on account of the part which they may have taken in antecedent troubles. In case the Turkish authority should be exercised in a manner offensive to humanity, each of the allied Powers, without however entering into a special and formal engage-
  1. Prot. No. 26; Annexe B.