THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE 1821 TO 1833 BY W.ALISON PHILLIPS 1897

276 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
of the destruction of his fleet had stirred up a devouring
wrath, which was only with difficulty restrained
during the first negotiations
with the Powers. As
soon as the ambassadors had retired, and the necessity
for an affected moderation of tone was past, it burst
forth with unrestrained violence. On the 20th of December
a solemn Haiti-sheriff was issued, calling on
the Moslemin to rise for the defence of Islam, which
the Christian Powers had united to destroy. The
cruelty as well as the perfidy of the European Governments
was enlarged upon, who, with hypocritical professions
of friendship on their lips, had done to death,
in time of peace, six thousand of the true believers.
Russia especially was singled out for denunciation;
and the Treaty of Akkermann, which had recently
been concluded with her, was declared null and void.
Finally, it was announced that,
in the defence of the
faith, the followers of the prophet reckoned nothing
of the odds that might be arrayed against them, feeling
secure in the righteousness of their cause and in
the protection of the Almighty. 1
Nothing could have been more welcome to Russia
than this outburst; for the formal abrogation of .the
Treaty of Akkermann by the Porte gave her the
pretext which she desired for going to war with
i Prokesch, Appendix,
viii. 44.