THE CONDITION OF MACEDONIA.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SFECTIN0E:41 SIR,—You were kind enough, in your issue of last Saturday, to publish a few lines from me on the present condition of Mace- donia. I regret to trouble you again so goon, but I am anxious that your readers should have an opportunity of making them- selves acquainted with the contents of a letter from Macedonia which has reached me this morning. You will see that it fur- nishes shocking details of the wholesale deportations of Christians which are now taking place in that province. The writer, whose communication is dated Kuprali (Veless), November 30th, says :— " Yon, perhaps, have already heard of the awful state of things in these parts. Military law is used as a cloak to cover up a multitude of cruelties. Several car-loads of women and children have been sent off from here to Salonica. The following is an example of the way things are done :—Some years ago, one Christ° Chenkar was murdered. His son made complaint to the Court, and accused a certain Turk of being the murderer ; whereupon he was himself arrested, sent to Salonica, and imprisoned for a year and more. Upon being released, he returned home ; but after a few weeks he went to Servia, where he still is. Some weeks ago, the local authorities re- quired his relatives to bring him back within fifteen days. Failing to do this, all the members of the family, and all connected with them by marriage—seven families, in all, numbering forty souls— were arrested, and sent to Snlonica. It is said that they have been sent into exile for six mouths. A short time ago, the greater part of a neighbouring village—male and female, old and young—were arrested and Sent to Salonica, because a Turk was found murdered in a gareen near by. As to the other cases, the only accusation I can hear of is that some relative or other is in Bulgaria or Servia. Children have died in the train, men have died from the beatings they have received, blind women have been sent into exile, &c. Some 300 souls have been taken from this town and from the surrounding villages."
The following is a copy of a telegram, dated December 3rd, which has been sent from Salonicu to his Holiness the Exarch at Constantinople :—
"Whereas some members of our households wont some time since to Servia and Bulgaria and settled there for business purposes, the Government have taken us-163 persons—from our homes in the town of Kupruli (Veless), and under escort sent us to Salonica and Kezzambria, in this wintry weather. We are sure that our gracious Sultan would not like to have us die from hunger and cold. We there- fore beg your Holiness to entreat the Sublime Porto that an order be issued as soon as possible for our return home."
I feel certain that it is only necessary to call Lord Granville's attention to these cruel and arbitrary proceedings, in order to ensure that steps shall at once be taken at Constantinople to remonstrate with the Porte on its conduct in thus again defying the sentiments of the civilised world. It should be remembered that the great majority of the poor exiles have never been accused of any offence, and that many women and children, as well as not a few aged and infirm persons, are among those who have already been forcibly removed to Asia Minor and to
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