Wholly independent of the Turks

The Servians professed themselves ready to pay tribute to the Porte   to receive a Pacha, with a certain number of men, in Belgrade   and, in time of war, to admit Turkish garrisons into the other fortresses; but under ordinary circumstances, they claimed the right of having in them garrisons of their own.

The internal administration of the country was to remain wholly independent of the Turks. But these demands were now no longer listened to at Constantinople. The Deputies were referred to the new Grand Vizier, Churschid Pacha; who, two years before, had proved so dangerous to the Servians in their own country, and who had been raised to the highest dignity expressly in consideration of the service he had rendered in checking their progress. At Nisch, on their way to Con stantinople, he had received them favourably ; but, on their return, his conduct was very different: lie refused to give them any satisfactory answer.

The Servian ambassadors returned home at Christmas, 1812, without having effected any of the objects of their mission. All negotiation was postponed, to a conference appointed to take place at Xisch, in 1813.

There, at length, the Commissioner from the Porte, Tschclebi Effcndi, set forth the Turkish interpretation of the treaty.

He demanded the surrender not only of all the fortresses, but also of all their arms and ammunition. The Turks who had been banished were

to return into the towns and Palanks. Nothing else, it was said, could be meant by the Peace of  Bucharest. .Jt now remained for Kara George to verify his words, and to submit to what had been agreed upon by the two Emperors; and any one dissatisfied with this arrangement was at liberty to emigrate.

But if the Servians were to deliver up their arms, and the Turks were to resume their possessions, a still further rc establishment of the former state of things was to be expected. To these demands, therefore, the deputies could not, and would not, agree. Consequently, towards the spring, the Turkish troops assembled close to the Servian frontiers. They had also other business in that neighbourhood; to act against Molla Pacha, the successor of Passwan Oglu, at AViddin; whom, as one who had raised himself to independent power, the Sultan was no longer disposed to tolerate.

In order to save himself, Molla Pacha had at one time actually offered to surrender his citadel to the Servians; but when it came to the point, he

could not, as a “good Turk,” make up his mind to take a step so decisive in favour of Christians. Nor, perhaps, would the oiler have been accepted; as the Servians had received express instructions from St. Petersburg to remain quiet, and by no means to provoke the Turks; who would not then venture to violate the existing treaty. At the same time, Molla Pacha, pressed by his opponents in the town itself, was under the necessity of surrendering his fortress to the Turks.