DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4794#0272
By one of the articles of the new constitution,
all slavery was abolished ; and, by another, in
consequence, all the Turkish slaves were to be-
come prisoners of war, rf and, seeing the friend-
ship which subsisted between the Republic and
the Ottoman Porte, were to be sent home when
the general-in-chief should direct the same, and
when he should find that the Beys consented to
send to Malta all the French or Maltese slaves
they possessed.” These Turks, and other Mo-
hammedans, were taken on board the fleet, to
the number of some hundreds.
On the seventeenth, the squadron began to
leave the port. On the evening of the eigh-
teenth, the whole got under weigh. '
In a proclamation, published two days after
the sailing of the fleet from Malta, “ after de-
claring the object of the expedition, which was
to promote the general interests of civilization
and commerce, and humble the naval power of
England. Bonaparte told them they were going
to live with Mohammedans, the first article of
whose religious creed was, that There is no God
but God> and Mohammed is his prophet. ' Do
not contradict them,’ said he, and after recom-
mending a spirit of toleration for the Turkish
Mosques and Imams ; and having particularly
cautioned them against the violation of the wo-
men as a monstrous crime, he concluded bv
warning them against a spirit of plunder:
“ Plunder, which enriches only a very few, re-
flects dishonour on the whole; it dries up our
resources, and converts into enemies those
whom it is our interest to have for friends.” .
all slavery was abolished ; and, by another, in
consequence, all the Turkish slaves were to be-
come prisoners of war, rf and, seeing the friend-
ship which subsisted between the Republic and
the Ottoman Porte, were to be sent home when
the general-in-chief should direct the same, and
when he should find that the Beys consented to
send to Malta all the French or Maltese slaves
they possessed.” These Turks, and other Mo-
hammedans, were taken on board the fleet, to
the number of some hundreds.
On the seventeenth, the squadron began to
leave the port. On the evening of the eigh-
teenth, the whole got under weigh. '
In a proclamation, published two days after
the sailing of the fleet from Malta, “ after de-
claring the object of the expedition, which was
to promote the general interests of civilization
and commerce, and humble the naval power of
England. Bonaparte told them they were going
to live with Mohammedans, the first article of
whose religious creed was, that There is no God
but God> and Mohammed is his prophet. ' Do
not contradict them,’ said he, and after recom-
mending a spirit of toleration for the Turkish
Mosques and Imams ; and having particularly
cautioned them against the violation of the wo-
men as a monstrous crime, he concluded bv
warning them against a spirit of plunder:
“ Plunder, which enriches only a very few, re-
flects dishonour on the whole; it dries up our
resources, and converts into enemies those
whom it is our interest to have for friends.” .