DAILY NEWS ON THE MACEDONIAN UPRISING (1270)

DAILY NEWS ON THE MACEDONIAN UPRISING (1270)

August 12th, 1903

- And, what is worse -for the Macedonian cause, I mean, the same misconception prevails to a considerable extent in Western Europe. -Macedonia for the Macedonians -not for a “Greater Bulgaria,” is our ideal -said the fighting priest, the Rev. Toma Nikolov, whose story I sketched in one of my letters from the Near East some weeks since. (1271) -So you see, we have already made some beginning with provisional government in Macedonia. -Our ideal is Macedonia for the Macedonians, and for that we shall strive. (1272) -I wish you would tell that to your English public. -The insurrection is Macedonian; the really efficient fighting Bands are Macedonian. -The bands do not come from Bulgaria. They come from the Macedonian people. They will continue to come as long as the Macedonian people and the misrule of the Turks endure.

J. M., (1273) Macedonian Rising. – “Daily News” (London), August 12th, 1903, p. 12.

(1270) The British press followed the Ilinden Uprising with attention. Numerous announcements were published about the course of the revolutionary events as well as other details on the development of the uprising. Some newspapers also printed interviews with prominent Macedonian activists, through which Europe obtained an authentic picture about the aims of the Macedonian struggle for freedom. The London Daily News published such an interview on August 12th, 1903. We give extracts from it.

(1271) The interview was made by John McDonald, the writer of the article (J. M. “Macedonian Rising”. Daily News, August 12th, 1903, p. 12).

(1272) This is also what the Rev. Toma Nikolov said.

(1273) i.e. John McDonald.

(Pages 467-468, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)

APPEAL OF “THE MACEDONIAN COMMITTEES” IN NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA (1289)

September 1903

The Cry from Macedonia

What Paul saw in the spirit, the vision of the man from Macedonia, who called to him for help for his country, we have before us in the flesh. The suffering and destitution, resulting from insurrection in Macedonia, are extreme. Forty thousand Macedonians have managed to cross the border into Bulgaria.(1290) Several times that number remain in Macedonia, homeless, their herds and crops destroyed, perishing of cold and starvation. Everyone is familiar to some extent with the conditions which have prevailed in that unhappy country for the last two years and more, the active agitation of the Macedonian revolutionists, the rising in rebellion of a portion of the Macedonian people, (1291) the attempt of the Turkish authorities to suppress the revolution with the utmost severity by overwhelming force. With the rights and wrongs of the Macedonians we are not concerned, but we cannot help being concerned with the relief of fellow human beings and fellow Christians, of innocent women and children who are perishing by the hundred and will perish by the thousand most cruelly unless Christian Europe and Christian America come to the rescue. (1292).

The Committee in New York. The Committee in Philadelphia (1293) G. N. Chakaloff and S. J. Shoomkoff, The Macedonian Problem. Philadelphia, 1904, pp. 108-109.

(1289) The news about the Ilinden Uprising crossed the Ocean, too. It was most widely spread in the United States of America. Following the example of some European capitals, special “Macedonian Committees” were formed in this country as well, which directed the Macedonophile movement. Such committees were founded in New York and Philadelphia in September 1903. At the start of their activity, the two Committees sent a common appeal to the American people, underling the struggle of the Macedonians and the suffering immediately after the uprising. The appeal is

entitled “The Cry from Macedonia”. We quote the integral text of the appeal.

(1290) In order to cross the border as refugees.

(1291) This refers to the western part of Macedonia.

(1292) A similar resolution was also adopted by the Pan-American Conference of Bishops, held in Washington in October 1903. Among other things it says: “We would further express the hope that the moral influence of the government of this great republic may be thrown into the scale in favour of such reforms as may give to the Macedonian people the protection of law against injustice and fourteen by the Committee in Philadelphia. All of them were notable people 1919, p. 324).

(1293) Fifteen persons signed the Appeal by the Committee in New York, and fourteen by the Committee in Philadelphia. All of them were notable people In American political, cultural and religious life. (C. Stephanove, Op. cit., p. 324).

(Page 474, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)

A RESOLUTION ON THE MACEDONIANS BY A BRITISH WORKERS’ MEETING (1304)

May 5th, 1904

National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives, Rushden, May 5th, 1904.

We think that the Macedonians (1305) would not have been allowed to suffer such cruelties and indignities they have done at the hands of the Turks (bond-holders) if there had not been so many of Turkish bonds among the capitalist class of this country; also if there had been gold and diamond mines there in Macedonia, more prompt action would have been taken by the present Government.

Public Record Office (London) FO 96/183, 1903 - 1905.

(1304) The Ilinden Uprising met with a notable reaction from the British working class as well. The British proletariat raised their voices of protest against the atrocities perpetrated against the Macedonian people. The British workers expressed their protest at a large number of gatherings, assemblies and meetings, which were organized starting from the middle of September 1903 and continuing in 1904 and 1905. Such a meeting was also held by the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives in Rushden on May 5th, 1904. We quote the whole text of the resolution from this meeting.

(1305) This is the term used in the original.

(Page 480, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume I)