Page 654 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

From the 13th to the 20th century
where people betray freedom, do not have patriotic consider- ation toward gained freedom, civilian wisdom or virtue.
Therefore, it is your internal deficiencies and your cold- ness toward us who are still oppressed and with great pains in our soul, that is disturbing you. if this state does not change, we are doomed for disaster.
We will retell just one among thousands of cases in order to show you how the enemy slaughter us like hunted animals close to the Serbian border, reminding you that your papers have not described even one of those cases. Other nations, when someone gets hurt in your area, not only describe and inform the public, but also translate the account into all other languages for the whole world to know. all of you have the means and resources of your parties to have meetings, com- mittees, even agents throughout europe. You have all that, but do not forget that it is all Serbian and that you are Serbs. Still, you have not done anything for Serbhood with that. You have your reporters abroad, a free wing on the body of entire Serbhood in an oppressed land, but still you do not use that for the benefit of Serbhood. But when some accident hap- pens, for example to african Zulus or to a brave Nile expedi- tion in the deserts of africa, like two months ago, you write vividly about it; about egypt, slaughters in alexandria, a large Bedouin army; you describe their sufferings and progresses, you glorify British energy and skill in battle, lavish rewards on those who have millions of dollars at their command, the great leaders of the land of the Pharaohs, arabi-pasha etc. Your pa- triotic papers are full of these things, also of other piques and personal quarrels of yours that are being published every day or more precisely to say, poisoning your people and all Slav- dom. about our lands, the sorrow and harm done to our peo- ple, your papers have not written a word. One would think that the Middle east or african deserts are closer to us than Kosovo, Priština, Bitoly, Ohrid, Thessaloniki, Peć etc., the plac- es where hell has opened to devour Serbhood. You never wrote, not even as a joke, anything about our sorrowful leaders— Stevan and Kuzmin Šeparević, Mihailo Todorović, Nastas Matičević, Spasoje janković, Stojan Milenković, etc. or about that old fighter for national rights Stojan Kovačević; not a word, not even as much as about an arabian pasha, only a few words in some magazines...
Why, brethren, for God’s sake? Why are you, our intelli- gentsia, so far from the contemporary needs of our people? Why don’t you rise above yourselves, break your selfishness, and destroy a once imposed intrigue and confusion, and the rottenness of the soul that took root so deeply in you?
Today, more than ever, it is essential for you to have Ser- bian wishes, Serbian pride and honesty, Serbian ideas about patriotism, spread through your organs, a word about real Serbian virtues and needs, spread true, pure, uncontaminated thoughts of the Serbian soul, Serbian feelings and Serbian ge- nius.
For God’s sake, you who have more luck than us in every way, do not go so obviously into the hellish devouring jaws of the dragon, but establish real foundations in Serbian society, with God’s justice, with pure morality and faith. That is what kept our poems in close spiritual kinship, and what is essential if all Serbs are to embrace each other in the political sense al- so, if God wills. Quarrels, divisions and hatred leave an open-
ing for our external enemies who want Serbia to trip up on its own doorstep using you and your discord. instead compete among yourselves in patriotism, virtues and courage with the raised flag of your fatherland. Please, do not forget the virtues of your grandfathers that raised the question about our unity and liberation, and that of other nations in the Balkans. Be careful not to become the feces of the world and freaks of your own nation. Do not forget that people remember and record; and history judges like God, eternally and justly. Re- member that every evildoer is cursed by its progeny; negli- gence will be stigmatized by people, the negligence of those who had full freedom, the means and power over life and fate of its nation and then used it for evil. eradicate, brothers, your mutual passions, those satanic gifts. Start focusing on nation- al needs; above all be mindful of the liberation and unity of all Serbian people, with the blessing of God!
Excerpt from the preface of the report about “Suffering of Old Ser- bia (Kosovo and Metohija and Macedonia)” penned by Archiman- drite and later Bishop Sava of Dečani (former monk of old-Serbi- an monastery Dečani), official representative of the people of Old Serbia at the Berlin Congress (1878), together with several leaders of Old Serbia (Kosovo and Metohija and Macedonia), on the day of Saint Demetrius (Mitrovdan), 1882—Ed.
aN aTTeMPT OF aSSaSSiNaTiON aGaiNST a PRiZReN THeOLOGiCaL SeMiNaRY PROFeSSOR
1.
Ivan Jastrebov—to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
No 72 Constantinople, april 8th/20th, 1880
a copy of jastrebov’s report (to the Legation in Constanti- nople) from april 8th, 1880 for No 72 (archives of b. Min. D. V.- А2 . No No б75).
On april 6th this year, at Sunday noon, 17 albanians from Liuma, armed with „Martin“ rifles, headed by the well-known Ramadan Zaskok, an obdurate murderer, were chasing down the street of the Christian quarter in order to find the pro- fessor of local Theological Seminary Petar Kostić and to kill him. Not having found him at home and in the Seminary’s edifice, which belongs to the Russian honorary citizen Sima igumenov, they started for the Consulate which i am respon- sible for. Someone allegedly hinted that Kostić was hiding at my place. The mob was trying to break into the Consulate by force; it is only thanks to my intrepid and cautious guards under my personal supervision and control that the whole affair passed without a bloody fight in front of the Consul- ate and inside.
Naturally, i did not delay informing the Mutesarif (gov- ernor) of what had happened. ahmed Helmi Pasha stated that he did not know anything and he would take action in order to keep the situation at bay. immediately after that i personally protested against the violation of rules of the Con- sulate and demanded that the three policemen who were directing the llumen without the knowledge of their superi- ors be punished and that the llumen leave the town.
Kostić spent all day locked in a warehouse, and i found him in the evening and took under my auspices. as it turned out, his guilt was in daring to write to his acquaintance in the town
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