![Durrës Essad Pasha Toptani [in uniform] and dignitaries, March 1914](https://memorie.al/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Durrës-Essad-Pasha-Toptani-in-uniform-and-dignitaries-March-1914.jpg?v=1613423864)
Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes some unknown articles published in September 1913 in the newspaper “Përlindja e Shqypniës” published in Vlora, where in one of them, its author who has signed it with the name, (Met Fiso) addresses Esat Pasha Toptan, taking into analysis all his political and military movements. All the details of the letter, from his heroic fight for the defense of the city of Shkodra, the reasons for handing over the city to Montenegrin troops, to his resignation as minister of the Vlora cabinet, where Pasha Toptanas resigned, after accusing Ismail Qemali that had taken over the powers of the ministers! As well as some other unknown articles from the Albanian press of 1913, mainly to the newspaper “Përlindja e Shqypniës”, where some well-known patriots such as: Mihal Grameno, Bahri Omari, Hiqmet Delvina, Kol Tromara, Ibrahim Shyti, etc., sent some open public letters to Esat Pasha Toptan, where they called on him to give up the betrayal he was doing to Albania and the government of Vlora!
“The name of Esad Pasha Toptan is known to our Albania – as he knows it, it is not our job to say it here. Even outside Albania, the name of Esad Pasha became quite famous when the fierce and unhappy fighting in Tarabosh, Bërdicë and Bardhanjoll, made the world remember the bravery of those who have defended Shkodra more times in the past. When she took on the role of Mr. Esad Pasha, that is, when Shkodra was given into the hands of the Montenegrins who had surrounded her, then the name of her protector went a little dark, in oblivion, as you once found it before. Hamja, (hunger, our note), they say, forced the brave Assad to leave the city just when the Serbs, the largest part of the army that had circled (surrounded, our note), Shkodra, were getting ready for the road, then when the international fleet arrived in the waters of Montenegro to implement the decision of the London Conference to expel Shkodra. Shkodra fell: the last hope of Albanian bravery was lost; the thing that could hold the consciousness of Albania on its feet disappeared. Upon leaving Shkodra with the unstinting honors of the Montenegrins, as a brave opponent deserved, Mr. Esad Pashaj himself in Tirana, where you are in Serbia “. This is what the newspaper “Përlindja e Shqypniës” published in Vlora, in one of its September 1913 issues, wrote about Esat Pasha Toptan, who was then appointed by the Prime Minister Ismail Qemali, to the post of Minister of Works. of Internal Affairs of the government of Vlora that was formed after the declaration of independence of Albania on November 28, 1912. For more about this article where its author has signed under the name Met Fiso, as well as some other articles published at that time by some well-known names, prominent patriots, such as: Mihal Gremeno, Bahri Omari, Hiqmet Delvina, Kol Tromara, Ibrahim Shyti, etc., who publicly attacked Esat Pasha Toptan in the press, making all kinds of accusations against him, the article in words that Memorie.al publishes in full according to the newspaper ‘Përlindja e Shqypniës’, starting from today’s issue.
“Perlindja e Shqipniës”: The case of Mr. Esad Pasha Toptan
Udobally (normally, our Note), it can be understood that a mild illness becomes dangerous when it goes long. Not because that disease was bad, but because, by weakening the body, it prepares it for more serious diseases. So, it is with the human body, so it is with the body of the state. The way Albania became; to enter inside of all foreign enemies; subsequent talks of London ambassadors; the doubt that has reigned and still reigns over many issues about the foundations of the new state in the Balkans – all this and much more, does not form a disease for our homeland? It’s dependent, this disease is coming to be cured; all those issues one after the other, are gaining pounds. Take the pound, but too slowly; the disease is prolonged and the effects, the evils that derive, necessarily, from such a prolongation, we are seeing. Things cannot take their true form; many things for which the government had to take strong and swift action have remained hanging, neither in heaven nor on earth. Greeks kill and expect people for the great guilt they commit by saying that we are Albanians; The Serbs, being no better than the Greeks, do not work better than them: the natives flee in vain because they cannot stand the evils of the occupiers. Where do all these evils come from? Undoubtedly, from the present state, the present. The greatest desire of the Albanian, today, is and should be that this current situation to gain pounds soon. Who does not love this thing? The enemies of our nation.
“We are surprised with Esat Pasha”!
Whoever overly confused things get confused even worse? The enemies of our nation. Who remembers that among these enemies of Albania can be found a famous Albanian? Wonder singers of this line, be surprised if you know it is true. The name of Esad Pasha Toptan is known to our Albania – as he knows it, it is not our job to say it here. Even outside Albania, the name of Esad Pasha became quite famous when the fierce and unforgettable fighting in Tarabosh, Bërdicë and Bardhanjoll, made the world remember the bravery of those who have defended Shkodra more times in the past. When she took on the role of Mr. Esad Pasha, that is, when Shkodra was given into the hands of the Montenegrins who had surrounded her, then the name of her protector went a little dark, in oblivion, as you once found it before. Hamja, (hunger, our note), they say, forced the brave Assad to leave the city just when the Serbs, the largest part of the army that had circled (surrounded, our note), Shkodra, were getting ready for the road, then when the international fleet arrived in the waters of Montenegro to implement the decision of the London Conference to expel Shkodra. Shkodra fell: the last hope of Albanian bravery was lost; the thing that could hold the consciousness of Albania on its feet disappeared. Upon leaving Shkodra with the unstinting honors of the Montenegrins, as a brave opponent deserved, Mr. Easad Pashaj himself in Tirana, where Serbia is. The Serbian army was immediately removed from those areas and Pashaj with the soldiers who had defended the largest city in Albania, took their place. Our hearts broken by the fall of Shkodra, gain some power; hope, until yesterday, is low, it is increased when you see the enemies that are leaving the lands of Albania. How could we not rejoice when we saw that the power of the Albanian government is increasing, when we thought that all the energy of a brave soldier, of a famous Albanian will enter the hands of the Government, will cooperate with him for the good of this country and his sons?
“Assad proclaimed himself King of Albania”
While we were waiting for our statements to be confirmed, we heard some news which did not resemble at all what we expected; no, they did not stick, but we can say that they were quite the opposite. Esad Pashë Toptani was proclaimed King of Albania! A hail falling from a cloudless sky, a bullet between the wedding guests will not impress you more than you do in Albania and outside the news that Esad Pashaj called himself King, against the will of the Albanian people, against the desire of those who made Albania. Surely, there were people who believed in this news; but most of those who know how to judge did not even notice. Here Esad Pashaj is not Albanian, here the news is a lie; Here is Esad Pashaj, he does not know what he is doing, here is the news, it is a work of the Albanians (Serbo-Montenegrins, our note), – so the world spoke. It is not our job to find out now whether these words were more or less true. Today we have another job; To see if what the world says about Esad Pasha Toptan is more or less true; Albanians have the right to shame anyone who kills so many thousands of Slavs in the fortresses of Shkodra. We, as we started it, so we will finish this article; we show how things have been going lately. Then, whoever wills, let him judge these matters and rebuke one party by giving justice to the other. Tirana and other areas that are under the shadow of Pasha’s power, as once under the Serbs, still remained so, even later, after their departure. Pandenja, our hope for the extension of the power of the Government, was not proved. Riots, anti-Albanian rallies, secret advice – all of these were centered in Tirana. Our government did not take harsh measures against the perpetrators of those confusions because it had to prove how insignificant they are and how insignificant (unfounded, our note) is their work.
“The government of Vlora appointed Assad minister”
These works did not take a pound even when the Government of Vlora, believing that it does a useful deed for the peace and unity of Albania, appointed his Minister Esad Pasha Toptan as Minister of Internal Affairs. They did not take the pound, but they changed their faces; began to behave in an official manner. Upon receiving his appointment as minister, his lord sought permission to make a trip to Rome and Vienna to rest from the great hardships of war. In the capitals of the two friendly Powers, Mr. Minister of Internal Affairs relaxed and we remain assured that he was assured of several things: it was ensured that Albania became equal for all Albanians and that a minister of this small state, whoever life, is honored, in those areas, more strongly than in any other place in the world. When he returned from Rome and Vienna, Pashaj, dissatisfied with the way the administration of some areas, such as Tirana, Kavaja, Durres, in which people employed by Serbs were still working, left for the streets and went to the same vise, no doubt, to increase the number of officials who had to lower their heads under the command of the Albanian Government, It is possible that those officials worked exactly at the request of the Government, and the poor Government did not understand whether it is possible that, with the departure of Mr. Ministers in those areas, the officials promised that they would change the way of working, so the minister did not remove any employees, but, on the contrary, renamed them and named some others like them. Perhaps this is how the great interests of this small state loved him; not everyone understood these things easily. How do you put all things in order in those hostile areas of peace and order? Mr. Minister of Interior returned to Vlona, stayed for two weeks and, as Eid approached, he left again for Tirana. Surely a minister who likes rules as much as his Lord could not rest in peace in his manor to celebrate the feasts; yes, without ceasing the minister inspects the way of administration of Durrës, Tirana, Kavaja and Kruja.
“Assad: I leave because Ismail Qemali did not leave us alone”
After Eid, all the ministers, wrapped up, were waiting for their friend, the Minister of Interior, to study and address some issues of great interest. Yes, in the presence of God, Minister, came a telegram from Durrës, where his Lord was located. The telegram weird as volleys from the clear sky or like the bullet in the middle of the wedding – it surprised, amazed and amazed everyone who sang it. “Since, at a time when the homeland has not escaped the clutches of the enemies, when the screams of babies, maids and women have not stopped yet, when all the sons of Albania who can bring a little help to the homeland are wrapped in Vlona and suffer from all the flaws of this city, when the eyes of our civilized world are directed sympathetically to the Provisional Government (temporary, our note), of Albania – then to find Albanians who are afraid of service with truly adherent, to leave the basic interests of Albania ”, to wrap themselves in Durrës and seek to establish another Government under their leadership? This is something that no one who understands the current interests of Albania can understand. Here is what Mr. Esad Pashaj wrote in the bomb telegram. At the top is a preface of special literary importance … There, the sender says that You, Prime Minister – because the telegram was sent to His Majesty – took the power from the ministers. Bane an nom administration, you advised; i and pound faster than, then continues a proverb, a Turkish saying, because the telegram is written in Turkish – which after Albanian comes very ugly, so we leave it aside. With this nom gives himself the power of a king. How can man best show the respect he has for his greatest. Can the rebellious spirit of the man who has always proved to be the greatest enemy of peace be shown in a more brilliant way? Who stands up against turmoil? Ay who has always had turmoil in his place, who has helped and strengthened turmoil. Who shouts to defend the rights of others? Ay who never wanted to know foreign rights? He took power from the ministers, says Mr. Esad Pasha Toptani to the Prime Minister of the Government. Which minister took power: the one who does not know, the one who does not want or the one who seeks to use ministerial power in a way that is dangerous to the general interests of the nation? We do not see any Minister complaining that his rights are being violated; we, on the contrary, are listening to them praising the tireless work of the elder President and the valuable help that every man finds in the counsels of His Lordship. Or could the rights of a gentleman who, for three or four months, not work for two weeks in a row with his comrades, be violated? Or could it be that someone else did the work of a minister who did not want to or did not know how to do it himself? We are that this is not called a violation of rights. Yes, let’s say that a prime minister brought a curse (insulted, offended, our note) to a minister violating his rights. So, what should a minister do then? He has the medicine in his hand, he quits his job … He is no longer a minister, he remains a patriot. To be called a minister in no one’s cabinet, under his chairmanship, without giving up to show the world that he has a different mind, this is happening in Albania for the first time. Bane an administration nom, says the telegram below, advised and gave the pound with great speed. With this nom gives himself the power of a king. This means that it seems to us that, after the nominal father, the Minister of Internal Affairs has no right to appoint and remove, if he wants, the praetors (directors, our note), and the mytesarifs. This seems to reduce the power of the Minister of Interior. Everywhere and in Albania, the appointment of these high-ranking officials takes place on the council of ministers. It is not a matter of changing a praetor whenever the minister wants. What we have said so far is the preface to the researches of Mr. Asad Pasha; the essence is elsewhere. Pashaj demands that the center of government be made Durrës – where his Lordship reigns; wants a national assembly to be convened there to elect other ministers – besides Pasha and the Prime Minister. In the next issue we will probably talk about these searches. (With Fiso).
Math rally in Vlona against the Tirana Clique
Yesterday at 10 o’clock a math rally was held in Muradije, which was organized by a committee. The purpose of the rally was to protest against the Tirana Clique which has the shamelessness to bring turmoil today when Albania is in a difficult day. So, I ran to this rally with which they showed very nicely the wishes of the Albanian nation that will never accept the anti-patriotic thoughts of some people who want the loss of Albania. The first word was given by Mr. Ibrahim, a villager from Vlora, who showed the beginning of the proclamation of self-government to Albania, says that some black clouds have been raised in Durrës and Tirana by some bad people to disturb the peace of Albania. These people said they want the capital Durrës to be made, the cabinet to be changed by forming a new Esad Pasha and to ask the Prince to come an hour ago, he is saying that these demands (our request, our note) can never be fulfilled. since the capital will be chosen later as the International Commission will come and the Government cannot be changed without the arrival of the Prince, since the current Government has been elected by the nation and the nation has full confidence until Albania is organized. The people unite shouting long live the Government! Down with the treacherous clique of Durrës! After Mr. Ibrahim, Mihal Gramenoja spoke, who says that only the Albanian heart cannot have the clique of Tirana which tries to confuse the country with anti-patriotic goals. Such people are the enemies of the nation, who are foreigners because their neighbors cannot ask for things without reason, when today Albania is in danger and is violated by enemies. Even to try the foreign language, he says that this clique works under the order of the Despot of Durrës who is a Greek and he does not want only the good of Albania./Memorie.al
Continues tomorrow
