Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of 1918, when the mountaineers of Hoti, Triesi and Gruda under the leadership of Father Anton Harapi, Fishta and Luigj Gurakuqi, sent a memorandum to the highest chancelleries of Washington, London, Paris and Rome, which constituted even the Four Great Powers, where he demands that these territories, which were unjustly left to Montenegro, be returned as soon as possible to the parent trunk, Albania, to which they belonged. In this regard, the following article, which we have taken from the memoirs of Father Anton Harapi, first published in the periodical press of the ’30s, under the title “Wisdom and manhood among the inhabitants of Cem”, and later in the year 1959 in Rome, in a special book entitled “Andrra e Pretashit”.
As the well-known and undeniable historical fact is already known, that in addition to Kosovo (which declared independence on February 17, 2008), many other provinces and territories of Albania have had a bad and tragic fate, since the last centuries. , to be unjustly detached from the parent trunk and left to neighboring states. The province of Chameria in Greece, with Parga, Igoumenitsa, Filati, Sulin, etc., Skopje, Tetovo, Ohrid, Struga, etc., in Macedonia, Hoti, Gruda, Trieshi, Tuzi, Ulcinj, etc., in Montenegro, show the most well that great historical injustice, which the Great Powers did at their expense to satisfy the chauvinistic appetites of the neighbors and the immediate political conjunctures. But unlike what the historiography and propaganda of the communist regime of the pre-1990s presented to them for decades to resolve these historical injustices, Albanians have not always put the rifle first. But, the latter, they have known how to use it whenever the neighbors did not want to sit at the table of diplomatic talks, or did not obey the decisions taken by the Great Powers to resolve these historical injustices that weigh on the backs of Albanians for centuries.
Among the many events that best prove the fact that: Albanians have used the rifle where the diplomatic language has stalled, is that of the highlanders of Hoti, Gruda and Trieshi, who in 1918, under the organization and direction of Father Anton Harapi Gjergj Fishta and Luigj Gurakuqi sent a memorandum to the highest chancelleries of Washington, London, Paris and Rome, urging them to return these territories, which had been unfairly left to Montenegro, to the parent trunk as soon as possible. , Albania, to which they belonged. In this regard, the following article, which we have taken from the memoirs of Father Anton Harapi, first published in the periodical press of the ’30s, under the title “Wisdom and manhood among the inhabitants of Cem”, and later in the year 1959 in Rome, in a special book entitled “Andrra e Pretashit”. What makes this event of 1918 even more interesting is the fact that the historiography of the communist regime before the 1990s never addressed this event, because the main authors of the drafting of that memorandum were Father Anton Harapi and Padre. Gjergj Fishta, whom that regime had declared “enemies of the people.” (Subheadings are editorial)
Memories of Father Anton Harapi: Preparation of mountaineers to enter Shkodra
To please the eye and the heart, without that noble gang, those vigaj men have seven, I play towards the heart, handsome for the duke, coming in a way, so thin and so sharp in mind. Their faces, indeed, are torn from suffering, but not rame; easy on the legs and agile for work, they had not felt the way at all; their own minds that they are having fun and not that they rest after ten hours of traveling on foot. It felt so complicated, but without being confused, an extraordinary masculine shade had fallen on them. He grew up with a rifle in his arm, he fought with unrelenting fights against Shkjau, he fed with unforgettable memories of his ancestors, he pretended to be a good soldier, lest the Marathon gang be coveted. The effort between us and them, which had a great mind, transcended the prose and the usual mosaic of life and was caught in the height of a truly idyllic poetry. The strings of their hearts have never been touched more satisfactorily, they have presented themselves to realize their dream, as if it were the same work and their hymn in Shkodra, of the acquaintance of the three bajraks with Albania. They did not speak so eloquently that with that pleasure of the soul, which, buffeted by the senses, shone in the eyes, between the buttocks and between the faces, the pleasant movements of the body erupted among us. How they welcomed us, how they greeted us, how they entertained us, with that thalbin of their own soul, are not the work they are told; they are already known and tested, but they have no way of describing or being revised; they are moments (moments) that transcend the ability of expression and shade among those symphonic lamije of the soul, where the greatness of the beauty of life is already enjoyed, without me being able to be included. There, that day, I fell in love with it, because our relatives never knew that spiritual greatness, the nobleness of the Albanian highlander. Without delay, let us line up with the shadows in the city together and get better and better. When you are, become a gendarme and after, like, four, five others, even great ones announce this news to us:
French Commander of Shkodra: Mountaineers, hand over your weapons!
Order of the Commander of Shkodra with shadow in the city without weapons; rifles will be handed over here to the police at Maxharr Bridge. With that, the frame of life changed moment by moment. No matter who spoke to me, as if they had another secret order, our mountaineers once again removed the mausers from their arms, and with them in their hands, sat down and stayed there, without playing the country. That gesture was our understanding. They were on Friday after the priests, but they did not want me to be reaped. -How do you say, men, let’s do this job, who left us without waiting? That’s how I got there, to break that monotony. -He shot us badly, sir- that’s how they felt and with cold blood. -We were found even worse and narrower and we were honored; let no man despise thee: for with the help of the LORD we shall honor him. -No, sir, we didn’t fall in Shkodra to be harvested. -So Gjo Nika i Hot started talking, in the name of everyone. -We have remembered that Albania welcomes us and calms us, as well as we love it and we look for it with all our heart, and why the work was so different, for us without a blanket, we do not envy (change), our honor or the door of the bayrak: we are not those who return to the shadows without shadow in Shkodra, but even in Shkodra we do not shine without honor of the Armenians. Asha (pasha), the One who has forgiven us, the cortege of the cortex with us, the men of Malsis, do not come out naked. We have no war or quarrel, we just want to be honored; Even without us, there are those who have been among the three Bajraks, but let them never say, that we will turn our backs on ourselves, to take the face of the tribes generation after generation. God willing, whatever happens, it would be good for the mountains to be honored. ” John spoke so eloquently, and there was no one to add another half word. They had fired at us to make our deans as big as they were, but they did not duel with ashes in Shkodra with weapons. Which, in their minds, as it was taken to hand them over without shadow in the city, so it was an honor for them to hand them over to the Commander himself, as if they had come out as before. Time did not wait. The work was speeding up and the sun was setting. The three priests, on the other hand, after the Committee, which had pushed us to that rank, had an attempt with me, two of my friends stay there with the mountaineers, to annoy me, and they tell me to be nice in Shkodra only and I try with members of the Committee to cover this work with honor. Dogri attacked the Municipality, where Luigj Gurakuqi and Father Gjergj Fishta were.
Father Anton Harapi: The people of Shkodra left us alone, they were locked up
The streets of the city were almost lonely, the tallalli announced on the side of the Commander’s order: “The committees at the Maxhar Bridge have fallen; to keep the vein on who, who will be given bread and support will be punished ”. The terraces of the dugouts (shops) were closed, the shadows of honor (fear), everyone, everyone removed to be found at his own house, but first, for whatever happened. On that occasion, I came across a well-known acquaintance on the street; but whoever brought his head to one side, who acted as if he did not know me, who grasped his legs, as if he had a job that does not wait, one of them told me not to stop talking to me about that strait; (I found myself close), and yes, whoever came out on the balcony (balcony), and whoever with half a light turned off, was trapped for his own reasons, the men of Shkodra stayed and watched for a series what was going on and the events were taking place. But didn’t the citizens of Shkodra know me anymore? I believe well. But didn’t they know who those mountaineers were and why they had come to Shkodra? For a qi we had fallen at the Maxharri Bridge, zani muer dhen through Shkodra, that Hot Grudë and Triepsh have come to beg Albania. The people of Shkodra never duel and faced us with a series of fights with us, with some metelik, because they beat us with this Albania; the frigates huddled inside, knowing that with the French entering the city, Albanian toys could kill badly; they were the most daring, they were interested in pveta, and even with good luck, but as you do and duel tallalli, mor not shy, but worse than when the falcon fell among the chickens, big and small were pupked and disappeared not to be seen seeds. When we saw ourselves, we were left alone, on the way to the streets of the city, my legs were shaking, I thought of the great responsibility we had on ourselves, but since the matter was sacred, we did not have the ashes of that work without consulting the words of the people. wise, I grabbed my legs and grabbed myself and said: Even in this place, Shkodra is in the soul, the men of Malvete still sell Zana. Albania has the clock up!
Fishta and Gurakuqi meet with the French commander
My soul had come to me because of the contrast of the workers, who met so badly, and with that spirit I baked in the municipality with Fishta and Gurakuqi. I don’t even know what happened, and as I complained in that anger, it only reminds me that I emphasized this word: You are Albanians yourself, you know what I want to say, the honor of weapons for our mountaineer! They immediately understood the importance of the matter, which had to be dealt with with cold blood, but with the care and seriousness of the mujtun; I was led by Bardy de Fortou, then Commander of Shkodra under Frances. We gave him a wall as we knew how to push the General to withdraw the order, to assure him that the hymn of the highlanders with weapons was nothing but a formality, that there would probably be no confusion for this reason, and that the highlanders would to come to him and hand over the weapons to him in the office. But who told me and did you talk to me? He never felt the need for that harmless formality and risk of bloodshed on his knees for nothing, and he, in addition to not understanding what the honor of weapons would say to Albanians, had no interest in Albanians from there. to the border of 1914 to be taken and continued in Shkodra to do dimostracion to stay with Albania. Yes, but it was in front of the two Albanians who shot him twice. Gurakuqi’s tight reasoning and Fishta’s strong and fluent speech would unite him. Once upon a time, the General was somewhat upset that, if that useless and unexpected revolution were to take place in Shkodra, not only would he be responsible for our foreseen and unpredictable consequences, but he himself would not be able to be sure of it. own life.
Father Anton Harapi: Commander, the mountaineers do not surrender their weapons without a blanket!
He brings it and then asks for a guarantee. Gurakuqi’s face changed; he looks at me without speaking, as if he wanted to tell me that the matter was won; Father Fishta takes the floor, brings it to me, on his own, what kind of man can we give to the commander that there is no confusion and that we are handing over the weapons to him in the office. If I don’t know French, please let the General know that I didn’t give him the biggest bail, except to stay there as a hostage without playing the country, and to give it to him in writing with my own hand, that any confusion was happening anyway. small and from the side of the highlanders, I, with my signature, agree to be tried for deka without any other trial or trial. Bardy de Fortou takes my statement as an exaggeration, stares at me, as if he wanted to know me better, and asks himself: -Who are you? -I am the Brother of Gruda. -How can you get mad at those cowards? -God, I know them well, without fear, I am bound by their faith and manhood. What rights do you have over them and what means do you have to discipline them as you say? -I have no right over them, except the religious and spiritual authority, which a parish priest has in his parish; I have not seen the power to keep them in the target, but they believe me and I believe them; as I have hated them, so they have hated me so much that I am sure that for their own honor, they have already made themselves the deacons of all that they are, that they prey on the priest in faith. May your Lord not be persuaded of such a real and close endeavor between the priest and the mountaineer; with them, Lord, we root and love, with them we give the good and the bad, until the mouth of the mouth. Although they are poor and uneducated, but they are Albanians and they have faith and men have them for drinking, my mind tells me that I am safer for my highlanders, because you are for your soldiers… Take proof and you see! If you give me permission, I have to add one more word. The general put his lip to the gas: “Come on,” he says, “I’m curious to know what he thinks and what he wants.” -Maybe they told me, sir, that it is wrong to remind me that the highlander of our mountains is refractory and does not obey authority. Quite the opposite: The mountaineer keeps it an honor to keep his habit in line with authority. My mountaineers, therefore, have the honor of coming here to you and leaving their weapons in hand, why have we not come to fight with him, but have come to meet him (for a meeting), and to inform him and seek your support. But we do not hand over our weapons to anyone, because for Albanians, do not hand over your weapons to any gendarme, it is a weakness. And these highlanders do not leave him without a blanket, one for one as a soldier, who has a face and conscience, ban dean, rather than hand over the rifle. Our mountaineer is noble and not a kid, and he feels this in his conscience, so he is not convinced why he does not tolerate shame. The weapon, then, for them is strength, honor, value and visage; they come to them and lay down their lives, but never to the living. Although the general was not trusted, this was to show him a whole new and original life, so he was pushed with interest, changed his position between words and behavior, and, in the evening, gave permission to do so. according to the request of the submitter-ear is taken, -with high-minded conditions.
The French general gives permission: Armed mountaineers in Shkodra
Breathless, I set off for the Maxhar Bridge and give the mountaineers the comforting news. The reader can recall for himself the deep impression and joy that the security of the honor of the armies renews in that group of knights. As soon as I left, we lined up and set off for the city; calorie prints, i.e. they were fifteen or twenty people who had had the opportunity to travel, then the others ran for four and sang the song: Hot and Grude were sworn, without blood the mountains would not let them go… another with a blackboard on which were written in black letters:
COMME MARQUE DEUL LES REFUGIEMS DE HOT ET GRUDA VICTIMES DES ATROCITES DE L’ENNEMI.
The people of Shkodra were amazed. An hour ago, the same highlanders had declared dangerous nomads, and now they were grazing in the city with such greatness. In complete silence, the squad, when it arrived in front of the Municipality, erupted in applause; Shrypnija Rrnoftë with Hot, Grudë e Triepsh! Gurakuqi and Fishta had written a letter in French and Albanian to present their request to the Commander. As the letter was read, the highlanders put their finger on it one after another for confirmation. (Author’s note: As Gurakuqi and Fishta did not have the opinion to mention Triepshi in this letter, why Triepshi goes with the borders of the Congress of Berlin, I learned Hot and Grude with the borders of 1914. To secure the borders of 1914, we would go out later at the borders of the Berlin Assembly). Without delay we went to Bardy de Fortou, handed over our weapons, and through the words of Gurakuqi and Fishta they presented the copy of the signed letter. This letter was then presented at the conference of the Parish (Paris), by the representatives of Shqipni and added to the Red Book, from where I am extracting it and publishing it for the knowledge of the readers.
Mountaineers Memorandum for the Four Great Powers
Tyne’s sublime. Ministers of Foreign Affairs
- Washington, 2. London, 3. Paris, 4. Rome.
We, the subordinates, legal representatives of the various neighborhoods that make up the Hoti and Gruda pistols, have the honor to present the witnesses of the Great Power of Understanding to the request that follows, to pray humbly that the benefactor be taken care of. and I am satisfied with our national desires. The whole world appreciates that the sharp curves of Hoti and Gruda have always been for Shqypni an insurmountable barrier against Montenegro and that the brave inhabitants of these areas have opposed the raids with weapons in hand. always unrelenting, of the Montenegrins within the Albanian land. And as proof of our words, it is enough for us to convey the correct position that our forefathers had against the violent release of our Montenegrin tribes to be decided by the Berlin Congress, an attitude that finally brings our rights to the forefront. He reminded Europe that Hoti and Gruda had to leave our homeland, Shqipnis, which had been separated from the Homeland for a long time when that conference was creating it free and on its own. The people of our lands, qi for their docks and customs, and for their national language and dialect is a pure Albanian, protested vehemently several times against him unjust and violent release, and when he saw that he would be subjected to the power of number, then he preferred me it would be better for them to flock bigger and smaller, than to lie down on the Montenegrin side. The consuls of the Great Powers of the International Troops of Shkodra have been martyrs of the tragic, severe and indescribable hardships they have endured over the years 1913-1915 and we have moved our lives here and there away from the votes and suffered from our own passions: These are the sufferings. mournful of the tribes of Hoti and Gruda. But now that the Great Powers of Understanding, which have repeatedly declared themselves to have taken up arms to protect the freedom of small nations, are laying the groundwork for a just and lasting peace based on these noble principles. , our hopes are being revived. We have full confidence that he will fulfill our wishes, we get permission to bring you to their justice and to pray humbly, in the name of the sacred rights of Albania and the principle of self-determination of peoples, to have the goodness we decided qi our tribes to reconnect with our homeland, Albania, as they are an integral part of it, both for ethnographic and geographical reasons, as well as for the folklore and national desires of its inhabitants. Shkodra on November 14, 1918.
Hoti and Gruda’s party signed the memorandum
Deli Meta bajraktar and the mayor of the district of Rrapsha Hot
Tomë Nikolla, mayor of Gjonaj neighborhood …………… ..Hot
Gjekë Uci ……………………………………… .Lagje …… ..Hot
Nikolle Luca …………………………………… Jungji …… .Hot
Gjosh Marku ……………………………… Kolçekaj …… ..Hot
Nikë Martini ………………………………… .Pepaj ……… Hot
Lekë Marku …………………………………… Celaj ……… .Hot
Lucë Ula ……………………………………… Gjoknikaj… ..Hot
Marash Doka ……………………………… Ndrekaj …… ..Hot
Zef Muça …………………………………… Vuksanaj …… .Hot
Prelë Dushi …………………………………… Prekaj …… ..Hot
Prenkë Finding …………………………… .Lulashpepaj… Hot
Gjon Ujka ……………………………………… Brigje ……… Hot
Haxhi Mustafa ……………………… .Nenhelm ………… Hot
Lucë Nishi, district bayraktar ……………………… Hot
Prelë Keri, the mayor of Arza neighborhood …………………… .Hot
Gjon Ujka ………………………………… ..Gojçe ………… Hot
Sokol Mali ………………………………… Dushaj ……… ..Hot
Nikë Gjeloshi ………………………… .Vuksanlekaj… ..Hot
Gjokë Elezi ……………………………… .Bardhaj ……… .Hot
Nikë Gjeloshi ………………………… .Nabom ………… Hot
Dedë Gjoni ……………………………… Rranxa ……… ..Hot
Prenkë Zeka …………………………… Cemerr ……… ..Hot
Gjon Nika ……………………………… Skorraq ……… ..Hot
Dedë Nika, bayraktar of Gruda
Pjetër Preka, the head of the Rranxa district of Suka Grude
Mirash Hasi …………………… .of the Lower Gruda
Doda Nika ……………………… of Dinosha ……… Grude
Lulash Baca ……………………… ..Pikala …………… Grudë
Lekë Luli ……………………………… Priest ……… ..… Grudë
Palokë Marku …………………… ..Llofka ………… ..Grudë
Lucë Gjeloshi …………………… Bregcem. .Grude
Kole Leka ………………………… ..Kurreci. .Grude
Dodë Ujka ………………………… Grimja ………… ..Grudë
Tomë Gjeku ……………………… .Stanaj ………… ..Grudë
Losh Gjeka …………………… .Ulbrunçaj ………… .Grudë
Dodë Preka ……………………… ..Kalaj …………… .Grude
Tomë Gjoni, mayor of Sinishtë neighborhood ……… ..Grude
Prelë Doka ……………………… ..Vulaj …………… .Grudë
Gjekë Preloçi …………………… .Nikaj …………… .Grudë
Marash Pëllumbi ………… Mask allë Grude
Prenkë Deda ………………… ..Vucok …………… .Grudë
Mehmet Murati ……………… Gjokaj …………… .Grude
Bisho Caku …………………… Haxhiaj …………… Grudë
Zef Martini …………………… ..Preçaj …………… .Grude
The Shkodra newspaper (newspaper) “Posta e Shqypnis” made this letter public immediately (23.IX.1918. No. 89) and for this work it was closed by the order of the commander, Bardy de Fortou.
“With that, we endured the goal and accomplished it as it was in our hands to do for the bayrak of Cem, and with a satisfied heart, we trembled at the lead.”
Shkodra on November 14, 1918
Memorie.al
