The modern anti-macedonian propaganda argues, that the Macedonians did not called themselves Macedonians before the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. According to this propaganda, Macedonians would have called themselves “Bulgars”, but not Macedonians. But, this official note send from the British embassy in Salonica in the end of the 19th century and recorded in the House of Commons Papers, tells us the opposite situation. As the note states, that the insurgents called themselves Macedonians who like to free their native country Macedonia.
Let’s have a look at this note, important for Macedonian historiography.
In the correspondence of the House of Commons the s.g. House of Commons Papers, we find in the 63rd Volume of House of Commons sessional papers of the nineteenth century a very important reference to the Macedonian struggle for freedom long before the Ilinden uprising.
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The House of Commons (HoC) is the lower house of the UK Parliament and its politically decisive chamber. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. It is an elected body consisting of 650 members.
The documents are from the time when the Kresna uprising broke out against the Ottoman occupiers in Macedonia. This uprising in 1878 is often wrongly overshadowed by the Ilinden uprising. The uprising owes its name to the village of Kresna in Pirin Macedonia.
Reported by the British officials at the embassy in Salonica, we read in the correspondence dated November 2, 1878 (about three weeks after the outbreak of the Kresna uprising), freely quoted:
“(The bishop of Melenic explains:)…that the insurgents – who call themselves Macedonian – are demanding a large sum of money, and that they will pay back the sum when they get possession of their country Macedonia.”
The paper was signed by Consul Edward B. B. Barker. The official note is dated November 2, 1878.
Source quoted: House of Commons papers – Great Britain. Parliament. Accounts of papers: forty-one volumes.
