Annals of the Academy of Romanian Scientists Online edition Series on History and Archeology ISSN 2067-5682 Volume 1, Number 1/2009 27 THE ECHO OF THE ROMANIAN PRINCIPALITIES’ UNION REFLECTED IN THE CONTEMPORARY TELEGRAMS AND REPORTS Carmen RADU1 Rezumat. Alegerea lui Alexandru Ioan Cuza ca principe al Principatelor Unite pe 5 şi 24 Ianuarie 1859 a avut puternice reverberaţii în inimile românilor din toată ţara. O serie de telegrame şi rapoarte sunt trimise cu această ocazie. Datate 5-17 Ianuarie 1859, acestea sunt trimise la Iaşi din toată ţara şi sunt adresate fie direct lui Cuza, fie unor înalţi oficiali, pentru a-i fi prezentate acestuia. Astfel, membrii Tribunalului din judeţul Covurlui, din partea cărora semnează I. Panaitescu şi G. Valinte, îi transmit lui Cuza "felicitările lor cu ocazia binecuvântatei înscăunări a Măriei Voastre". Mesajele trimise din Bucureşti, atât de persoane particulare, cât şi de reprezentanţi ai autorităţilor sunt extrem de interesante, recreând atmosfera din ţara noastră cu ocazia alegerilor ce avuseseră loc la Iaşi. Abstract. The election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince of the United Principalities, on 5th and 24th January 1859, had powerful reverberations in the hearts of the Romanians all over the country. A series of telegrams and reports sent on the occasion of the election of Alexandru Ioan I as prince of Moldavia. Dated 5th/17th January 1859, they are sent to Iasi from all over the country and the congratulations are addressed either directly to Cuza or to high officials in order to be presented to the prince. Thus, the members of The Court of Covurlui District, on behalf of whom sign I. Panaitescu and G. Valinte, transmit to Cuza “their congratulations on Your Highness’ blessed enthronement”. The messages sent from Bucharest, both by private persons and by representatives of the authorities, are extremely interesting for recreating the atmosphere in our country on the occasion of the elections which were held in Iaşi. Keywords: celebration, election, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Iasi, union, Wallachia, Moldavia, telegram, letter The election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince of the United Principalities, on 5th and 24th January 1859, had powerful reverberations in the hearts of the Romanians all over the country. A deep feeling of happiness caused by the enthronement of the new prince was shared by all the social classes, from peasants to great boyars. Although not aiming at an exhaustive analysis, this paper intends is to render the effervescent atmosphere created all over the country by the news that the Chamber of Deputies in Moldavia and then the one in Wallachia elected Colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince of the two principalities. With this aim in view we will invoke the congratulation telegrams sent from different towns of the country and some reports of the authorities which record the Romanians’ enthusiasm in the new political circumstances. 1Teacher at Al. I. Cuza High School, Iași. 28 Carmen Radu The first series of documents consists of the telegrams and reports sent on the occasion of the election of Alexandru Ioan I as prince of Moldavia. Dated 5th/17th January 1859, they are sent to Iasi from all over the country and the congratulations are addressed either directly to Cuza or to high officials in order to be presented to the prince. Thus, the members of The Court of Covurlui District, on behalf of whom sign I. Panaitescu and G. Valinte, transmit to Cuza “their congratulations on Your Highness’ blessed enthronement”.1 The Magistrate Court of Galati informs the Minister for Internal Affairs that the people are full of enthusiasm and that “last night the whole town was illuminated. Tonight it will be even brighter and so will it be tomorrow”2 in order to celebrate the joy the new prince’s election. The members of the Commercial Court of Galati, on behalf of whom sign M. Prasacani, I. Mărăcini and others, send to the elected prince a telegram from which we quote: “(....) after the country proclaimed you its lord and master, we perform our duty to congratulate you, and joining their votes with those of the people, we say «Long live our prince Al. I. Cuza!»”3 Also from Galati, Colonel Steriade confesses that he dares “to pay my homage and to offer my congratulations to Your Highness”4 and Colonel Duca says: “I feel overjoyed (...) to offer Your Highness my sincere congratulations”5 G. M. Balaban, lieutenant magistrate of Covurlui, “hastens to congratulate most respectfully your Highness on Your enthronement”67, sending another telegram to Iasi, on the above- mentioned date, and Major Vidrașcu, “Chief Firemen in Galati, dutifully congratulates on Your Highness’ enthronement as Prince of Moldavia.”8 The same enthusiasm was manifested by the inhabitants of Putna district. A report addressed by the commissary of Panciu to The Minister for Internal Affairs states: “Sir Teodor Gâţă, being informed that Colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected Prince of Moldavia, invited to his residence all the boyars in this town and they celebrated the event with songs of praise and toasts to His Highness. And in the evening he illuminated the whole town at his expense, the election of His Highness being celebrated by all the townsfolk with the best wishes of joy.”9 Dimitrie Dăscălescu, governor of Putna, also mentioned that, in Focşani “at this hour, the townsfolk are celebrating on the illuminated streets, ceaselessly cheering Prince A. Cuza. Such scenes of high –spirits and jollity have never been 1Romania’s National Archives, Fond: The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Moldavia, Ds. 8 Bis 1859, sheet 19. 2Ibidem, sheet 29. 3Ibidem, sheet 17. 4Ibidem, sheet 20. 5Ibidem, sheet 21. 6Ibidem, sheet 9. 7Ibidem, sheet 18. 8Ibidem, sheet 55. 9Ibidem, sheet 35. The Echo of the Romanian Principalities’ Union Reflected in the Contemporary Telegrams and Reports 29 seen in our town.”1 Another impressive message was sent from Tecuci by Archpriest Gheorghe Dimitrie, Major Diamandescu and others; the newly elected prince was offered “sincere congratulations‚” and they wished him “(....) sweet future and high prosperity.”2 Archimandrite Melchisedec, together with another 45 public men from the district of Huși, sent a letter of congratulations from which we quote: “All the patriots’ hearts leapt with tremendous joy and we thanked God who helped us to see the great miracle for which the whole country prayed to him fervently. Today, the whole Moldavia congratulates you, the undersigned adding their feeble voice to join the people’s homage to Your Highness’ throne and wishing You blessed reign (...) for the fulfilment of the country’s sacred dreams.”3 dreams.”3 Also from Huşi, L. Lambrino informs, on 23rd January, that the governor’s palace in Falciu “was surrounded by folks from all social classes who enthusiastically congratulated the elected Prince, a person who sympathises with all the Principality’s classes.”4 A great number of telegrams are sent to Iaşi from Botoşani. Thus, each of the two unionist members of Moldavia’s Kaimacam House, Judge Anastasie Panu and Judge Vasile Sturdza, receives a letter with the following message: “The inhabitants in the district of Botoşani, as part of our country’s people, are extremely grateful to you for the sacrifice you made for the main benefit of the Romanian nation and for the help you offered in so many adversities in order to open a new path to progress. Today, 5th January, the election of a national prince, corresponding to the public interest, was possible due to your impartial wisdom and to the elector deputies whose patriotic feelings ensured the future well-being of the country.”5.The telegram is signed by seneschal V. Bobeică, seneschal Buzdugan (future prefect of Botoşani district from 1863, who housed Alexandru Ioan I on the occasion of his visit to this district6, seneschal I. Roset and others. They offer their congratulations to the prince himself in another telegram, stating that: “history must engrave with gold letters in its book the blessed day of 5th January 1859, when kind Providence allowed Your Highness’ enthronement in default of a foreign prince, the respectable deputies fulfilling in this way the real dreams of the Romanians in Moldavia. Consequently, we, the people of Botoşani, hasten to congratulate His Highness, Prince Alexandru Ion Cuza […] to whom we 1Ibidem, sheet 7. 2Ibidem, sheet 5. 3Ibidem, sheet 5. 4Ibidem, sheet 60. 5Ibidem, sheets 11-12. 6Romania’s National Archives, The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Administrative, Ds.170/1863, sheets 25 and 51. 30 Carmen Radu swear unquestioning faith, true love and total obedience.”1 Also, the “Armenian community in the town of Botoşani, with feelings of great joy”, congratulate the elected Prince of Moldavia, the signers of the telegram being Cristea Nani Căminar, David Ştefan and others.2 A report sent by the Administration of Botoşani, dated 14th January 1859, states that: “the Armenian community organised a meeting, attended by 500 participants, to honour His Highness’ election. In the end, people toasted enthusiastically and seneschal Bobeică delivered a speech whose copy will be sent to you.”3 Consequently, the report dated 16th January 1859, addressed to The Minister of Internal Affairs, enclosed the above-mentioned speech, from which we quote: “Gentlemen (....) We all bless the country’s deputies who were able to elect a real son of Romania. This is the man of the century, shown to us by a merciful God, he is the descendant of Ştefan cel Mare and Alexandru cel Bun […]. We have cause to rejoice and to praise the mercy of Providence. We must still pray to God to spread his mercy over our beloved brothers across Milcov and to help them defeat their enemies (...) We shed tears of joy looking forward to our future.