Petko R. Slaveikov

“ The situation in Solun in regards to the Union is not dangerous yet; but Solun is still not a Bulgarian city and it does not lead the movement, nor does it have influence to the other places and towns, so it can strengthen or weaken the movement.
Kukuš comes at the head of the movement, supported quite strongly by the as yet sleeping Dojran, and Strumica with Maleševo and Voden participate there openly. Following them there limp the Salonika villages and those around Seres, Melnik and Drama. For the time being, anyone looking around might think that he sees nothing but smoke ”

“ It seems to me that the advocates of the agreement have been guided by similar considerations to a certain extent; they wrongly believe that the union will not take large proportions and that only a small number of people will become separated under the union, and that the rest will remain with the Greeks, considering this advantageous to their plan to paralyse the influence of the Exarchate in these places, to discourage them and compel them to accept agreement to their measure. ”

“ In his second letter he said that, as soon as the new Greek Bishop of Salonika, Joachim, departed for Salonika, he, the Monsignor, would be on the same steamship and arrive here. The last letter which has come with today’s mail is even more encouraging. Everything is ready and prepared, he says, and the letters are written and waiting only to be signed; and, they write, they are also asking for money from here for their return; therefore Dimitri Maleševski [13] has gone this morning to Kukuš to collect the money and send it to them. The leaders of the movement are thrilled. ”

“ The slow and obstructed advancing in the implementation of the tenth article of the firman, and lately even the obvious difficulties to implement it at all, and if you add to that the counterproductive rummors about the agreement [4] that is here widespread and probably presented as it suited some local orthodox people, that have worked even before to like prepare the people to the agreement, have left open space to some other restless spirits to start and give birth to some other kind of scandals. ”

“ Kučeviški, Metropolitan of Ohrid.↑ When it was established the Exarchate was excommunicated by the Patriarchate and it was declared as non-canonic. During the 1872 rummors reached Macedonia that an agreement is in its making so that the Exarchate will leave the Macedonian eparchies to the Patriarchate in exchange for a status of autochephality↑ The priest Hariton (Chariton) Angelov Karpuzov (from the village of Libjahovo, Nevrokop region; Boris Sarafov’s grandfather) emerged as one of the chief leaders of the population from the whole of eastern Macedonia. ”