The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-22 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE LATE RIOTS IN ATHENS.

The following letter, just received from the Pre-
sident of the Council of Ministers at Athens, M.
Ruffoa, explains the causes of the late deplorable
conflict in that capital :
Athens, June 28 (July 10), 1863.

fair —I think it necessary, in order to complete the satis-
factory intelligence which I hastened to forward to you by
telegraph, to accompany it with some observations that I
hope will enable you to form a more exact idea of our situa-
tion, and also to reduce to their exact proportions the
exaggerated rumours that our enemies will no doubt spread
with the design of darkening the picture of our affairs.
In order to avoid falling into grave errors regarding the
causes of the deplorable disorders which have so recently
overwhelmed the capital with sorrow, there ere three things
which must not be overlooked.
1. That the system of favouritism followed by King
Otho during 30 years has created a number of faction in-
terests and over-excited egotistical appetites, which the
revolution, struggling with every species of intrigue, could
not overcome in a single day.
2. That the army having fraternised with the people, and
taken from that moment an active part in the revolution,
could no longer preserve that severe discipline without
which order can never be fully sustained.
3. Th►t, considering the perturbation into which these two
facts, universally acknowledged, must have thrown society,
a miracle was necessary, to form out of the revolution, con-
stantly at war with a reaction more or ler considerable, a
government sufficiently strong to overcome every resistance.
Is it to be said, sir, that Greece is, as it has been sought
to represent her, but • den of wild beets, ready to devour
one the other? L it to be said that morality, justice,
and the laws are constantly trampled under foot? Noce
but the systematic enemies of Greece dare to make such
assertions as these. The instinct of preservation is so
powerful among the lover classes ; the ideas of order are so
strongly rooted in the minds of every curs; the National
Guard, numbering now all over the kingdom 30,000 men,
is so penetrated with its duties; sod the government
itself exercises a moral iofluence so efficacious, that the
agitators and the men who give themselves up to a foolish
ambition—happily few in number, and out of accord with
the dominating spirit, but capable, no doubt, of doing
mischief, much mischief, ander favour of the circumstances
which I have already mentioned to you,
plunge the nation, disgusted with their culpable attempts,
into anarchy. These are the reasons, sir, why the troops
which the other day sought each other's lives in a fratricidal
combat retire at this very moment in compliance with •
simple order of the government into distant provinces.
These are the reasons why these mutinous soldiers did not
and imitators elsewhere. In • word, these are the mesons
why the government, by the mere force of persuasion, was
able to calm passions which seemed implacable. Aa regards
the pretended attack on the National Bank, the most im.
partial investigation does not permit it to be affirmed that
such an object was at any time in view. What appears to
have given rise to these suspicions is that the place in which
the bank is situated was the centre of the sanguinary con
fact. Beside; this establishment was put out of all danger
by the aid of a guard, furnished, at the request of M. Stair-roe,
the governor, by the representatives of the three Powers.
When King George, whose advent is so ardently and
unanimously desired by the Hellenic nation, arrives and
establishes a government strong in the support of an
excessively popular monarchy, and consequently strong by
general sagest, this country, where so many unexplored
sources of riche* abound, where so many men of honourable
character and talents exist, and where the aspirations to.
wards progress are so irresistible, will draw towards itself, I
dare to hope, the sympathetic regard of Europe, and parti-
cularly of England, and will in every respect show itself
worthy of the benevolent protection of the civilised world.
Receive, air, the easurerioe of my profound esteem.
B. Roans, President of the Government.
To the President of the Philhellenic Committee,
London.