The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-05 00:00:00

GREECF.

The Moravia. of Saturday contains an extract of a letter ad-
dressed to his Excellency the Minister of Marine, by the Contre-
Amiral Chevalier de Rigny, commanding the French forces on the
Levant station. In this letter M. de Rigny states, that " A
I ydriot vessel, accompanied by two other Greek vessels, had
brought to Tino a commission of four persons to require the new
contribution of 42,000 piastres and other sums belonging to private
persons who had fled, amounting to 70,000 piastres. The inland was
oLliged to pay only 19 000, having expended 23,000 for Fabvier's
troops, by order of the Government. The Commission, however,
required the whole sum, and, on a refusal, fired on the city. Al-
ready seven persons were killed and a child wounded ; the Catholic
Church and other buildings were injured by the balls, when the
Serene appeared. The Vice-Consul went to request M. de Rigny
to Interpose. He did so, and accommodated the business, and
saved the city from total ruin ; for the villains waited only for the
general terror and disorder to pillage and burn it. Monsieur de
Rigny, astonished at seeing the Greeks act thus, ordered them to
suspend their firing. The Primates agreed to pay the con-
tribution, deducting the amount of what they had furnished to
Fabvier.
' I succeeded in conciliating all parties; but these acts will be re-
newed elsewhere, because the armed Greeks, seeing clearly that
these defenceless islands are every instant in danger of capitulating
with the Turks, wish beforehand to carry off all tbe resources of the
inhabitants, to apply them to the defence of Hydra and Napoli. On
these occasions the Latins arc always most trampled upon, and
scenes which I had succeeded in preventing are renewed with still
more violence towards these scanty populations." M. de Rigny
adds, " On this subject, 31onseigneur, I am requested by the three
Captains of the King's ships which I have the honour to command
here, to protest against the impropriety of the terms, at least, which
the Editor of a certain Journal has made use of." After publishing
an Act of the late Greek Government, relative to the levying of an
Impost on the islands, and some measures announced for the sup-
pression of piracy, the Editor adds, " Contrary to what ought to
be, the captains of French vessels in the pay of the Pacha of
Egypt complain, &c. &c." AL de Rigny warmly repels this
accusation on the captains under his command, and continues,
"If the Editor, by making use of the expression, ' Captain of
a vessel,' alluded to masters of merchant vessels who trade in the
Levant, I must again declare here, that no French vessel ever took
charge of warlike stores or ammunitions, or has transported any
thing to the ,(area far Turkish account. I declare, with proofs in
my halide, that the only vessels that went to the Peninsula are the
four sent by the Philhellenic Committee, with objects that were de-
atiaed to aid the Greeks ; and that it is, in facy under the most
idle and the most absurd pretexts that the Greek privateers pursue
and pillage our peaceable navigator!, wherever they meet them in a
defenceless state. This is the exact truth, and these the facts.
Just recriminations might be allowed us ; but we ought, perhaps,
to alatain from demonsitating, in an emphatic manner, the wrongs
and faults of an unhappy nation.
" I will however relate a circumstance which has just taken place.
A schooner under Greek colours is at present cruising ; she is com-
manded by a Frenchman, 31. de Croze, ex-aspirant of the navy,
and is armed partly with Greeks and partly with Frenchmen, lately
wine from Marseilles to enter the Greek service. Tiiis vessel has
already stopped several vessels undcr Austrian and Russian colours,
and the King's brig, the Loiret, has lately rescued one of her prizes,
on board of which a Frenchman had been left to navigate her. The
law of 10th April, l 0 5, on piracy, has established a great diffe-
rence between private individuals among Frenchmen, who went
and lost themselves among the contests of foreigners, and those
who, without the authority of the King, would go and command.
or serve in, armed vessels, whose acts, so far as they concerned
neutral Hags, or these or France's allies, might compromise fie
national rood faith. The same law has pronounced very severe
penalties against the authors or accomplices of similar miadetds.
The schooner of 31. de Crow is comprehended in its meaning; and
I looked upon it as an opportune circumstance, that it should have
been one of the King's vessels which rescued a Russian vessel,
bound from Constantinople to 3lityline. from he hands of a priva-
teer known to be manned end commanded by Frenchmen. I have
published throughout the islands the article of the law of the 10th
April, which tray conccm those inilividools, who, I hope, will leave
off the trade that they have commenced, when they learn the con-
sequences and I have Communicated tth.t was neceasrty on tha
subject to Colonel Fabvier, thief of the Greek regul a troops, in
case the armament of the schoonersisradd deavadir L
" :Attlee the capture of four English vessels
month. the piracies have diminished ; and this is to attributed :'
the additional force sent to the different stations, to the convoy
system, and, above all, to the necessity to which the Greeks base
been reduced of callirg all their vessels to the defence of Hyatt.
But the course of things will again bring on the same sets, this
maritime population having no resource but a seafaring life, and
having unfortunately acquired too great a taste for the chances of
a cruising, which have been the more profitable to them of date,
e titot their apologists have not failed to bestow upprobation to %hall-
lav excesses."