The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-07 00:00:00

THE GREEK REVOLUTION.

(From the Times' Special Correspondent)
ATHENS, DEC. 27, AFTERNOON.
The Greeks will be ungrateful indeed if they don't
erect at some future time a statue to their mythic
King Alfred, as one of their greatest benefactors in
the time of a great crisis. England may refuse him,
Europe may be scowling and frowning at his in-
fatuation, but for all that King Alfred has reigned
for the last two months and is still reigning in
Greece. Even should his reign possibly soon cease
the Greeks will long remember the reign of their
good King Alfred. One night all that had been
built up for the last 30 years fell down by its own
weight, crushing its rotten foundations. Even those
who had contributed to the downfall stood fright-
ened at the chaos and ruin which stared them in
their faces. The dyke was broken, and the elements
let loose threatened to overwhelm everything
before them, for there was nothing to stop them. A
name was whispered; it was caught up, and acted
as a talisman ; the tide was arrested.
The name of King Alfred has reigned over Greece
more thoroughly and completely than ever a real
King has. He has reigned over minds and hearts,
banishing out of them all those bad instincts which
30 years' misrule had developed. It is only now,
when we are threatened with losing him, that w e
for
this fully appreciate what his name has been
this country. Scarcely has the threat been uttered
when we feel already the effects of it. All those
bad passions, little vanities and ambitions, which
had been exorcised by that one powerful name,
begin to leave their
places and come again
to daylight. They
are as yet timid and cautious,
for the charm has not lost its power as yet; but we
had some indications of their reappearance during
the last few days in the struggle between some por-
tion of the Government and the commander of the
National Guard at Athens, Colonel Koroneos.
You are aware of the embarrassment in which the
Provisional Government found itself at its advent
to power, with an army thoroughly demoralised,
with a Gendarmerie unavailable because ex-
tremely unpopular, and with a National Guard as
yet only on paper. The most obvious thing to do
seemed to be to hasten the formation of the Na-
tional Guard and to help on the tendency which
the soldiers showed to go home. A Government
the issue of popular will had nothing to fear from
a popular force, and it required no regular army,
always so costly, and in this instance more a sub-
ject of apprehension than of security.
The Government decided otherwise. If it did not
oppose the formation of the National Guard it did
little or nothing to promote it, while it employed
all means in its power to bring together and con-
centrate the army in the capital. In a country so
accessible to suspicion such a mode of acting could
not but provoke remarks, comments, and dissatis-
faction, especially as it was known that a large por-
tion of the Ministry, and at least one member of the
Provisional Government was opposed to this policy.
The whole began to be looked upon at last as an
attempt on the part of the President of the Go-
vernment to centralise all power in his own hands
in view of future contingencies. The dissatisfac-
tion was naturally greatest among the National
Guard itself and their commander. Every step was
up-hill work. At first, the law about the National
Guard, which had been passed by the last Chamber,
but was not carried into execution, was only im-
perfectly applied. All higher organisation was de-
nied, and only squads of 20 men allowed. This was
tantamount to no organisation at all. After a time
the Government had to yield on this point and
allow the formation of battalions. This point
gained, four battalions were formed at Athens and
the Pirrens, besides the battalion of the University;
but then came the question of arming ;and clothing
them. in vain was the matter urged. The answer
was " There are no arms and there is no money,"
and yet the suspicion arose that there were arms at
any rate, :if not money. A rich Greek merchant
from St. Petersburg, Mr. Bernardallo, had offered
several thousands at the first news of the law on the
National Guard under the late King, but none but
the Government knew how many of those arms
had arrived, and how many of those which had
arrived were lost during the first few days
of the revolution, when every one helped himself.
There had been equally money offers from abroad
tendered for the purpose, but it was even more un-
certain if anything had arrived, or how much. No
organisation of the National Guard was possible
without this help in arms and money, and at last a
committee was formed and subscriptions opened
among the public to assist in procuring uniforms for
those who could not afford them. In the meantime
the feeling among the National Guard became every
day stronger against what they considered as neglect,
if not towards the institution. The Com-
mander of it felt this as a personal slight, and, out-
spoken as he is, did not conceal his opinion on the
matter. This led to increased bad feeling. The
President and those who supported him in the Cabi-
net thought it was time to interfere, and proposed
to dismiss the Commander of the National Guard,
under the plea that he was intriguing against the
Government, that he was the cause of a bad feeling
between the army and the National Guard, and
kept up an agitation which threatened to bring
about a collision. It would be difficult to say how
far these charges were justified, for it was easy to
construe the legitimate dissatisfaction of the Com-
mander of the National Guard, expressed as it was
no doubt freely, into a hostile intention against the
Government. Indeed, the majority of the Cabinet
seemed to think so, for they refused to give their
consent to his dismissal. This was in the beginning
of last week.

The news of the discussion on this subject in
.the
Cabinet got abroad and caused considerable agita-
tion. The students assembled, and sent a deputa-
tion, headed by one of the professors, to the Presi-
dent, to ask whether this report was true that their
Commander was to be dismissed, and to express at
the same time their thorough confidence in him.
The answer was that there was no such intention,
and that if there was the Government would take
into account the wishes of the deputation of the
students. The students afterwards went in a body
to the house of Koroneo, who made a speech exhort-
ing them to be quiet.

No ono was taken in by this armistice. Yesterday
the struggle was renewed. The proposal of Koro-
neo's dismissal was again brought before the Cabinet.
This time the proposal was backed by the com-
plaints of several officers, who stated that Koroneo
had tampered with their men and had tried to gain
them over to his side; that money had been distri-
buted among them; and that a number of soldiers
and non-commissioned officers had to be placed
under arrest for insubordination. Still, the majority
of the Cabinet held out, resisting the proposal.
While the discussion was
going on Koroneo sent in
his resignation, solving the question in an unex-
pected manner. It is interpreted by his enemies BS
a confession of guilt, and as a proof that he found
the position he had taken up untenable. I am more
inclined to think that the
tranquillity
had patriotism
iaesmaotndtahye
enough not to jeopardize the
very last moment of the interregnum, 0
next the Assembly will be probably
maceomoubnert
numbers to constitute itself, and then theterio7it-
sional Government will have to render an
of its stewardship. Koroneo, who is a
himself, will then have an opportunity to bring for.
ward in a legitimate manner his own complaints
and those of the National Guard.
Eliza resignation having put an end to the discus-
sion about his person, the majority of the Cabinet,
suspecting that those who had brought forward the
dismissal of the Colonel did so with the view of ap-
poluting their own man, decided that the post of
Commander of the National Guard of Athens should
be abolished altogether ; and they considered this
as a victory. But it is a questiln whether it be the
best way to promote the object they have in view—
namely, the organization of the National Guard.
As for the public, it is
difficulty has been got grateful that another
- over and hopes that the
t
meeting of the Assembly ve'
I 1 remedy many evils.
flay that hope be realised by events."

The Recorders, of Exeter and Penzance on Mon-
day referred at some length to the present system of punish_
Errant, The 'carted gentlemen ogucurred in, recommeuding
tviva s 9 tropratAtion,