The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-06 00:00:00

THE REVOLUTION IN GREECE.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Times.)
ATHENS, March 28.
I saki in my last letter that if the Greeks were
asked by universal suffrage what their wishes were
at that moment, 99 out of 100 would answer, to go
to sleep and not to awake until a presentable candi-
date was ready to meet their opening eyes. This
inmost desire of the Greek people has been almost

literally satisfied, and sooner than could be expected,
although not a minute earlier than it was wanted.
Since I wrote Greece has passed through a week of

political torpor, and a candidate is flow presented,
or rather, to speak diplomatically, suggested to her;
a candidate more flattering than the wildest Greek

fancy could have expected in these latter days,
when the smallest Serene Highnesses who figure in
the Almanach de Gotha scoffed at the idea of a con-

flexion with Klephtis and Palikaris.
Long was the time the Gieeks bad to wait, many
were the scoffers who tried to shake their confidence,

but their patience was not to be exhausted, and

they resisted the tempters.
As usual, the news of the candidature of Prince
William of Denmark found its way to the public
some time before any official information, but, like

all other rumours lately current about candidates,

without producing much impression. That first love
and strange infatuation of the Greeks for Prince
Alfred is of too recent date to allow of a feeling

growing up in favour of any one else, while their
experiences in the search after a candidate have
been so mortifying as to render them diffident, and
rather inclined to pause and make sure of success
candidature beforeat-
hopes. they
The
rumours g iv e
o themselves
aDanish
up to premature

tracted therefore little more notice than that of the

Duke d'Aumale, Prince Guillaume of Baden, or any
other of the numerous visions of candidates which

have passed before the eyes of the Greeks. What

was the use of troubling themselves with it, finding
out all imaginable advantages, beginning to think
it rather acceptable, and then being told that it can-
not be, and that no one else would accept him in
Europe ? Candidates seemed so fanciful and Foreign
Powers so fastidious and disposed to cavil.
At last, however, the telegraph spoke. Earl Rus-
sell had already previously informed Mr. Elliot that
Prince William, the second son of Prince Christian
of Denmark, seemed an eligible candidate to her
Majesty's Government, but that it was not known

whether he and hia family would accept.
....Now Mr,
_..... . _ . .

Elliot was informed that -both the young Prince and
his father had consented, and that there remained

only the approbation of the King of Denmark, as
head of the family, to be asked for. Together with
the telegrams from London came one from Lord
Cowley in Paris, stating that the Emperor of the
French cordially approved and supported the pro-
position of the Danish Prince, and that M. Drouyn
de Lhuys had sent instructions to that effect to the
French Minister at Athens.

This second piece of information from Paris was
almost as important as that from London, for al-
though the I,,nging for a settled state of things is so
great that the Greeks are ready to take almost any
candidate suggested by one of the Powers, above all
by England, still opposition or even a silent acquies-
cence on the part of France is liable to encourage
intriguers and frighten the timid.
You could see this clearly from what actually
happened. As soon as the first excitement of the
news had abated every one began to inquire whether
the French Minister had likewise received a tele-
gram, and whether he had spoken in the matter.
It was known that a few days before, when the
news existed in the shape of a rumour and was re-
produced in one of the local papers, the French
Minister had expressed., himself very strongly
against the candidature as one which Franca could
never tolerate. So there was considerable anxiety
to know whether this rather premature announce-
ment of the views of the French Government was
founded on some previous information, or whether
it merely represented the unassisted private opinion
of the French Minister. Well, a telegram had come,
but the French Minister said nothing for a couple
of days, and Greek countenances fell considerably ;
not that they doubted the correctusBs of the infor-
mation sent to Mr. Elliot from Paris, but they began
to suspect all kinds of afterthoughts and underhand
intrigues on the part of the French Government,
saying one thing to the British ambassador at Paris
and acting in an exactly opposite manner at Athens.
It was quite provoking to hear the absurd conjec-
tures which this suspicion of a double dealing on the
part of France suggested. And yet it seemed natural
enough that the French Minister, who had uttered
a decided personal opinion one way, should wait as
long as possible to announce the instructions of his
Government which ordered him to act another way.
The mail came from Paris, and there was no delay
possible. Accordingly M. Bourse informed the
Minister of Foreign A
ffairs, and all those who came
that his instructions were to answer, " if he was
asked," that the Emperor cordially supported the
candidature. You would have thought this was clear
enough, but stress was
laid on the phrase, " if he
was asked," and some bidden meaning sought in an
inoffensive phrase, which meant only what every
one knew—namely, that England had taken the
initiative in the candidature of the Prince of Den-
mark, which France
cordially supported.
One might ask,
And what of Russia ?" She has
almost entirely vanished from the scene, here, so
that the declaration on
her part that she would have
no objection if a Prince
of Denmark were chosen as
King of Greece was taken as a matter of indif-
'erence.

Thus, after five months of uncertainty, there is at
last a fair prospect of
a settlement. The news has
been officially communicated to the Committee of
the Assembly charged
specially with the election of
the King. The Committee is already busy in mak-
ing its report, which will
be submitted to the house
in the course of next week. There is little doubt
that the great majority of the Assembly is as
anxious as the mass of the people fur a King, but
there always have been and there still are indivi-
duals who find it pleasant to form a portion, how-
ever infinitesimal, of the sovereign power of the
people, and who still flatter themselves to make
their way during the interregnum. What the
number of these individuals may be it is difficult
to say, but certain it is that they form the most
active and enterprising portion of the Assembly,
and it would be surprising indeed if they did
not make an effort to defeat the candidature of
Prince William, and thus leave the chances a little
longer open for themselves. If France had been
contrary to the candidature or even silent about it,
they might propably have acted successfully on the
timidity of their colleagues; but, under the circum-
stances, I don't believe this will be the case.
"Nevertheless, the most likely course is that uni-
versal suffrage will be resorted to again. Which-
ever side may have the superiority,—whetber that
one which is for the proposition, or the one which
will be against it, the other will be sure to urge an
appeal to universal suffrage which, with the prece-
dent in the case of Prince Alfred before us, can
scarcely be denied if asked for.
The present Ministry, which is decidedly for the
proposition, has sent telegraphic messages all over
the country, and everywhere the news has given
great satisfaction. In many places preparations
are made for manifestations of public opinion ad-
dresses to the Assembly ; and other demonstrations
indicate that popular feeling is favourable to the
candidature, and, above all, that it is anxious to put
an end to the present uncertainty by hastening as
much as possible the choice of a King. Should the
Assembly raise difficulties it is by no means impro-
bable that public opinion may help to solve them
by applying a gentle and healthy pressure to those
who would fain raise their fortunes at the expense
of the country.
In the meantime it is easy to see that there
is a fair chance for the success of Prince William
of Denmark, for the personal interests in the
Assembly begin to stirr. Notice has been given
to the Ministers that their presence was re-
quired on Monday next to answer divers questions.
Among them are some respecting promotions made
by the Minister of War. They almost all concern
men who took part in the Nauplia affair and thus
lost their turn of promotion. The Ministry very
justly thought that it was but fair to them to make
up for the loss they suffered when acting as the