The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-11 00:00:00

GREECE.

SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS IN GREECE,
PROBABLE DECLARATION OF WAR BY
TURKEY, FRANCE, AND ENGLAND

AGAINST KING OTHO.

It is credibly stated at Vienna that the Austrian
Minister at Athens has informed the Greek Go-
vernment that if it was unable to maintain order
Austria was prepared to do so.
The Moniteur publishes intelligence from Trieste,
stating that two Austrian ships of war have re-
ceived orders to proceed to Prevesa, and to come
to an understanding with the commanders of the
French and English ships. A declaration of war
against King Otho is imminent. General Mamula,
commanding in Dalmatia, is charged to concert
measures with the Pacha of Scutari, and to place
the Austrian troops at his disposition, for the re-
pression of the disturbances in Albania, and the
incursions of the Montenegrins.
The Moniteur contains the following note, and
important diplomatic correspondence relative to
the state of affairs in Greece :

" Rear-Admiral de Tinan having proceeded to Chalcis,
was obliged to make use of severe language in conse-
quence of the dangers incurred by the Vice• Consul and
several British subjects established in that island. On
this occasion the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs ad-
dressed a note to M. Forth-Rouen, in which facts were
completely misrepresented. The Minister of the Em-
peror replied to that note in a proper manner, and
availed himself of that opportunity to call the attention
of the Greek Cabinet to the anarchy into which it had
plunged the country. The following is the note of M.
Paicos, with the reply of M. Rouen :
" ATHENS, 22d April.
" Monsieur le Baron—The Nomarque of Eubea has
just announced to the Government that on the 17th
the French steam frigate Gomer, bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral Le Barbier de Tinan, anchored in the
port of Chalcis, after having visited Orei, Stilida, Limni,
and some other parts of the coast ; that soon after she
anchored the consular agent of France at Chalcis, who
went on board, invited to his house the Nomarque, the
mayor, the commandant of the garrison, and the chief
of the gendarmery, in order to make an official com-
munication to them, and that on the refusal of
these authorities, M. Thiesse went himself to the No-
marque, and in the presence of the mayor made the fol-
lowing communication to him :—lle told him, on the part
of the Rear-Admiral, that he considered the authorities
and the inhabitants of Chalcis as responsible for any
armed men proceeding to Epirus and into Thessaly ;
that in case any of those men should fall into his hands,
he would try them by martial law, and shoot them as
highway robbers ; that the authorities and inhabitants
must prevent the shipment of any arms or warlike
stores, as the maritime forces of France were determined
to sink any vessels carrying such objects, as well as
their crews ; that in all probability Turkey, France, and
England would in a few days declare war against Greece ;
that in consequence, if any French or English subject
were to be insulted, the admiral would burn the town,
and that he now made all this known to the authori-
ties and inhabitants of Chalcis once for all. This com-
munication, made in the name of a rear•admiral of
France, appears to me so serious that I feel compelled to
request you, Monsieur le Baron, to inform me whether
Rear-Admiral le Barbier de Tinan really authorised the
consular agent of France at Chalcis to use towards the
authorities of that place a language so contrary to the
law of nations and to every sentiment of humanity, as
well as to the general principles set forth in the de-
claration which you did me the honour to communicate
to me on 19th April. I have the pleasing conviction
that M. Thiesse has is this case either exceeded or mis-
understood his instructions ; but allow me, Monsieur le
Ministre, to observe to you at the same time that M.
Thiesse, in accepting and fulfilling such a mission, has
departed from the consular attributions to which he
ought strictly to confine himself. As it is not permitted
for consuls to act beyond the limits of their functions, I
shall feel obliged by your directing the attention of AI.
Thiesse and the other consular agents of France, in the
towns and ports of Greece, to this point, as the Greek
authorities have received orders not to recognise under
any circumstance any right beyond that of their con-
sular attributions. Accept, kc.,

" PAICOS."

"ATHENS, 25th April.—Monsieur le Ministre—l am
not acquainted with any of the circumstances which
form the object of your lettter of the 22d. I will speak
to Admiral de Titian on the subject as soon as I see
him, and lam about to write to M. Thiesse. I think
there has been some exaggeration on the part of the
authorities, whose consciences are not very delicate.
In the meantime, allow me, Monsieur le Ministre, to
observe to you that in carefully concealing from the na-
tion the profound reprobation which the government of
his Imperial Majesty and his allies have never ceased
to feel at the acts of aggression of which Turkey, the
friend and ally of Greece, has been the object for the last
six months ; that by allowing the nations to believe that
the sympathies of France continue with it, in the ter-
rible adventures into which it has entered ; that by pre-
serving silence as to the collective notes, which have
been addressed to it by the representatives of the allied
powers, and by even allowing its friends to deny
the existence of such notes, the government of his
Hellenic Majesty has placed us under the painful neces-
sity of taking measures, and of using language calculated
to withdraw the deceived people from their error. It
is a responsibility against which the good faith of the
Government of the Emperor made it an imperative duty
to energetically protest beforehand ; it is that which it
might have incurred, if Greece, the victim of the mis-
fortunes caused by its Government, had been right in
saying to it, while reminding it of the many proofs of
sympathy it had given, and the confidence which it felt
in its constant support, You never gave me any warn-
ing.' I will also remind you, Monsieur le Ministre, of
what you have yourself told me relative to the dangers
which M. Thiesse might incur. Can it be said that the
lives of foreigners are guaranteed by the laws of the
country in a town where the malefactors in the prison
were all able to escape under the protection of the armed
force ? It is not we, Monsieur le Ministre, who have
created a state of things so much at variance with the
habits of all civilised nations, and it is for others, and
not us, to submit to the consequences of it. Accept, &c.,
" BARON FORTH ROUEN.
P.S.—I have communicated your letter to Admiral
Baron de Tinan. There is, in fact, a great exaggeration
in the report of the authorities of Chalcis. Falsehood
and truth are very skilfully mixed up in it. The Com-
mandant-in-Chief of the naval division of the Levant
having heard on his voyage to Chalcis that M. Thiesse,
the vice-consul of France, had been threatened, and that
some subjects of her Britannic Majesty residing in the
interior were seriously uneasy, made use of very severe
language, but not beyond what any one in his position
would have adopted. Are the authorities who allowed
prisoners under their surveillance to escape, and who
could not make the soldiers under their command
remain faithful to their oaths, very worthy of con-
fidence ? Neither are you, Monsieur le Ministre,
unaware that many of the malefactots who escaped
frerg the prime of Chalcis WAN) not crossed the