The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-06 00:00:00

GREECE.

ATHENS DEC. 13, 1840—My correspondence has un-
fortunately been of a very gloomy description since King
Otho &ES umed the reins of Government--his breach of
his proinLes to the nation—hi sanction of insults—un•
para:lelcd insults to Great Britain and her suljects—and
of outrages, for which redress has in vain been demanded—
his tortures by the Janissaries—these have been the sad
heroes on which I have had to write ; yet the English
,mblic feel but little interest for the fate of this country. No
one can accuse Sir Edward Lyons of indifference,
or want of energy, in demanding redress for
,he various English and lonian questions before King
Otho's Cabinet; but all his exertions arc useless. fle
cannot even get answers to his just remonstrances. The
fact is, that nothing—absolutely nothing—is done without
the sanction of the King ; and he now does nothing but
kill time in pistol firing, exercise, gossiping, and sleeping ;
not only his mind, but his body, is lost in the labyrinthal
inasses of papers in his cabinet. What must be thought
of seventeen months having elapsed since a man was sen-
tenced to death, but strongly recommended to mercy ;
and that, notwithstanding the earnest entreaties of his
Majesty's Ministers and others that the man should be
pardoned, his Majesty cannot find time to decide the
question, and the poor wretch is dying of the agonies of
.uspense ! •
Poor Kairis is dying by inches, in virtue of the King's
illegal decree for his incarceration ; he has already lost
the use of his legs, and of one eye ; and let it not be sup-
posed that this is for any offence against the Canons of the
Church. No ; it is because he is not a bigot, but a Libe-
ral, and exercises immense influence over all whom he ap-
proaches ; and, consequently, the King fears him.
A few months ago the Court of Accounts refused to
pass M. Eichthal's accounts for the negotiation of the loan, on
the ground that about 1,000/. was not properly accounted
for. Upon this, King Otho sent for the papers, and now
refuses to give them up again to the Cour des Comptes,
saying that the Court should specify any paper it requires,
and then, if it be proper to be given them, it can be done !
Well, suspicions arose, and the Greeks complained that a
Bavarian should be protected, while they were persecuted
for the most trifling sums in the most vexatious manner.
To suspicions have succeeded open declarations, that the
King wished to contract a private loan with Eichthal, who
refuses to do so, until his accounts a:e passed in their pre-
sent shape I

This is near the end of the third year in which no Budget
has been sent to the Council of State, and as the King is
decorating his new palace most expensively, the Greeks
suspect it is witk their money he does it, the estimate of
the whole expense of the palace being 18,000,000 of
drachmas (650,0001. sterling). And where does the money
come froni ? they ask. Is it net shameful to spend such
a sum for a palace in such an impoverished country as
Greece ?

The discontent arising from these facts, and from the
system of torture, &c., produced such a burst of indigna-
tion, that it was necessary to do something ; but King
Otho knew that if he consulted the Greek Ministers, they
would recommend him to remove the cause of dissatisfac-
tion ; so he had a midnight council of Bavarians, who pro-
posed placing the garrison under arms, and the guns were
actually loaded under the very windows of the Foreign-
office to the astonishment of the Greek Minister and his
secretaries, who knew not whether the fire was to be
turned upon them or upon the people.
Twenty-four hours after the garrison of the capital had
been under arms, and the Acropolis occupied by a body
of infantry, to the exclusion of the Archmlegeses, the
Mayor of Athens called upon the civil governor to know
what it all meant, and they went together to ask the Mi •
nister of the Interior, who in his turn went to the Minis-
ter of War (a Bavarian), who would not tell him I and
yet King Otho says he carries on the Government by
working frankly with the Greek Ministers.
All these matters are noticed by the Greek press, and
are the subjects of conversation in the caf3, at the theatre,
and in the diplomatic circles; but his Majesty is as cold
and insensible to the remonstrances which are made, as he
is to the tears and persuasions of his amiable and lovely
Queen. —Herald.