Star.
London, England, 1824-07-14 00:00:00

.

`• ....

DEPENCE OINREECE. .
"..41140C1A jib
LITTER TRIM COLONEL A Z.• '•
" Athens, March 29, 1824.
" bear General Odyssea,—The Greeks are fightin
for their independence and their liberties. They hal
not only to drive the Turks from their soil, but they
have to prevent the restoration of Turkish principles of
government and of despotism. To this end a constitu
tional force is necessary.
" Whether this force should consist of disciplined or
irregular troops, is the question you have desired me to
answer. Experience has demonstrated, spite of the pa-
ralyzing effects of tyranny, that the Greeks are still
Greeks. Their martial peasantry have started from
their chains; have taken fortresses that have been deemed
almost impregnable; and have in one campaign de-
stroyed 100,000 Turks. These are the men who have
triumphed over the Ottoman empire.
4 Experience has also demonstrated that a nation
which trusts her defence to foreign mercenaries, puts
her freedom in imminent peril. Commonwealths ought,
therefore, to follow the example set by England in the
of William 111. That monarch owed his thrOne to
a revolution produced by the people. The Crown
had gone out of its regular succession ; disaffection
prevailed ; Ireland was in arms ; Scotland had not re-
nounced allegiance to James, and the Protestant cause
was threatened by a hostile coalition; still such was the
high stern spirit of those times, that the Parliament re-
fused to allow a small body of William's valiant Dutch
guard to remain in England.
" The King recommended and reasoned, and again
and again implored the Parliament to retain these dear
partners of his fame. They listened to their sovereign
with courtesy, but sent back his guards to Holland.
Let the Greeks act in the same spirit. Never let the
Greeks tolerate a standing army nor foreign troops,
except as instructors of discipline or military science.
The principles of a mercenary army are opposed to
those of freedom, and their interests are at variance with
their duties.
" Rather let the Greeks follow the example of the best
confederated commonwealths—say Switzerland. Her
army consists of 60,000 men, from twenty to thirty years
of age. Her military schools, her staff, artillery, en-
gineers, infantry, and sharpshooters, are all admirable.
Her cavalry is the only defective arm. Every branch
of her service is assembled and exercised for a month in
the year, and the whole force is ready to march at one
day's notice. It is evident that a militia of this descrip-
tion cannot be equal, on their first taking the field, to a
more exercised army. The Swiss, however, like the
Greeks, havins a strong country to defend, can act on
the defensive till they become exercised. This consti-
tutional force costs Switzerland about 60,0001. yearly.
It may be said that the Greeks, though excellent par-
tisans, are unequal to cope with disciplined soldiers in
the field, or to undertake sieges.
46 What then is to be done? Are the Greeks to en-
danger their liberties by employing mercenaries, or their
independence by.not employing them? Neither: they
should have a mixed force, consisting of irregulars and
a militia. The modern history of the Greeks chews the
strength of their irregular troops and armed peasantry.
They ate like a hive of bees that, being disturbed in
their productive labours, will drive an elephant mad,
and make him court destruction.* And the annals of
their ancestors, and of their phalanx, have taught the
world the power of co-operation in war. The Greeks
should therefore instil a martial spirit into their. people,
and should have their youth instructed at the schools in
military discipline. A portion of the Greeks should be
exercised like the Swiss armies, a portion of them should
remain as at present, and the whole nation should be at
all times armed, ready to protect their property, their
persons, their liberties, and their country.—l am, &c.
(Signed) " LEICESTER STANHOPE.*
LETTER OF COLONEL STANHOPE, TO THE PEOPLE 01,

•

• 41‘•

4111.61%.