The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-06-06
Mswrection ofhe Greeks.

Lnavrectio1 ofthe Greeks.
No later intelligence has been received of
the progress of the insurection in the Grecian
provinces subject to Turkey. The publick att
tcntion, SO recently fixed upon Naples, is now
diverted to- another object; and we look
with no little interest to that portion of Europe
which is the subject of the following article.
From the National GaseHe.1
Moldavia and Wallachia have beer
considered, since sthe reign of Cathe-
Tine of Russia, as of no small conse--
quence in the general balance of Eu-
rope, and have formed. a. prominent
object of political intrigue and military
violence on the part of the Porte, Rus
STA, Austria, and finally of France during,
the ascendancy of Napoleon. They
were embraced in the celebrated plan
of partition framed at Erfuth between
the Emperours of France and Russia,
and declared by the former to his SEN
ate, '@to be annexed to the dominions Of
his friend and ally; the Emperour Alex
ander." The Illustration Of this scheme
by Buonaparte himself, when he found
it necessary to relinquish. Spain, his al,,
lotment, constituted one of bis chief of
fonres against the Russian Court.
The provinces of Moldagia and Wal
lachia fell under the Ottoman power at
an early period, but struggled hard to-.
shake it off, at different times, down to,
the end of the seventeenth century.
They retained some features of inde-
pendence, such as the election of their
own princes, until the early part of the
18th century, when that was virtually
destroyed by the Porte's assuming the
right of furnishing the Wallachian primo.
es by death. In 1T16, the Sultan took,
to himself the exclusive province of APP
pointing the Voivodes,. or sovereign
princes. From that date the choice has
been invariably made from the Greeks
OF Constantinople, considered as safe
tools of despotick sway. Nearly all of
those selected have proved, in fact, will
ling Instruments of tyranny and rapine.
and practised themselves, on their own
account, every expedient of extortion
and lawless violence. Few have died
otherwise than by the Turkish scyme-.
tar. In the space of ninety years, Wal.
laChia alone has passed through the
hands of forty different princes, indie
pendently of the time it was occupied by
the Russians, from TITO to l774, by the.
Austrians, and Russians from 1889 to.
1893, and by the Russians again from
1906 to 1872.
The Turkish ministers who compose
the cabinet of Constantinople, have ac-,
customed themselves TO look upon both
prlncipalities as two rich provinces over
which they have but a momentary sway :;
and, instead of employing the means cal.
culated to secure a'permanent possession,
of them, they have lessened the chance
by a systematick devastation and OPP
preston. 1t has been long understood
that the inhabitants detest the Ottoman,
yoke, and have been kept in allegiance
only by the fortified places on the Dam
ube. Their religion, the Christian
Greek faith, is, in itself, fruitful cause
OF enlargement and mutual hatred.
The number of Roman Cathoiick inhab-
ltants is considerable. They have two,
fine churches at Bukarest and Yassy.
great number of European foreigners.
reside in both principalities.
At the beginning of the eighteenth
century, the Russian Court turned its at-s
tputinn nartic t,la rIv tn WalIach;a o,J
Moldavia, as fitted to be subservient,
and, indeed, as indispensable, TO its am
bilious designs. Peter the Great caus-,
ed the destruction Of two Voivodes by
drawing them into his plans of HOSTILE.
ties against the Porte. BY the treaty of
Kainargik, (l775) the Empress Cathe-
rine secured the power Of interfering.
constantly, with colour Of right, in the