Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-06-09
THEW SERIES No. 81.
Hydra, Greece, Oct. S, 1925.

4 MADE you while IN the land OF peace
and liberty, have found difficult to keep
in that of war and tumult. Bu, having
little leisure, shall improve il in giving
you some account of Greece--knowing
that your heart is alive to her spiritual
and temporal interests.
Without describing to you the height
OF mount Ida, or the tomb oil Agamem-
non, l shall try to give you some idea OF
the moral, religious, and mental state OK
the country. The Greek church em-
OF Rome, with the exception OF the Pope.
They have also some OF the Jewish rites
and ceremonies, introduced, no doubt,
by the apostles themselves, who, il app
pears did no. altogether divest them
selves of the Jewish customs. Tho
Greeks have no images in their Churches
nor houses OF saints or of the Virgins
but they have pictures, 10 which they are
equally attached as the Catholics are to
their images. They bapuse by INNER
sion, and believe it to be regeneration.
They have a high regard for the Bible
of which there are few in Greece; and
these, for the most part, are locked up
in the churches, 10 be read by the priests
in so whining manner, that the people
do not understand one word in ten.
Some OF the clergy preach upon tho
Sabbath but instead OF exhibiting the
doctrines OF the Gospel, they exbort tho
people 10 keep the ieasts and lasts, and
other frivolous nonsense. There are
few Greeks whom l know, that appear
10 exhibit something OF The spirit OF Tho
Gospel, and to be guided by its preceptss
but their number is very small indeed
The Sabbath is considered rather day
OF amusement, than one devoted to the
worship OF Almighty God.
You must necessarily see, that where
such is the general state of things with
regard 10 religion, the standard OF mo-
rails must be still lower. Every man in
Greece, must, as IN Turkey, in great
measure, personally defend both his pro-
perry and himself. Thus the thief and
the murderer are seldom brought TO JUS
tee, and the blackguard insults the gen.
tleman with impunity. Most OF the
Greeks are, however, very polite in their
manners, and very courteous TO straa-
gers. Many of them will blasphem
the name OF God, but revere that OF tho
Mareica, that is, The Virgin Mary. They
think il no crime TO xiii ,helf Turkish
prisoners or the Jews. These shock
ing principles, however, ii is easy 10 be
perceived, they have imbibed from the
Turks; and, in fact, most of their ha-
bits and customs are OF the same school.
have been witness 10 scenes among
them, that would shock humanity even
10 mention.
can almost hear you ask. where is
the genius, and courage, and virtue of
the ancient Greeks fed My answer 10
the supposed inquiry is, they are not fed
but are latent or bursting into embryo in
the bosoms of the modern Greeks. Yes,
dear sir, it is this tina: gladdens my heart
in this land of darkness, that l see the
dawnings of glorious day. see ma
lion emerging from the helish doctrines
and practices of the Turks, and every
day more eager to learn the doctrines
and habits of those nations on whom the
sun OF science and of christianity has arr
sen, "with healing in its beams" When
| see young Greek Of ten or twelve
years of age, seize upon tract, as if it
were gold, and eagerly inquire for ether
books, am one of the happiest men in
the world. THAT the N odern as we'll as
the ancient Greeks, are not men OF tho
br phlest natural talents. is an assertion
which no one can honestly make, who
has had an opportunity OF becoming &C.
quainted with the nation. The modern
soldier possesses all that courage and
iortitude SO conspicuous in the days OF
Sparta's glory. But unfortunately, he
has learned from the Turk to depend on
himself alone in the hour OF danger, and
TO mistrus, every one else. 1t is thus
that he appears a coward, in many in
stances, when in fact the fire OF Leonidas
is burning 10 his bosom. speak from
what have Witnessed. At the battle of
Meius, the Turks advanced upon gar
den which formed something of an out
work to the Grecian lines, (for all the
gardens are walled in this country
There were but ten men to defend this
post. The Turks, to the number OF fif-
ty, entered the garden by the farther
wall; and some of them began to appear
in front of some orange trees, where we
lay entrenched.-A Greek Captain who
stood near me, (or rather, lay, for We
were behind some stones,) asked if we
should draw the sword. Yes, was the