Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-08-12
Modern Greeks.


complementary terms of the moder
Greeks. From Athens he writes thus:
! There is a great diversity in the natur
of modern Greeks, and their number
still so small that one must be cautious
stating general characteristics. Some fes
lures Of the ancient race are still preserved
they are vain, talkatiye, fond of argument
and fond of display. Their appreciatio
Of Art, however, has utterly perished.-
Most of them profess a leaning toward
democratic principles, yet they are please
as children at the tawdry pomp which SUI
rounds a throne. They are passionatel
fond of gain. yet, with the most elasti
temperament In the world, dislike manua
labor. One of their best general traits
their eagerness to learn, but, unfortunately
it ceases as soon as they are capable of OBJ
tanning and Office under Government. Oh
fetal corruption is as prevalent in Greco
as-as- as in the United States, but ther
is no means of preventing it here, Their
is not an honest society sufficiently larg'
/ to brand the genteel pick-pockets, and 81
the great bulk of the population are in ne
better condition than the Christian sub
jects of the Sultan, while horde of leech
es, military, naval and civil, thrive ant
| fatten upon them. More than one maj
here, with whom 1 have conversed on th'
state of the country has said to me: ave
want more people. What can we do witt
million of inhabitants?" Yet at thi.
moment numbers of Greeks are emigratine
from Acarnania into Turkey! There
might have been, long ago, considerable
influx of German emigrants, yet the Gov
ernment refused to permit it.
The Greeks have three leading virtues,
which, alone, foIm basis Of good almost
sufficiant to redeem them. They are re-
markabIy chaste, for southern race; they
are probably the most temperate people in
the world; and they are the most unself
ish and devoted in their family relations
Their vanity, also, while it retards their
progress in many respects, is chord which
may nevertheless be touched to their ad-
vantage. Being very sensitive to the
Judgment pronounced upon them by 9th
ers, they sometimes become better for the
sake of being thought better. Hence, no
thing Injuries them as much as injudicious
praise. l know a family who have acted
on this principle in their treatment of ser
wants, and their confidence has never been
abused. In this case, however, an unfa-
vorable sentence would have been lasting
misfortune, and the incitement to honesty
was proportionately greater. Some Greek
servants, have reason to know, are great
scamps, and the reputation of the whole
class is none of the best. The honesty of
the country Greeks, l think, is quite up to
the average of people in their condition
in fact, [ am not quite sure that they do
not deserve. credit for not being worse,
seeing that the most outrageous arts of
cheating are taught them by those above
them.
For instance, the agriculturalist is not
taxed by assessment upon the value of his
property, but by a tithe of what his land
produces. The abominable Turkish sys-
tenn prevails, of farming out the entire
tltneS OF tne country 70 PACK OF contrtc-
tors, who pay certain sum to the Gov
ernment, and then make the most of their
bargain. In measuring the grain, the law
requires that it shall be poured lightly in
to the measure, and the top scraped off
level, but the contractors are in the habit
of shaking and settling it repeatedly, and
then heaping the measure. This is only
one example of their practices, and the
tithes are only one form in which the peo-
pie are taxed. Frequently there are special
taxes levied for speciel objects. The mo-
ney is always collected, and that is the last
of it. Even the sum contributed by Gov
eminent for the relief of the sufferers at
Corinth melted away in passing through
different hands, until less than the half of
it reached its destination.
Il