The Portland daily press., 1867-02-18

The Greek Question as il looks i'm Greece.
A writer, who signs himself Gun Chretien
d'Oceident," is contributing to an Atheniap
journal, Independence Hellenigue, a series
of vigorous articles upon "The Cabinets of
Europe and the Greek Question" He tells
the statesmen of the West, in well-chosen
phrases, that in attempting to reform Turkey
they are "inOculating a corpse" He calls
'helr attention to the enthusiastic sympathy
wmeh the people of all Christian countries
snow ior the heroic Cretans He asks these
Apis's what excuses they will offer to their
~ eouh'rymen, when the last drop of a
pure ana generous blood shall have beeu shed
py q brutal and stupid Mussulmano~ Hawarns
them that the most probable res,l. n,;u ha .
rising OF all the Christian ponp,.,;o,,a -
ry to Turkey and general war thro..-,.
the Orient He propheses that tho A., ;.
far when the neglect of the Western nowa,a
intimate to the Sublime Porte an order 10 ~
more humane towards insurgents will bepet
an uprising of Epirus and Thessaly, and adds.
What will the cabinets do then? Will thew
force tine yoke back upon the necks of those
people and keep it there by arms? That would
be ridiculous inconsistency, now thar the
principle of nationalities has just been pro-
claimed. Would it not be more logical TO pre
vent the effusion of blood while they have on
ly to say word to doit? Have they reflected
fully on all the extremes to which a peonle
constantly irritated by the agents of an arbi-
trary power, by the exactions of a stupid Aga
or of a fanatical Pacha, who, true descendants
Of the ferocious Omar, plume themselves ON
the evil which they do to the disciples of the
gospel, may be carried? ID
Undoubtedly" says this western Christian,
the Greek people will rise as one man to
avenge so many exactions commit ed and so
much blood spilled. Who will not approve
them? For four centuries now it groans rin-
der oppression. Is it not high time that it
should breathe little of that free air which
WHITES, and which we of the West have en-
joyed for long? What man, preserving lit
tie justice in his heart, will refuse to recognize
the justice of the pretensions put forth at this
moment by the Greek people and by their
friends? Who will blame the vengeance of
the armed hand?" it.ti-f ..4 .isI Oh.
But thisis not all, thinks our Christian. On
the heel of insurrection will come reprisals
which will shock century of civilization and
progress, and the eonfagraton will spread
He continues: ...... 'i.'
Are there not millions of Sclaves and Rou-
manlans eager to rise against the systematic
tyranny of the agents of the Sublime Porte?
Have the cabinets so quickly forgotten the in
surrection and the wars of the Seryians and
the Montenegrins? just cries for independ-
ence always find echoes and the spirit of lib
erty propagates itself swiftly. But alas! from
liberty to license is but one STEP Ii is difficult
for the voice of moderation to get hearing
from nations armed, and transformed by ven,
geance Bloody scenes succeed the volleys of
musketry, bayonets tear, sabres mangle what
the balls have failed to kill; and these Greeks
have they not to avenge the massacres of
Ipsara and of Chic? A few days and they
will have more to avenge-their unhappy and
noble brothers in Crete, basely murdered by
the Turks f' m -, -
At any moment war may break ont in Epi-
rus and Thessaly-terrible war, desperate war
mountain cOmbats thousand times more
terrible than war on a large scale and in the
field; ambuscades, surprises, in which none
are spared-women, children, old men: then
conffagration completing the work of the
sword, and massacre after surrender. What
measures will the cabinet then take to cause a
suspension of hOstiities? How will thew ar
rest that mountain war in which expedients
take the place of resources, and in which the
genius of resistance always in every country
takes refuge? When the Greeks shall have
found in the mountains OF Epirus their re-
course against the domination which weighs
them down, will it be then time to make
either party, the aggressive or the defensive,
hear reason? a ~ tia i'n ~ -
The writer goes on to argue that the Greeks
are not ambitious. They desire first, to deliv-
er themselves from the oppression of the Turks;
secondly, the integrity of the territory oceupi-
ed by them, from the Balkan to the Black Sea,
from the Ionian Sea to the Mediterranean, and
its reunion to the crown of King George the
First. Is this desire unreasonable? OF course
not. says the christian" ai-.l. 'a l.7t