Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-01-12
Candia-Ihe Loss of Life at the iIOnas-
terry of AFkadhi

(From the Pail Mall Gazette, Dec. IL
So extraordinary and desperate an
act of heroism as that which has just
ennobled the cause of the Cretan insur-
gents at the Monastery of Arkadhi
should not, if possible, be allowed to
pass down to posteTity with any made
quacy or want of authorization about
It's details There is no doubt whatever
as to the factitself, though the absurd
figures with which it was first announc-
ed from Corfu naturally induced every
one to consign it to the same limbo as
that to which we have been accustomed
to hand over all kilograms from Corfu,
and notably the Immediately proceed
ing one claiming a victory with loss
of 3. 600 Turks killed and 1000 taken
prisoners. 1t Is not clear even yet
whether the monastery was blown mp
by Koroneos springing his mine before
abandoning it, or whether the monks
fred the powder magazine after the
Turks had stormed it and were IN COM
plete possession of it,; nor was there
ANYTHING like approximate certainty as
to the number on either side who have
persisted. To ascertain these points
| is the provence of history, and we
may trust that the great historian who
acts as the Times correspondent at
Athens will investigate them fully, and
thus fill up the necessarily brief descrip-
| ton in outline which he has Just sent
MS. Indeed, if he does not, we much
fear that no one else will be able to do
it properly, however willing. For tue
moment il would be almost impertlnent
minutely to criticise the details of so
grand and tragic an act of devotion
one, however, more than once parallel
ed, though on far similar scale, IN the
old Greek revolution. We love to as
sociate great deeds of this kind with
the name of a single leading mind; but
as vet such fails us now, as 1T nearly
does in modern Greek history. The
names of Yorghaki, of Mount Olympus,
the Rumeliote captain who blew him
self up in the Moldavian monastery OF
Seko, to which he had cut his way with
much address and bravery In the open
field. at the close of the prema-
ture and misdirected campaign
on the Danube, which preclud-
ed the true Greek insurrectiOn
of 1921, may yet remain for the repre-
sentative of Greek patriotic self-devo-
tion-as after that of Constantine Ka-
naris-it is likewise the only exception
to Finlay'g stern sentence of judgment
ON the whole revolution ono eminent
man stands forward as the representa-.
tive of the nations virtues Up to
the present time, almost without ex-
ception, we have been apathetic and
and sparing of sentiment as regards
the Cretan movement, and the Greeks
have only to thank themselves for this
result, brought about by the bewilder-
ment into which their preposterous
kilograms have thrown US. An event
of this kind is not unlikely to stir our
lsympathies to some depth. But it is
not likely to make us intervene, much
Hess to make France intervene, when
such intervention must of necessity
adopt one or the other alternative
either of expropriating and restoring
80, 900 Mussulmens, or of abandoning
them to the mercies of men In hot
blood who would destroy them in a
week. Ii England or France, or both
together intervene, they will simply be
compelled to occupy the Island. Or
other terms intervention is but idle
1 all