New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-09
THE CLOUD oVER MOUNT IDA.

The little Island OF IIcle, Ill INC NchttI-
ranean in early mythology the cradle OF Joye
and in later times the scene of some OF the most
desperate and valorOus exploits recorded In his
tory that romantic island about whose famed
mountain cluster the associations of familiar
ancient fables whose very name calls up the
heroes Of Troy and the divine songs of the old
blind poet, and whose soil has been consecrated
now by over 200 years of struggle against Otto
man despotiSm, is once more the theater of hero
ism and the battlefield of liberty. Since tho
Turks wrested Crete from the Venetians in the
18th century, after a twenty years siege OF its
capital the Christian inhabitants of the island
have lived in almost constant rebellion against
their Mohammedan masters. Time and again
have they been on the point OF throwing
off the slaysh yoke, and twice their fet-
tcrs have been rivetted and their glori-
Gus aspirations thwarted by their Christian
brethren OF Europe. When the Turkish
mower WAS shattered Mt the battle If Nava-
rino, in 1927, there was good cause for hope
that the independence of Greece would involve
the liberation of the Crctans; but the arbitrary
partition of the Hellenic territories by the
allied powers of Europe, handed over Crete,
bound hand and foot, to an Egyptian despot;
and when fresh complications i'll 1910 rendered
a change of rule inevitable, the same unholy
combination gave back the island into the
hands of the same cruel master at CONSTANT
nople, from whom it had suffered during so
many generations. It's subsequent history has
been little else than history of oppression and
revolt. It's population has dwindled away under
misgoycrnment and outrage, until it is now
hardly fourth of what it was in the palmy
days of Venetian supremacy. But the indie
pendent spirit of its indomitablc people is rs
hardy us ever, and the instruction which is
now raging among them seems only to have
gathered strength from long repression. And
that this revolt is no trivial uprising, to
be put down in a few months with
few handfulls of mcrcenaries, we
daily have unmistakable proof The bravery
of that heroic band of 800 priests, women, and
villagers who defended the convent Of Arkadi
the other day against 1900 Turks and when
the gates were forced fought to the death,
hand to hand, at the doors of the cells, finally
immolating vctors and vanquished by setting
fire TO the magazine; or OF the few soldiers
who held the stone mill of the convent with such
obstnacy that the Turks had to blow it up to
silence them; or of the 5000 Cretans, who, if
reports can be trusted were drowned in q cave
on the sea-shore by the rising tide; or of the
troops who, after repeated defeats, only with
drew to their mountains, and, while preparing
for fresh resistance, renew again and again
their oaths never to lay down their arms until
the Ottoman despOtism has been oyerthrown-
the bravery of these men, we say, Is not of
kind that can be easily overpowered.
But more formidable enemy than the Turks
now presses upon them. AS the Russian trusted
to his best Generals, Frost and Fire, to defeat
the triumphant armies of Napoleon, so the Sui
tan looks to the Winter to conquer the patriots
whom his bayonets cannot subdue. In their
mountain Businesses the insurgents if unincum-
bered by women and children, may reasonably
hope to defy for months the strongest force
which Turkey can bring against them; but in
the meantime what will become Of their wives
and families How can they live while their
crops are abandoned to the ravages Of the
enemy2 How can supplies be conveyed TO
them from abroad while the Turks have full
control of the country between them and
the seat The Winter is terrible ordeal through
which their endurance must be tested; but they
are prepared to face it boldly. The leaders Of
the instruction have held council at Askyfo,
and resolved that q small number of men chosen
from each Of the principal villages shall remain
with the armed bands and act on the defensive
in the mountain regions, while the rest shall
make their peace with the Mussulmans and do
what they can to protect their families and crops
during the Winter The opening of Spring
will see them again in the field.
The main stay of the revolt at present must,
Of course, be in the stout hearts of the insurgents
but in the Kingdom of Greece they have
powerful auxiliary, which Is destined, as we
believe, to play an important part in the his
tory of the struggle. Popular sympathy with
tho Cretana has risen IN Creaca IN leyer-heat.