Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-08
THE CRET,ANs NOT PUT DowN.
Contradiction of the London Times,

We translate from the Greek newspaper
ElpiS, published at Athens, the denial of re-
ceut erroneous statements made in relation
to the present state of affairs in Crete. The
character of the ElpiS is deservedly high,
and its statements in this case bear evil
dence of their own truth: si l.tta-lf I'd
An inauspicious 4rumOri was given out
yesterday about,the subjugation of Crete.
According to this the Christians of Crete
had surrendered their arms. and three
steamers, two of which were Turkish and
one French, were bringing to the PiraeuS
the volunteers that had gone from Greece
to Crete. Fortunately the rumor was false.
L The three steamers referred to were ex-
pected, but neither were they bringing
back any volunteers from Greece nor had
the Christians laid down their arms. What
really took place was this: 1E ~
About thirty days ago we knew by let.
ters from Crete that one hundred and fifty
to two hundred men, the scrapings of An
atolia, men OF suspected character, and
who had gone for season into Crete, were
making ready to leave the island, because
the different leaders under whom they had
at times served, had rejected them as un-
worthy, as men that fled from fight, and
who supported themselves from the private
resources of the Inhabitants. These men
fled to the district of Prosnerus where the
traitor sTSiridaneS lives, calling upon him
to act as their mediator with Mastapha
Pacha, so as to secure their retreat from
Crete. Most of them were without arms,
having sold them to the Cretans; few who
yet retained their weapons gave them up to
Fsiridanes, who, having gone to Mustapha
Pacha. was appointed by him to retain
these men in Prosnerus, and when called
upon to produce them to send them to the
seashore at Loutron, where they should get
on board vessel. ~
This Albanian wretch, Mustapha Pacha,
a0Y ifn f.ll SC
tunity of playing the juggler. He plotted
naturally with the French Consul, Derche,
who wrote to his Government, and there
was dispatched in all haste to Crete the cor
vette Forbin, which was enormously
thought in the beginning to have been sent
to bring away the women and children
from Crete. This expected French corvette
arrived at Canea, and her Captain, having
received theinstructions of the Consul, was
Joined by two Ottoman steamers and went
with them to Loutron, where they received
those above mentioned as waiting to en-
bark and carried them to Piraeus. There
were one hundred and eighty in all, vet
they thought fl to divide them among the
three vessels, though they might all have
been contained in one. This, however, was
part of the jugglery, and God knows with
how many wonderful falsehoods the French
embassy at Athens and the French Consul
at Canea have flooded Europe. ~
The present Turkish Ambassador is not
ashamed to say that France has satisfied the
demands of philanthropy, while so many
native Cretan women, dying of hunger and
cold, and seeking conveyance into Greece,
are not thought worthy of a sympathetic
glance, though room is found for some of
these one hundred and eighty men on board
a French corvette that could easily, had
there been any prompting of true philan-
thropy, have carried away to safety the
poor women that are struggling with death.
Governments have the power to do evil,
but history has. the satisfaction of Judging
and avenging.
The withdrawal of these one hundred and
eighty is fortunate for the Cretans, since
they unjustly devoured the bread which is
there so precious, gave trouble to the in
habitants, and threw difficulties in the way
of those who fought. Among those one
hundred and eighty there was not single
Cretan; nor any face recognized by any one.
From an early hour in the morning more
than three thousand people had gone down
to Piraeus. where the people were already
on foot to receive with hootings those
transported on the three steamers, at their
debarkation, and God knows what disa-
greeable scenes might have been presented
had not the Government thOughtfully sent
thither at the same time an armed force.
1t is noteworthy fact that not one of
the boatmen of the harbor of Piraeus was
steamers /; the French flag, which the
Christians of the East kad been accus-
toned to hail everywhere as the emblem
of civilization and philanthropy, seemed to
these Grecian boatmen to send forth pest
Hence, and they would not come near it,
Fortunately nothing deplorable occurred.
On the refusal of the Greek boatmen to
bring these men to land, one of the boats
of the French corvette brought forty of
them ashore, and after disembarking them
was returning, when the people set upon
them and threw one into the sea. The
French boat thereupon returned and took
them all back, and the people, judging
these men unworthy of any further atten.
tion, departed. =rG.u5 sfrZs.
The comedy which the French Govern
ment wished to play for its beloved Musta-
pha Pacha ended badly, having left behind
it nothing but contempt. -rs
We do not know what action our Gov
ernment will take about this imperial gift
of the French Government. 1t is farce
that will end in twenty-four hours. and be
| followed by cries of ''shame" in Europe,
said a French friend of ours, who with diff
| fculty restrained his Indignation at the dis
graceful policy of his Government in the
| East. 1t is worthy of remark that the
| actors ia this comedy did not give their
services gratis. Each of the transported
men appeared to have about six louis d'ors,
yet when they lett Crete they had not a
! drachma.