Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-21
GREECE, LIVING, PATRIOT GREECE

Should the European powers that
signed the Berlin treaty fail to restore
peace to the Balkans at a very early date
Greece will take an aggressive part in
the quarrel, for its peOpl, are burning
for war, and its army is ready for action.
The Turks hold provinces mainly in
habited by population of the Greek race,
and who mostly desire to be incorporated
In the Kingdom of Greece-Epirus,
Thrace, Macedonia and the Island of Crete
are ready for revolt against their Grecian
masters and oppressors. The Greeks
have a cause for war that is Acknowledged
TO be just, with the object of acquiring
provinces, to some of which she has all
acknowledged right. Long had Greece
groaned under the tyrannical sway of
Turkey when, in 1921, she arose against
intolerable oppression. The poet, By
ron, ardently embraced her cause, and
went to her aid, and in her
service died upon Greek soil, an action
that shed a luster upon his life it sadly
wanted. In 1929 80 Greece became free
from the Turkish yoke; Athens and a
certain amount of TERRITORY constituted a
feeble representative OF what had Once
been a mighty empire, whose people
have stamped Their genius Hpoa the CIV
iliEation of the whole world. The King
dom extended from the Peloponessus to
the north of the Cult Of COr:nth In
1878, at the conclusion of the Turkish
and Russian war, for its services ia the
campaign, the powers added Thessaly to
the kingdom. Greece demanded also
Epirus and Crete, on the ground that
Greece should unite under the same gov
eminent all the provinces inhabited by
populations of Greek origin. Turkey
resisted passionately. The powers sc.
oepted the principle of the claim made
by Greece aud compelled Turkey to
give up territory that added IL 1000 to
the Greek population. The whole,
however, when the Turks gave up the
territory in 1881, amounted to a third
less than the Berlin conference had de-
eided to be due to Greece. The strength
OF the Greek claim is therefore evident,
and now, if the powers do not pacify
Bulgaria and Servia, is the time to push
that claim, for Turkey is in another of
those straits to which centuries of per-
petrated wrong expose her. Like Byron
sixty years ago, we cannot but sympathize
with Greece and heartily wish her sue
cess, the more so because of the ease
and relief that has come TO the popula-
ton wrested from Turkish oppression
and placed under her care. Thessaly.
under the Turks, was given up to
brigandsge. Under the Greeks it has
become as secure as other European
countries. 1t was without a single road;
1t has now railroads and carriage rosds.
aud even the Mohsmmedan inhabitants
gratefully acknowledge the change.
NJ. Tricoupis, the eminent Greek
statesman, recently said: The Greek
State is bound to concern itself in
the fate of the Greeks In Macedonia"
and claims that what is passing in the
Balkans shall not result disastrously for
the Greek race. The Greeks believe the
day for justice is now come, aud it is
likely we shall soon hear of them iu the
struggle. The conflict now going on will
probably end in a new arrangement of
territory; in that case Greece is deter
mined not to be behind with claims she
will urge at the swords point. In the
sad days Of her degradation, when the I'M
feeling Turk was treading under foot her
venerated classic cities and sculptures,
Byron in despair for the land of art,
poetry and philosophy, wrote in "Childe
Harold the w%ailiDg, bitter line respect
ing Greece! but living Greece no more!
Sixty years have passed since then, aud
POW Grseee-living, acting, palpitsting