Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-11

great commonwealth of Christian Eu- =
rope
The spirit that imbued Lord Byron and
led him 10 offer his life to the cause OF
Greek independence created a corps Of
heroes and martyrs as noble as any eyer
dedicated in blood TO liberty. The fiery \
war songs Of Rigas Pheraeos. the Thes-
salian. in 1897. aroused in the heart OF
Greece its ancient love of freedom At
that time Turkeys power was stll para
mount on her soil. Austria turned the
singer over 10 the Sultan and he was
beheaded at Belgrade His last words
were: Greece will avenge my DEATH"
His songs are as popular with his coun-
trymen today as il THE Hymn Of the
Republic to Americans. Following is
a sample of his inspiring verse as adapt
ed by Lord Byron:
Sons Of the Greeks. arise.
The glorious hours gone forth
And worthy Of such ties,
Display who gave us birth.
Sparta, Sparta. why in sumbers
Lethargic dost thou lie?
Awake and join thy numbers
with Athens. old ally,
Leonidas recalling.
That chief Of ancient song
Who saved ye once from falling.
The terrible, the strong,
Who made that bold diversion
In old Thermopylae.
And warning with the Persian
To keep mis- country free:
With his three hundred waging
The battle. long he stood,
And. like a lion raging.
Expired I'm seas Of blood"
Easter Sunday of this year. made
memorable In that Turkey practically
declared itself at war with Greece was
not much unlike the Easter Sunday of
1921. when the first hero of the former
f.TOTRIka nenpgA In VIII
followers in the monastery of Sekkon.
blew up the building. killing himself and
his own force. and Thousand attacking
Turks as well. on this same Easter Sun
day Constantinople was in panic. An
alleged Greek conspiracy was unearthed
and frightful massacre ensued The
patriarch Gregarias was hanged at the
gate of his palace, the Easter lily still in
his hand. All the churchmen. Greek
business men and their wives and chill
dren were murdered, the fury of the
Turks extending to all the towns Of Mol
daYia and Wallachia. and making this
Easter Sunday a st. Bartholomew day
In Grecian history. Then the great war
for liberty began. and hundred heroes
rose for every murdered Grecian.
One of the notable victims of the early
part of the war was the young warrior
priest, Diakos. who, as he was being
taken on May 8, 1921, TO the place Of ex-
ecution. exclaimed: 10, what bcauti-
lul baN tilsiiOfl HIS CilbSttl ~ itltH IHt,
when the flowers are blooming and the
earth has put on her green garment
II was in 1923 that Marco Bozzaris
gave his life to Greece. his heroic death
forming one of the most touching Incl
dents of the famous siege OF Mssalonghi
The latter town was the key to the
Peloponessus. and the Sultan had sent a
formidable army To capture il. Marco
BoZzaris had gathered force of 1870
men in Cephalonia. and. leaving the bulk
of these at Missalonghi. he sailed forth
with body of 80 men. and during the
night attacked the Turks. driving them
from their position. In the moment of
triumph a bullet struck him in the head.
and. like the conquest of Quebec. il
proved dearly won victory. Six months
later Lord Byron. another hero 10
whom Greece had looked for aid, died in
the besieged town. within a few feet of
where the body of Bozzaris had lain in
state.
Then came the heroic sacrifice in the
monastery of St. Nikaloas. on the little
men and women, besieged for weeks by
5000 Turks, suddenly opened the gates,
and when 1000 Moslems had swarmed into
every nook and corner of the place. blew
1t up. Hardly a soul escaped. But the
siege of Missalonghi kept on. In 1896
lbrahim Pacha, the son of Egypts ruler.
attacked IL with 20oo0 men. The small
outposts were captured with the greatest
danger, one of the Egyptian generals re-
marking to Ibrahim after a repulse:
They are not men. they are devils Go
and see for yourself" For twenty days
the chief articles of food in Missalonghi
were sea weeds and the leather of shoes
which. softened by oil. was regarded as
a delicacy. The end came at last. and In
the midst of the assault band of 1901
Greeks cut their way safely through the
ranks of the Turks and Egyptians.
Many of these We're women dressed as
men, with children strapped to their
backs.
In the ruins of Missalonghi there were
found 1900 dead.
But these We're only a few of the not
able incidents of a war which abounded
in the most remarkable displays of her
oism. Numbers gained the victory at
last and after the fall of Athens. Greece
lay exhausted at the feet of Turkey. The
siege of Acropolis was the finishing
touch. and Drakas. on being taken be-
fore ReSbid Pacha. after the fall of the
Greek capital. plunged a dagger into his
own heart. crying OUT $50 dies a help
less Christian"
After 1925 the heroism and martyrdom
of the Greeks. and especially the horrors
of Missalonghi called forth the indigna-
ton of Europe. In England many of the
leading men stigmatiZed the policy of the
government as unworthy of their coun-
try. In 1926 George Canning character
lied IL as 4 monstrosty and a disgrace
Russia and France were made to sign at
London on July 6, 1927, a protocol in
which it was agreed that If the Turkish
government within month did not con-
sent to a truce the three great powers
would officially recognize the indepen-
dence of Greece Turkey was obstinate.
and when the Egyptian fleet actually
fired on the ships of the powers at Ma
varino the war was quickly ended by the
complete destruction of the Sutans war
vessels and the slaughter of 5000 of his
men. That battle saved the honor of the
civilized nations of Europe. and Greece
became an independent kingdom. The
question now Is, will another Navarino
be necessary to end the trouble officially