The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-07-17
THE MODERN GREEK.
Not the Heroic Being Of Legend
0xy TamA
Inteassly Patriotic, Yet AAslang IN
Ala the Manly Attributes - HE
DSAsteA Superiority Over
the Do1hA11A2.

The modern Greek II . puzzle to most
of his fellow mortals In Europe and
America. The Philhellenes have been
ready to ascribe to him the heroic traits
of the men of Marathon and Thermop-
ylae, only to be surprised and dis
gusted by some seemingly unaccount-
able act Of cowardice or some gross
falsehood on his part. On the other
hand, the pro-Turkish party in Eng.
land and ON the continent has painted
the average subject Of King George In
far too dark colors. The truth seems
to be that the successive invasions o.
Greece by different races have resulted
in the production of . people whose
fundamental qualities are strangely
mixed and mingled. and whom 1t is
difficult for the rest of the world to
judge fairly. A writer points out that
. in many respects-especially in his con-
ception of truth and justice-the Greek
is essentially an oriental. The exact
correspondence Of his statements with
the accidental and material facts OF
the case In not thing about which
he troubles himself. He would think 1t
but poor compliment to his ability and
ingenuity if his friends maintained that
he never indulged in fiction. "What
liar you are!" is anything but an in
suit in modern Greek.
Yet with all this lack of regard for
truth. the Greek is blissfully and in
tensely patriotic. Foolish and tickle
sometimes false-he may be, but he il
very much more than the mere rascal
which some OF the sympathizers with
Turkey would make him out. Thus
il was the great Philhellenic idea which
was undoubtedly the mainspring of the
action of Greece in the present crisis.
The notion of community of race or
nationality between all those whose
native tongue is modern Greek will not
bear . moments investigation; it would
be absurd to claim any historical JUS
t;fication for their political unity. Yet
the cry of the Cypriotes to be given
back to their mother country Is con-
stantly being revived, and Ia just ~
prevalent under English rule N under
Turkish; 1t In no use arguing with the
Greeks about the matter. The Greek
papers periodically publish horrible
stories of the tyranny Of English OFF,
cials; to Englishmen these stories are
simply ludicrous: but they are just as
important an element in the political
situation in the east a. II they were
literally true, or. even. like similar
stories Of Turkish officials. in accord.
ance with general probabilities.
The Greeks have neither talents nor
inclination for sitting the truth Of
stories like this. which crafty their
national vanity. for they still cherish
the classical tradition Of the superior
ity Of Greek over barbarian. however
strangely it may contrast with their
respect for every person or thing that
is foreign or European" After the in
tcrvention Of the powers IL years ago
in order to save Greece from the sui
cidal folly of an attack upon Turkey
the writer happened to be travelling in
the Peloponnesse, and talked over the
situation with an old shepherd. who
was . typical village politician. His
picturesque expression England has
eaten VI up" yielded to no array Of facts
or arguments that could be brought
against it; and why should he believe
. foreigner rather than the papers he /
and his friends saw every day repeat
ing the same statements7 It II true
that the Intervention of the powers
was then successful; but this was be-
cause 1t brought about . restenation Of
the Greek government and . restors-
ton to power of Tricoupi. the one Greek
politician Of recognized ability and
coolness. It will be remembered how
on that occasion Mr.. Gladstone himself
expressed publicly his approval Of tho
policy of the powers; the only result
On the Greeks was that they expunged
his name from the sign board of cafes
that had been dedicated to his honor.
Perhaps. after all, it would have been
better il the Greeks had had their les
son then instead Of now.
The strength and the troubles Of the
modern Greeks are alike due to the
burden Of An inheritance which they
claim themselves and which il often
accorded to them by sentimental Phil
kellenes who know little or nothing
Of the country and its people. It 10
because they claim to be the representa-
tives OF those ancient Greeks to whom
we owe 30 much of what IL best in our
politics and our civilization, In our lit
erature and In our art, that we judge
them by q standard which we should |
not dream of applying to any other !
people who had recently escaped from
a state of slavery to IN oriental des-
potism.-London Saturday Review.
-f.0s
why He WoulA1,t Do.
OF course abe was disturbed. Being |
. woman Of the world, she thought abe
knew . real eligible young man when
.he saw one and vet her daughter had |