The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-04-26
HEROIC RECORD OF
BRAVE GREECE
Nation Began Its Successful Fight for
independence in 1921.
TURKS HAVE BEEN STUBBORN
English Prince Was Elected First King
of the Country by an Over
whelming Vote.
From The Philadelphla Press.


pendence i'm 1921. The instruction was
begun by Prince Alexander Hypsilantes, a
phanariot in the service of Russia. who had
been elected head of the chief eecre. So
ciety. He crossed the Pruth March g.
1921, with a few followers. and was soon
Joined by several men of great bravery ut
the head of considerable troops. hut the
expedition was badly managed. and in June
Hypsilantes fled to Austria. having entirely
failed in hi. object And in all the efforts
TO overthrow the power of the Turks IN
the northern provinces the Greeks failed
though some men fought very oravely. In
the Peloponnesus the nsurrectlon broke
out also In March in several places, and
most prominent among the first movers
was GermanOs archbishop of Patras. EV-
erywhere the Greeks drove the Turks be
fore them: they were 50 successful that. IN
January. 1922. the independence OF Greece
was proclaimed.
But they soon began to quarrel among
themselves. Several assemblies We're held
Mavrocordatos, one of the phanariots. was
appointed president. But the aspirants
for honOrs and rewards were numoerless
and they could not agree. Accordingly
civil war ragged in 1923 and 1877 inspired by
Colocotronis. chief of knights. VINO at
tanned great influence. and in 1921 aEcther
civil war Of short duration, called the war
of the primates. During this period the
Greek fleet was very active and did GOOD
service 10 was ably led Ivy Miaouhs.
man of firm character and great skill. Ana
he was well seconded by the intrepid Ca
narls. whose fire ships did immense dam
age to the Turkish fleet and filled the
| Turkish sailors with indescribable terror.
FOR the ravages of the Greek fleet the
Turks wreaked fearful vengeance on the
innocent Inhabitants of the lovely island
of Chios-April, 1S2l-butchering in cold
blood multtudes OF peaceful Inhabitants
and carrying off others To the slave mar
Epf no
trated caused a thrill of horror throughout
the civilized world. Two years after they
p,rpetrated similar outrages on the Islands
of KaSos and Psara. The sultan now m
vol6ed the aid OF Mehemet All, pasha or
Egypt. and his stepson Ibrahim landed on
the Peloponnesus with Il band of well-dis-
CiDlincd Arabs. in 1924 lOrahlm carried
everything before him. and the Greeks lost
nearly every place that they had acquired.
some towns offered a strong resistance,
and especially famous is the siege of Mes
olonehi. which lasted from April 70 80
to Aprn % 1926 Nothing could exceed
the firmness and bravery during that siege,
and their glorious deeds and sad fate at
tractcd the attention of all Europe the
interest IN the Greeks. which had been
aroused to some extent by Lord Byron and
other English Philhellenes. in 1873. now be-
came intense. ana volunteers appeared
from France and Germany as welt as from
England and Am arica. Lord Cochrane
was appointed admiral of the Greek fleet
ana Sir Richard Church peneralissimo of
+ha land forces but they did not prevent
the capture Of Athens by the Turks june
. 1871 Most OF the European govern 0ents
had remained Indifferent. or had actually
discouraged the outbreak OF the bIethS.
Russia had disowned Hypsilantvs. The
monarchs Of Europe were afraid that the
Using of the Greek was only another
eruption Of democratic feeling. fostered bS
the French revolution. and thought tnat At
ought TO be suppressed. l'ut the VAST
masses of the people were now iHtaresi I'd,
ana demanded from thclr governments
more liberal treatment OF Greece. Canning
inauEurated in 1N23. and now carried odt
this new policy ia England
Happv Accident for the Greeks.
An accident came 10 the ala Of the Greeks
The fleets Of England, France and Russia
were cruising about the coasts OF the Pelo-
I punncsus to prevent the Turkish fleet from
rayishing the Greel, Islands or mainland.
winter coming ON. the admlrals thought
- mare prudent 20 anchor in the bay Of
%ayariuo where the Turkish fleet lay
The Turks regarded their approach as
prompted by hostile feelings and com
r,4u,ed firing on them. whereupCn gen
eraf enlargement eusued. ia which the
Turkish fleet WAS auniAilated October 20
lSe1 Shortly after January is. 1888. ca
podlstrlas. who had been Ia the service u
Russia was appointed president OF Greece
seven wears thn French clclieu tltf
Nlnr,a OF hostile Turks. and Greece was
t.r,cticallv INDEPENDENT bur several years
had 90 eIup-e ere affairs reached settled
condition tapodistriaS was Russian IN MS
ideas of government. and. ruling wi;h
high hand. gave great umenSe TO me masses
OF the people. asd his rule came 70 an UNI
timely end ~ his assassination on october
1891 Anarchy followed but at Length
Ohio of Bavaria. was made king. ana the
protesting powers signed a convention by
{ which She present limits were deiHiltely
ASSIGNED 20 the new kingdom Qs52) Hence
forth Greece has existed as "A recognized
lpd.pcnaeut Kingdom. Throughout the
whole. of the war of independence in Greece
the people behaved with great bravery ana
s,lf-sacrhce. They showet steady ad-
he.auce TO the idea of liberty. They were
sometimes savage in their conduct TO the
Turks aud barbarIties occurred when
stain their history. Yet, on the whole. the
historian has much To praise and little
10 blame IN the great mass, especially of
tho agricultural population. But no single
man arose during the period capable OF
hpb,g ina all respects worthy leader. Nor
cau This bt. wondered at. All the men VINO
took y prominent part in the movements
had received their training in schools where
consiiwtionalism was the last doctrine that
was likely TO be impressed ON them. Sew
eral of them had been in the service OF
Russia and had fun faith only in arbitrary
nov-er Many OF them were phanGriots,
accustomed to double dealing. ambitious
and avaricious. Some of them had been
brought up at the court Of All Pasha OF
Jannina and had become familiar with
savage acts Of reckless despotism. Others
had been and indeed remained during the
continuance OF the war chiefs of klephts.
having but little respect for human life
and habituated to scenes of cruelty and
thunder Some Of them also came from
tho Nainotes. who owed their independence
to the habitual use of arms, and who were
not troubled by many scruples. 1t could
not be expected that such men would act
with great mercy or prudence in dealing
with turks who had butchered or en-
slava1 their kinsmen and kinswomen for
generations Even among the foreigners
who volunteered to aid the Greeks. few. II
any were found OF supreme ability. and
after the Kingdom was established the
Greeks were unfortunate in the strangers
who came to direct them. Otho had been
brought up in despotic court. and knew
no other method of ruling. lie brought
along with him Bavarans, TO whom he
entrusted the entire power. and the Greeks
had the modification of Knowing that.
though their kingdom was independent. no
Greek had q chance of being elevated to
any ministerial Office of Importance. Ac-
h-al ont in ..