The evening times., 1897-04-27
Revolution Next.

Human nature is very much the same the
world over. In 1870 the French people
! could not be made to see that their case
was hopeless against Germany. or that it
was so because their army was inferior in
every respect to that OF their enemy. Ac-
/ cordingly they went mad and kept Oh fight
ing. Nothing would induce them to be
iieve that an nything but treason and tIait-
ors, eewarlHce and towards, was the mat
ter with them. This history is being re-
peated in Greece The Greek army h3ying
oeen defeated and, as it appears now,
routed, it becomes instantly evident 20 GER
tain popular leaders of the Gambcyta type
that the crown prince must have been an
incompetent and a coward and his staff
collection Of dastardly blockhe3ds
1t is yet too early 10 pass professional
Judgment on the conduct of the young
Greek commander. A week ago everybody
in Athens, in Europe and this country was
praising his strategic ability, as Illus
tratcd in his capture OF Rcvenl Pass. in
compelling Edhem Pasha to retire within
the pass of AIiIouna. and in sending Gen.
SmoIenitZ to strike the Turkish rear Then
he was all right He had his zoe cornered:
bat at the time we expressed the appre-
bansion tnat, in accomplishing all this, he
had made the last supreme effort Of which
his exhausted force. after a week of in
cessant fighting, was capable Inferior .n
numbers and ridiculously SO in ordnance,
ii was feared then, as it is evident n. W,
that he could not improve OF even nIain-
tain the advantage gained So it was
proved when Edhem returned to the attack
and annihilated Constantine's line at
Matt with withering hurricane of shot
and shell, and then swept all before him
with charge OF cavalry and infantry in
mass
Whether the retreat Of the Greeks was
orderly or became a panic and flight. mat
tiers little. The latter was the thing 10 be
expected under the conditions obtaining at
the end of the day of Matt. 1t does not
necessarily involve blame to the crown
prince Probably he did the best he could.
Perhaps if he had been with his army on
the frontier during the weeks Of Erepara-
tiOn he might have done better, He cnly
Joined it few days before the outbreak
Of hostilities. If it can be said that he
was only the nominal commander on the
frontier, then If there be any blame It is
not to him but to whoever was the general
chief Of staff that it belongs.
Considerations like these will not avail
Constantine or his father against popular
rage and modification, which never al
lowsitseIf tolack a scapegoat. Thechances
are that the dynasty may fail, and be re-
placed for the time by a provisional gov
eminent, with some such man as NJ. Rail-,
the Greek radical leader, atits head. Then
W might look for short and futile cru
SADIE of despair on the part of the Greek
people They might make stand at
Pharsala, and a final one at Thermopylae;
but these things would make not the least
difference, except in shedding more blood
and eXhausting more national resources.
The powers seem determined to stand
by and see Greece crushed, until her people
realize their destruction and beg the great
nations for rescue, and for permission to
exist at any price. Altogether it is a
most dismal spectacle.