The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1870-05-07 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE MURDERS IN GREECE.  in connection with these recent murders, the following extract from a letter of The Tintes correspondent at Athens wilt be read with interest. When the letter was penned the a rite, had the fullest confidence that our countrymen would be set at liberty : Experience has made Englishmen acquainted with two prominent features f the modern Greeks—their capacity for commerce and for brigandage. As these two things are irreconcilably hostile, it is certain that commerce would soon extirpate brigandage if it could obtain a fair field. Tha commercial :dames are now cut off by the want of road+ from an accurate acqxaintance with the extent to which brigandage has afflicted the agricultural population ever since the incursions into Epirus and Thessaly instigated by King Otho's Government in 1053. Things, however, never were so bad as during the last year. The klepths and the armed bands who returned from Crete, and who have since been living lawlessly at the expense of the agricultural population have amounted to 500 men. We have seen a moderate calculation showing that the peasants of the districts infeste 1 by tae bri sands must have contributed 250.000 drachmas to their supp since the mouth of February last year, this is excluaive of the some the brigands have collected by ransoming individuals which probal ly exceeds a million. In addit:on to this if one-half of what is said concerning the exec.:ions of the troops sent ti pursue the brigands be true, their exactions have exceeded the contributions levied by the brigands in bread and provisions.. At least 500,000 drachmas appear to have been extorted daring the last fourteen menthe from about 10000 families of hardworking peasants. Tom loss has falLn heaviest on the outlying villages in the mountainous dietricti., and explains why the traveller in going from Athens in every direction finds fertile and beautiful valleys in the mountains with perennial fountains even under the summer sun of Greece desolate and visited only by goats and brigands. The existence of brigandage as a social evil, growing in strength, is closely connecte.l with the land question, and there is no prospect of its extirpation until the peasant finds his relation with the Government changed, and feels that he is sole master of his crops and his labour. Toe importance of the subject is becoming greater from year to year. In 1855 the King's Speech noticed brigand age as claiming the earnest attention of the Government, and on the 17th of June last year his Majesty opened the parliamentary session with a speech from the throne, in which he declared that brigandage was carried on with such audacity and violence as to call for new and more stringent leirialative measures for Ms suppression. The Ministry of Mr. Zainme did not carry these measures, but it remained in office, and brigandage continued its course of audacity and violence. The Hellenic Kingdom, with an army of 13,865 men cannot render the vicinity of Athens, Livadea, Miesolonghi, and Lepanto safe from the brigands. The military forces of Greece must, therefore, be reformed, weeded, and reorganised in order to give them a capacity for acting efficiently against the brigands or 1875 may witness a repetition of the events of 1870, as 1870 has repeated on a greater scale the evils of 1865. It is impossible to think what good government might have made the Hellenic Kingdom, and to look at the condition to which it has been brought by maladministration and the neglect of their duty by Greek Ministers without feeling sorrow. Byzantine hopes are fading like a morning dream, and Hellas is like Niobe, at name haw andar hosti.  were  The following letter from Mr. Lloyd, to a friend in London, possesaes a melancholy interest : " urieands' Hot. near Oropus, April 19, 1870. "Deer B--You will see by date of this that I mu not In a position to make any affidavits. You must under the circumstances he able to get time. I can't tell when we shall get out. But these gentry generally kill their prisoners after three months. I hope that result will not be ours " Perhaps you will be so cod as to prepare an affidavit for vie, as I think you have all the facts, and as I hope to be in Athens in the course of a nrmth it would be many for me to swear. " Under the very depressing circumstances of my captivity you will not be surprised If! now say goodbye. With many thanks to you for all your attention to my interests, Yours very truly, "