540 



GREECE. (REVOLUTION.) 



the obstruction of commerce, ran-rd -^'m-nil dissatis- 

 faction among the Mussulmans, llalet Ktlendi, the 

 faithful friend of Uie sultan from his youth, who had 

 In-come obnoxious on account of his plans for quel- 

 ling the mutinous spirit of the janizaries (who refused 

 to march to the Morea) by means of Asiatic troops 

 and European discipline, and on account of his influ- 

 ence, which excluded the grandees of the empire 

 from the confidence of the sultan, fell a victim to the 

 hate of the soldiery. Sultan Mahmud II. (q. v.) 

 found himself constrained to discharge the adherents 

 of Halet the grand-vizier Salih Pacha, the mufti, 

 and other high officers. He hoped to save his friend 

 by an honourable banishment to Asia (Nov. 10) ; but 

 he was obliged to send his death warrant after him, 

 and Halet's head, with those of his adherents, was 

 exposed on the gates of the seraglio (Dec. 4, 1822). 

 The hatti-sherifl", which appointed Abdullah Pacha, 

 a friend of the janizaries, grand-vizier, concluded with 

 the words, " Look well to your ways, for, God 

 knows, the danger is great." 



Adoption of a Constitution in Greece, and third un- 

 successful Campaign of the Turks against the Greeks, 

 in 1823. The central government of Greece, in 

 which Mavrocordato and Negris were distinguished, 

 aimed at two objects. Fully sensible of the truth of 

 the words of a Greek author, "as all the states of 

 Greece wished to rule, all have lost the sovereignty," 

 they endeavoured to establish union at home ; on 

 which, at the same time, they founded their hope 

 that Europe would, at length, look with approbation 

 and confidence on the restoration of an independent 

 Greek state. In this view, the Greek government 

 at Corinth issued a proclamation to the Christian 

 powers (April 15, 1822); but the negotiations on 

 the Greek affairs, at Vienna, and afterwards at Verona, 

 took a turn unfavourable to the Greeks, or rather re- 

 mained unfavourable, when the Porte, by its declara- 

 tions of February 28 and April 18, 1822, seemed to 

 be disposed to be more lenient. The " holy alliance '' 

 then thought that the continuance of the Porte as a 

 legitimate power, and the acknowledgment of Greek 

 independence, were incompatible ; yet the powers 

 thought themselves obliged to interpose with the sul- 

 tan in favour of the civil and religious security of the 

 Greeks. Count Metaxa was sent as envoy of the 

 Greek government to the congress of Verona (see 

 Congress) ; but he was only permitted to go to Ro- 

 veredo. Jan. 2, 1823, he wrote from Ancona to 

 pope Pius VII., describing the miserable condition of 

 Greece, imploring his intercession with the monarchs, 

 and declaring at the same time, that the Greeks were 

 willing to submit their rights to the examination of 

 the congress, and to be ruled by a Christian sove- 

 reign, under wise and firm laws, but would never 

 again consent to any sort of connexion with the 

 Turks. The Government of Argos declared the 

 same, in a memorial of Aug. 29, 1822, directed to the 

 congress. The answer to these entreaties is contained 

 in the following passage of the circular of Verona, 

 (Dec. 14, 1822): Les monarques, decides a repousser 

 le principe de la revolte, en quelque lieu et sous quel- 

 que forme qiCil se montrut, se haterent de le frapper 

 dune egale et unanime reprobation. Mais ecoutant 

 en meme (ems la voix de leur conscience et d'un 

 devoir sacre, Us plaiderent la cause de I'humanite, en 

 faveur des victimes d'une entreprise aussi irreftechie 

 que coupalle (The monarchs, decided to suppress the 

 principle of revolt, in whatever place or under what- 

 ever form it might appear, hastened to condemn it 

 with equal and unanimous disapprobation. But, 

 open at the same time to the voice of their conscience 

 and of a sacred duty, they have pleaded the cause of 

 humanity in favour of the victims of an undertaking 

 as inconsiderate as guilty). The dissensions in 



Greece, it cannot be denied, were a strong objection 

 to the, acknowledgment of Greek independence. 

 Colocotroni refused the central government admis- 

 sion into Napoli di Romania, and deliberated with 

 other ambitious capitani in Tripolizza, on a di- 

 vision of the Morea into hereditary principali- 

 ties.* The central government, however, suc- 

 ceeded in preventing the dangers of a civil war, un<l 

 called a second national assembly at Astro, in 

 January, 1823. In regard to the election of depu- 

 ties, the laws of Nov. 21 and Dec. 3, 1822, had 

 already established two divisions, that of gerontes or 

 elders, for from 10 to 50 families, and that of sena- 

 tors according to eparchies. Mavrocordato princi- 

 pally contributed to the restoration of concord, at the 

 time when the declaration of the congress of Verona 

 was communicated by the British embassy at Con- 

 stantinople to this effect : " The Greeks must submit 

 to their lawful sovereign the sultan." At the same 

 time, information was received of a new Turkish 

 expedition, destined to attack the Morea by land and 

 sea. The number of deputies was now increasing at 

 Astro; even Ulysses and other capitani repaired 

 thither, with their bands, from Tripolizza ; so that 

 the national assembly at Astro consisted of 100 depu- 

 ties, at the opening of its sessions (March 14). 

 Mavromichalis was elected president ; Theodore 

 Negris, secretary. Even Colocotroni submitted to 

 the assembly. The members of the legislative and 

 executive councils were then elected. Condurioti of 

 Hydra was chosen president of the former ; Petro 

 Mavromichalis, bey of Maina, of the latter. Both 

 bodies determined to raise from 40,000,000 to 

 50,000,000 of piastres for the purpose of levying a 

 force of 50,000 men, and equipping 100 large men 

 of war. The principles of the constituent resolutions 

 of Epidaurus were adopted for all Greece, with some 

 unimportant modifications, and eparchs substituted 

 for provincial governments. The French military 

 code was adopted, with some changes, and the pre- 

 paration of a new criminal code decreed. The 

 assembly then proclaimed the new constitution of 

 Astro (April 23, 1823), and dissolved, after the 

 national government established by it had gone into 

 operation at Tripolizza (April 20). Thus order was, 

 in some degree, restored, but not concord among the 

 capitani. This produced several changes of the 

 ministers and the presidents of the two councils. 

 Mavrocordato was made president, and Colocotroni 

 vice-president, and Demetrius Ypsilanti was removed, 

 as unqualified for public affairs. The secretary 

 Negris, also, received his discharge. The Greeks 

 continued united only in refusing an amnesty, and 

 such an independence as that of Moldavia and Wai- 

 lachia, offered to them by British agents. The British 

 policy now permitted at least an indirect support of 

 the cause of Greece, from Malta and the Ionian 

 Islands. The French cabinet no longer attempted to 

 prevent Frenchmen from participating in the cause 



* It lias been one of the causes of the misfortunes of the 

 Greeks, that the capitani, with little in view but their own 

 interest, have been, generally speaking, the only leaders 



great ignorance of the state and character 01 tne people 

 with whom they acted. The abortive trials to establish a 

 form of government for Oreece, at different times, have 

 given proof of this. The ill success of these trials , however, 

 has been, in no small degree, owing to a want of sound 

 political elements in the people. The same cause has given 

 rise to the difficulties which have so often obstructed the 

 establishment of wise and settled forms of government in 

 France and South America. On the other hand, the orderly 

 character of the people in the North American colonies, 

 and their longexercise, in fact, of the rights of freemen, gave 

 success to their experiment when they instituted an inde- 

 pendent government. 



