The Modern Greeks, and the Opinions concerning Them [pp. 143-165]

THE MODERN GREEKS, ETC.
been established, by private munificence. And, after an educational career of less than forty years, Greece can now show a
larger proportion, at least of her male population, at school, and
that can read and write, than a number of the old States of
Europe, and some States of our American Union.
Is a nation, that can already show such fruits, degenerate and
debased, and, as some would have it, hardly worthy of being
recognized in the fraternity of nations?
Agriculture is advancing but slowly among them, for the
Greeks love the sea; but Greek commerce is whitening every
sea, as far as the British Isles, and even to the ports of North
and South America; and many Greek merchants are amassing
fortunes, which, in some cases, they use for their country's
benefit, as just now indicated.
And what does the recent political life of the new Greece show
for her? "By their fruits," etc. Aside from what she dared
and suffered, beyond almost any other nation, for liberty, in the
awful experiences of 1821-8, let any one who reviews her history remember the conduct of the Greek people in their constitutional revolution of 1843, when, on a night of September,
the citizens, military and students, at Athens, surrounded King
Otho's palace, asked of him the fulfilment of what they regarded as his pledge, of years' standing, that they should have
a constitution, and waited there till the King yielded; accomplishing this great political change without the shedding of
blood, and even without a single act of violence or lawlessness;
showing a noble contrast to the revolutionary scenes that have
been enacted in France and some other countries that hold
themselves, and that we are inclined to hold, superior to the so
much disparaged Greeks.
And they showed equlally creditable conduct in the change of
dynasty, more recently, when, being discontented wnith the
course of Otho, they politely signified to him, on his return, by
steamer, from a visit abroad, their desire that he should not
take the t-rouble of landing; which hint he accepted; and with
the consent of the still "protecting" Allied Powers, they elected
a new sovereign, Prince George of Denmark. He has been
reigning quietly these ten years, and the Greeks have now for
thirty years been supporting a free constitutional government,
with a legislative body, chosen by general suffrage, and with a,
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