the story of mankind-第76章

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toward　the　United　States。''　Four　weeks　later；　the　text　of　the

‘‘Monroe　Doctrine''　was　printed　in　the　English　newspapers　and

the　members　of　the　Holy　Alliance　were　forced　to　make　their

choice。



Metternich　hesitated。　Personally　he　would　have　been　willing

to　risk　the　displeasure　of　the　United　States　（which　had

allowed　both　its　army　and　navy　to　fall　into　neglect　since　the　end

of　the　Anglo…American　war　of　the　year　1812。）　But　Canning's

threatening　attitude　and　trouble　on　the　continent　forced　him

to　be　careful。　The　expedition　never　took　place　and　South

America　and　Mexico　gained　their　independence。



As　for　the　troubles　on　the　continent　of　Europe；　they　were

coming　fast　and　furious。　The　Holy　Alliance　had　sent　French

troops　to　Spain　to　act　as　guardians　of　the　peace　in　the　year

1820。　Austrian　troops　had　been　used　for　a　similar　purpose　in

Italy　when　the　‘‘Carbonari''　（the　secret　society　of　the　Charcoal

Burners）　were　making　propaganda　for　a　united　Italy　and　had

caused　a　rebellion　against　the　unspeakable　Ferdinand　of

Naples。



Bad　news　also　came　from　Russia　where　the　death　of　Alexander

had　been　the　sign　for　a　revolutionary　outbreak　in　St。

Petersburg；　a　short　but　bloody　upheaval；　the　so…called　Dekaberist

revolt　（because　it　took　place　in　December；）　which　ended

with　the　hanging　of　a　large　number　of　good　patriots　who　had

been　disgusted　by　the　reaction　of　Alexander's　last　years　and

had　tried　to　give　Russia　a　constitutional　form　of　government。



But　worse　was　to　follow。　Metternich　had　tried　to　assure

himself　of　the　continued　support　of　the　European　courts　by　a

series　of　conferences　at　Aix…la…Chapelle　at　Troppau　at

Laibach　and　finally　at　Verona。　The　delegates　from　the

different　powers　duly　travelled　to　these　agreeable　watering

places　where　the　Austrian　prime　minister　used　to　spend

his　summers。　They　always　promised　to　do　their　best

to　suppress　revolt　but　they　were　none　too　certain　of　their

success。　The　spirit　of　the　people　was　beginning　to　be　ugly　and

especially　in　France　the　position　of　the　king　was　by　no　means

satisfactory。



The　real　trouble　however　began　in　the　Balkans；　the　gateway

to　western　Europe　through　which　the　invaders　of　that

continent　had　passed　since　the　beginning　of　time。　The　first

outbreak　was　in　Moldavia；　the　ancient　Roman　province　of

Dacia　which　had　been　cut　off　from　the　Empire　in　the　third

century。　Since　then；　it　had　been　a　lost　land；　a　sort　of　Atlantis；

where　the　people　had　continued　to　speak　the　old　Roman　tongue

and　still　called　themselves　Romans　and　their　country　Roumania。

Here　in　the　year　1821；　a　young　Greek；　Prince　Alexander

Ypsilanti；　began　a　revolt　against　the　Turks。　He　told　his　followers

that　they　could　count　upon　the　support　of　Russia。　But

Metternich's　fast　couriers　were　soon　on　their　way　to　St　Petersburg

and　the　Tsar；　entirely　persuaded　by　the　Austrian　arguments

in　favor　of　‘‘peace　and　stability；''　refused　to　help。　Ypsilanti

was　forced　to　flee　to　Austria　where　he　spent　the　next　seven

years　in　prison。



In　the　same　year；　1821；　trouble　began　in　Greece。　Since

1815　a　secret　society　of　Greek　patriots　had　been　preparing

the　way　for　a　revolt。　Suddenly　they　hoisted　the　flag　of

independence　in　the　Morea　（the　ancient　Peloponnesus）　and　drove

the　Turkish　garrisons　away。　The　Turks　answered　in　the　usual

fashion。　They　took　the　Greek　Patriarch　of　Constantinople；

who　was　regarded　as　their　Pope　both　by　the　Greeks　and　by

many　Russians；　and　they　hanged　him　on　Easter　Sunday　of　the

year　1821；　together　with　a　number　of　his　bishops。　The　Greeks

came　back　with　a　massacre　of　all　the　Mohammedans　in

Tripolitsa；　the　capital　of　the　Morea　and　the　Turks　retaliated

by　an　attack　upon　the　island　of　Chios；　where　they　murdered

25；000　Christians　and　sold　45；000　others　as　slaves　into　Asia　and

Egypt。



Then　the　Greeks　appealed　to　the　European　courts；　but

Metternich　told　them　in　so　many　words　that　they　could　‘‘stew

in　their　own　grease；''　（I　am　not　trying　to　make　a　pun；　but　I

am　quoting　His　Serene　Highness　who　informed　the　Tsar　that

this　‘‘fire　of　revolt　ought　to　burn　itself　out　beyond　the　pale

of　civilisation）　and　the　frontiers　were　closed　to　those　volunteers

who　wished　to　go　to　the　rescue　of　the　patriotic　Hellenes。

Their　cause　seemed　lost。　At　the　request　of　Turkey；　an　Egyptian

army　was　landed　in　the　Morea　and　soon　the　Turkish　flag

was　again　flying　from　the　Acropolis；　the　ancient　stronghold　of

Athens。　The　Egyptian　army　then　pacified　the　country　‘‘a　la

Turque；''　and　Metternich　followed　the　proceedings　with　quiet

interest；　awaiting　the　day　when　this　‘‘attempt　against　the　peace

of　Europe''　should　be　a　thing　of　the　past。



Once　more　it　was　England　which　upset　his　plans。　The

greatest　glory　of　England　does　not　lie　in　her　vast　colonial

possessions；　in　her　wealth　or　her　navy；　but　in　the　quiet　heroism

and　independence　of　her　average　citizen。　The　Englishman

obeys　the　law　because　he　knows　that　respect　for　the　rights　of

others　marks　the　difference　between　a　dog…kennel　and　civilised

society。　But　he　does　not　recognize　the　right　of　others　to　interfere

with　his　freedom　of　thought。　If　his　country　does　something

which　he　believes　to　be　wrong；　he　gets　up　and　says　so

and　the　government　which　he　attacks　will　respect　him　and　will

give　him　full　protection　against　the　mob　which　to…day；　as　in

the　time　of　Socrates；　often　loves　to　destroy　those　who　surpass

it　in　courage　or　intelligence。　There　never　has　been　a　good

cause；　however　unpopular　or　however　distant；　which　has　not

counted　a　number　of　Englishmen　among　its　staunchest　adherents。

The　mass　of　the　English　people　are　not　different　from

those　in　other　lands。　They　stick　to　the　business　at　hand　and

have　no　time　for　unpractical　‘‘sporting　ventures。''　But　they

rather　admire　their　eccentric　neighbour　who　drops　everything

to　go　and　fight　for　some　obscure　people　in　Asia　or　Africa　and

when　he　has　been　killed　they　give　him　a　fine　public　funeral　and

hold　him　up　to　their　children　as　an　example　of　valor　and　chivalry。



Even　the　police　spies　of　the　Holy　Alliance　were　powerless

against　this　national　characteristic。　In　the　year　1824；　Lord

Byron；　a　rich　young　Englishman　who　wrote　the　poetry　over

which　all　Europe　wept；　hoisted　the　sails　of　his　yacht　and　started

south　to　help　the　Greeks。　Three　months　later　the　news　spread

through　Europe　that　their　hero　lay　dead　in　Missolonghi；

the　last　of　the　Greek　strongholds。　His　lonely　death

caught　the　imagination　of　the　people。　In　all　countries；　societies

were　formed　to　help　the　Greeks。　Lafayette；　the　grand　old

man　of　the　American　revolution；　pleaded　their　cause　in　France。

The　king　of　Bavaria　sent　hundreds　of　his　officers。　Money　and

supplies　poured　in　upon　the　starving　men　of　Missolonghi。



In　England；　George　Canning；　who　had　defeated　the　plans

of　the　Holy　Alliance　in　South　America；　was　now　prime　minis…

ter。　He　saw　his　chance　to　checkmate　Metternich　for　a　second

time。　The　English　and　Russian　fleets　were　already　in　the

Mediterranean。　They　were　sent　by　governments　which　dared

no　longer　suppress　the　popular　enthusiasm　for　the　cause　of　the

Greek　patriots。　The　French　navy　appeared　because　France；

since　the　end　of　the　Crusades；　had　assumed　the　role　of　the

defender　of　the　Christian　faith　in　Mohammedan　lands。　On　October

20　of　the　year　1827；　the　ships　of　the　three　nations　attacked

the　Turkish　fleet　in　the　bay　of　Navarino　and　destroyed　it。

Rarely　has　the　news　of　a　battle　been　received　with　such　general

rejoicing。　The　people　of　western　Europe　and　Russia　who

enjoyed　no　freedom　at　home　consoled　themselves　by　fighting

an　imaginary　war　of　liberty　on　behalf　of　the　oppressed　Greeks。

In　the　year　1829　they　had　their　reward。　Greece　became　an

independent　nation　and　the　policy　of　reaction　and　stability

suffered　its　second　great　defeat。



It　would　be　absurd　were　I　to　try；　in　this　short　volume；　to

give　you　a　detailed　account　of　the　struggle　for　national

independence　in　all　other　countries。　There　are　a　large　number　of

excellen