1790. flag, and its success had been at first brilliant AD. beyond all expectation. After several hazardous descents on the Asiatic coasts, and some triumphant actions with Turkish vessels, Lambro had attacked and taken possession of the Island of Zea, and established his head-quarters at the principal town, where he had even raised some forts and batteries, and stationed a strong garrison of Albanians. In the original plan of the campaign, as drawn up by the Suliots, it had been designed, that on the arrival of the stores promised by Russia, the national army was to be formed into two divisions, one of which was to advance upon Macedonia and Thessaly, whilst the other, after penetrating Livadia, and being joined by the Moreots, was to unite with the forces of Lambro at Negropont, and thence proceed North to the siege of Salonika.* This design was, however, unfortunately abandoned, in consequence of the total defeat and destruction of the Greek squadron on the 18th of May, 1790. Lambro had been attacked by seven Algerine corsairs, who had united with the Turkish vessels; his ships were overpowered by the numbers and superior weight of metal of his adversaries, and after a desperate defence, he escaped, with a few followers, in an open boat, his entire armaEton, p. 366. * 18. 1790. A.D. ment being sunk by the skilful fire of the corsairs. In this emergency, he was refused all assistance by the Russian agents, and at his own expense he fitted out a single ship, in which he again put to sea, still thirsting for freedom and revenge. So base, however, were the emissaries of Catharine, that they permitted him to be arrested for the debts he had thus incurred; but by a second subscription at Trieste and Venice, he was once more set at liberty, and returned to the Archipelago. Here his career was but brief; his force was too insignificant to be capable of any important exploit, and he was totally abandoned by his ungenerous allies. Even after a peace had been signed between the Empress and the Turks, he continued to infest the Ægean as a naval knight-errant, disclaimed by Russia and pursued by the Porte, till, in 1793, his vessel was destroyed, and he was compelled to fly for protection to the mountains of Albania, whence he subsequently retired to St. Petersburgh, and, according to Eton, obtained military rank in the service of the Czarina.* Rizo, pp. 114, 116. Lambro Canziani has (pp. 354, 368, 369.) * Annual Register, 1791, p. 93. Life of Catharine II. v. iii. p. 293. been extravagantly lauded by Eton, and as extravagantly abused by Thornton, (v. ii. p. 77.) A little moderation might reconcile the two statements. That pro However sincere might have been the fessions of Catharine to the Suliot deputies in 1790, her exertions in their behalf never extended beyond mere promises; every circumstance after that period seemed tending towards a peace with the Porte, and though the Greeks were desired to hold themselves in readiness to march towards the North, their services were never called for. Leopold II. who had succeeded to the crown of Austria on the decease of Joseph, was, from the moment of his accession, averse from a continuance of the war;* and England and Prussia had likewise become anxious for the pacification of he had a keen impatience of tyranny, and a strong passion for freedom, there can be no doubt; but still these will not of themselves form the perfect patriot of Mr. Eton, any more than his interruption of the trade of Turkey entitle Mr. Thornton to denominate him unqualifiedly a pirate. Owing to his education, and the natural habits of his countrymen, there is every reason to suppose that his perceptions of the rights of individuals was somewhat confused; but at the same time it must be admitted, that the laws of war gave a countenance to his proceedings in the Levant; and that, although he was disclaimed by Russia, at the peace of Yassi, in 1792, his countrymen had by no means consented to lay down arms simultaneously with Catharine, and were, in fact, in a state of actual hostility against the Turks for many years afterwards. * Coxe, v. ii. p. 668. He made peace with the Sultan at Sistovia, in 1791. A.D. 1790. 1790. A.D. the East. The Porte, alarmed by the successive losses of Koczim, Otchakof, Bender, and Ismail, was well disposed to come to terms; the convention of Reichenbach led the way to an accommodation, and a peace was finally A.D. concluded at Yassi, in Moldavia, on the 9th of Jan. January, 1792.* 1792. 9th. In this treaty, the stipulations of Russia, in Rus 1774, in favour of the Greeks, Wallachians, * Coxe, v. ii. p. 670. Eton, pp. 367, 369. Rizo, p. 124. tens' Recueil, &c. v. 5. p. 67. A second treaty between had already confirmed and extended the stipulations contained in that of Kainardji. See Martens, v. iii. p. 349. 66 Pour être regardé comme sujet Russe, il suffisait à un Chrêtien de mettre un chapeau sur sa tête, une patente dans sa porte-feuille, et un pavillion Russe à son bâtiment." -Rizo, p. 126. Pouqueville, Voy. v. vi. 1. xx. c. v. p. 306. 1792. powers. The circumstances of this second at- A.D. tempt of the Empress to excite the Greeks to rebellion, attest sufficiently the insincerity of her professed enthusiasm in favour of their country. The design of arming them against the Sultan, was merely a portion of her scheme for the conquest of Constantinople; it was a splendid veil cast over her projects of ambition, which, by giving them the air of a crusade in favour of religion and humanity, seemed in some slight degree to ensure, if not the concurrence, at least the neutrality of Europe.* In the present instance, the plans of the Greeks had been concerted and arranged with infinitely more talent and better prospects of success than in the insurrection of 1770. Their execution, likewise, was in the hands of men who had already ascertained their own strength, and who knew by experience the weakness of their enemies. Had Catharine employed their assistance in the early period of the war, whilst she was firmly supported by her Austrian allies; whilst her armies were everywhere victorious on the Danube, and Ouchakoff and the Prince of Nassau-Siegen were destroying the Ottoman navy in the Black Sea; the diversion which they would have created in the West, both by sea and land, must have proved highly prejudi Rabbe, Histoire de Russie, p. 673. |