In general, it is true, the plotting and intriguing which permeated the country were too fatuous to be dangerous. But every now and then they took on formidable shape. In November, 1919, a carefully organized military conspiracy at Athens only miscarried through the indiscretion of a trusty but tipsy sergeant. Among the letters intercepted and produced at the trial was one from a Royalist exile in Italy to another at home. The writer, a lady, reported her brother as wondering how anybody in Greece could fail to understand that there no longer existed such things as a Government and an Opposition, but only tyrants and tyrannized over, who worked, the former to maintain their arbitrary authority, the latter to shake it off and recover their liberty. The work of neither could, in the nature of things, be carried on according to any constitutional rule or law. He went on to argue that, under such conditions, deeds which would otherwise be crimes were justified and even glorified by history as unavoidable fulfilments of a patriotic duty: force must be met by force.[9]
So the national demoralization inaugurated by foreign pressure went on being promoted by domestic tyranny; and of cure there was no hope. Good men would not associate themselves with the Venizelist regime, because it was bad; and even men by no means notorious for goodness shunned it, not because it was bad, but because they were shrewd enough to perceive it was too bad to last.
[1] For the full text of the Speech, see The Hesperia, 10 Aug., 1917.
[2] The Morning Post, 9 Aug., 1917.
[3] Speech from the Throne.
[4] It also brought to light documents of real historic value, such as the dispatches included in the White Book (Nos. 70 foll.).
[5] Rapport officiel de la Commission mixte des indemnités, Paris, 1919.
[6] Jonnart, p. 183: "A clean sweep in Greece."—The Daily Chronicle, 2 July, 1917—an outline of M. Venizelos's programme.
[7] There have been usurpers, like Oliver Cromwell, who managed to temper tyranny with probity; but their cases are exceptional and their success only a matter of degree.
[8] An article of this kind was found in his house after the fighting of 2 Dec., 1916.