'the ancient religion of the country, should ensure the safety of all who should there utter their opinions ; if from such a sanctuary there should issue printed papers, which, by the affixing of a certain seal, should acquire an equal title to inviolability, and which, in their daily appearances, should freely exa'mine and comment on the conduct of the Cadis, the Pachas, the Vizirs, and the Sultan himself; the inevitable consequence of such a combination of cir'cumstances would be the establishment of liberty.'

I am,

Your most devoted servant,

L. S."

The following is the prospectus which I have drawn up :

"THE Greeks, resolved to be free, should be enlightened. This will be best effected by opening the channels of knowledge and placing before their minds all the intelligence of the nineteenth century. To this end nothing is so conducive as the unrestricted publication of men's thoughts. Some patriots, strongly impressed with this conviction, have undertaken to conduct a journal, to be entitled,

THE ATHENS FREE PRESS.

The motto to be prefixed to it is as follows:

66

Publicity is the Soul of Justice."

The editors, in selecting this motto, have implied the vast importance which they attach to publicity. Without it, the people must remain ignorant of the proceedings of the senate, and incapable of judging of

the conduct of their representatives; they are kept in the dark concerning the administration of the laws and the character of their judges; and the wealth and the revenue of the nation, which is the produce of their labour, may be extorted from them and squandered away in luxury and corruption. By far the most effectual means of giving publicity to all acts is through the medium of the press, because it embraces the whole field of government, and gives to our ideas the widest extent of circulation.

We are friendly to free discussion, and hold, that opinions, though erroneous, when well canvassed and digested, tend to the ultimate advancement of truth. Insertion will therefore be given in "The Athens Free Press" to every well written article, however at variance with our own opinions. Men of all parties acknowledge that the peasantry, and the mass of the Greeks, are virtuous. Now, virtue is the essential characteristic of a free people. We shall, therefore, maintain the fundamental principles of the constitution and the commonwealth. The elective franchise we desire to see extended in its widest sense, as at Athens, and the public functionaries selected from amongst the most honest, active, intelligent, and patriotic of our citizens. The laws, we contend, should be plain and comprehensive; and justice openly, speedily, and cheaply administered. We shall watch with a jealous eye the conduct of our public functionaries, especially of our ministers, judges, generals, and prefects. Upon the virtue of these great officers of state depend our success in war, and the enforcement of the constitution and the laws. We shall endeavour to do justice to our army and

navy, by recording their acts.

triumphed over an empire that

Unaided, they have

has often foiled the

powerful states of Europe, and have established in Greece a free constitution. Their deeds stand unri

valled, even by those of their great ancestors. Το nothing can they be compared, but to the realization of an epic poem, or of a dream. Foreigners we shall watch---their words, their looks, their actions, shall not escape us. If they come hither to intrigue, they shall be exposed; if to advance our interests, honoured. We are in favour of foreign settlers. They will bring with them capital, knowledge, industry, and civilization. They will advance our agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and, by so doing, they will promote our wealth. All our exertions shall be used to further the establishment of museums, of agricultural, horticultural, and other societies; but they shall, above all things, be directed towards the formation of schools, and of a body of instructors for the diffusion of education among the people.

With all the power of the press,-a power that must ultimately enforce truth and a virtuous course of government, we shall endeavour to promote union among the Greeks. Disunion paralyzes the efforts of our government and of our warriors; it ruins our agriculture, our commerce, and our credit; and it inflicts on our good people poverty, disease, starvation, and death. Turks triumph in our disunion; it is their only hope. Despots triumph in our disunion; it lays our country open to their avarice and to their lust of domination; perhaps to ages of dark bondage, like those which our fathers have lingered through in anguish.

With respect to foreign politics, we wish Greece to remain in amity with all nations, and to see them prosper, in order that we may benefit by their intercourse. The Athens Free Press' will be published twice every week. The subscription to it will be three dollars per annum. Those who wish to have this journal will be pleased to address themselves to

As the merits and success of a newspaper depend chiefly on those who contribute their thoughts and intelligence, the editors solicit the mental aid of all well-informed Greeks towards the furtherance of their undertaking."

I propose to give one of the lithographic presses to the representative body, and the other to the Ipsariots. Of all the islands, Ipsara is said to be the best governed, and the freest. From it intelligence may be spread far-even to Turkey.

I hope to reach you soon after this letter. My health is feeble, and my work is nearly finished.

Yours,

L. S.

I shall send you my correspondence-book; remember that it was written at full speed.

LETTER LXII.

TO THE SAME.

L. S.

My dear B.

Napoli di Romania, 9th April, 1824.

NAPOLI being in a state of blockade and the

French commodore not having been allowed to commu

nicate with that place, on account of his being desirous to carry off from thence a Turkish bey, the Greek Admiral requested of Capt. Clifford to observe the same rule. I was, therefore, obliged to address a letter to Pano, relative to the Committee's articles in his possession, and to forward it by land. I received a civil answer, and was told that I might have the property, provided I would send an English boat for it. The next day the French fleet sailed. I then made for Napoli, and after some difficulty obtained the things.

Pano Colocotroni behaved towards me with politeness. I said he was in error in conceiving that his enemies had prejudiced me against him. They had, on the contrary, spoken in his praise, and impressed me with a favourable opinion of his merits. I told him that I had just published a letter in the "Ami des Lois," in which I had defended England and myself against the charge of wishing to purchase the Morea, and was now come among my accusers to be judged. Pano wondered; Metaxa, who was present, looked abashed, and the rest of the company laughed heartily. Pano and Metaxa repeatedly offered to rest the decision of their cause on my judgement. I told them that I was a foreigner, and would never interfere more in their concerns than I thought a Greek should do in the affairs of England. They offered to take me round the fortress. I cautioned them that I was going direct into the enemy's camp. I told them that I was so shallow a diplomatist that I had never been able to discover the political cause that divided Greece. They said that there Pano said I was a good Philhellene. I replied that I was neither Greek nor Philhellene, for I

was none.