A CASE FOR THE SNUFFERS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 675, 22 April 1869, Page 4

A CASE FOR THE SNUFFERS.

(Tomahawk, 23rd January.) We are hearing on all sides just now a good deal about Greece, so much in fact that we, probably in common with hundreds of others with an enquiring turn of mind, have referred to our volume of statistics with the view of •' getting it up." With the Conference before us and the recent bombast of the Athenian Government fresh in our memory, we confess to having given way to a feeling, of relief and surprise on coming across a few actual facts about this new disturber of European peace. Let us go through one or two methodically, and, if we can seriously. Let us take the population first. Greece, then, is a " maritime country and kingdom in the east of Europe, &c, &c, &c, containing, including the lonian Islands, a population of " now for it—- " 1,343,293 inhabitants!" or not quite half the population of London. Proceeding to the revenue, we find that it amounts to the enormous figure of or about twice the sum raised in this country annually by the snuff and tobacco duties. With regard to the estimated expenditure we would rather not commit ourselves; but as it is set down at a trifle under the above modest figure, we may conclude, judging from our past experience of Greek financial matters, that 2,000,000 might cover it. As to the imports and exports, their total value is less than that shown by Portugal; while, if we come to the figures connected with the military and naval departments, the whole thing reads more like an official list of the time-honored Astley's forces than anything else. In short, Greece, as a power in Europe, is merely, if it is anything, a burlesque pur et simple of what it apes. It is, therefore a most reasonable thing to express surprise at the tremendous bluster that has recently reached us through telegraphic messages and foreign correspondence from the east of Europe. The Greek question, associated as it is with what |s Attic, may be said not so much tu be a storm in a tea-cup, as a whirlwind in a salt-cellar. Now it is supposed to be a liberal thing to -cry up the Greek in his quarrel with the Turk, but there is no popular supposition that is based on a more radical error or on a greater misconception of the real facts of the case. Hitherto, in almost every point, the gingerbred and insolvent Government, that, under the mismanagement of a ])oy king, swaggers about, and talks big things of Crete, has been entirely in the wrong. The Turk is the man who ought to feel aggrieved, and, feeling so, command the sympathies of liberal and enlightened Europe. Not only is the Sultan in the right, but he rules a powerful Empire of 37,000,000 souls, commands an army of 500,000 well equipped troops, and has resources at his back that well might make even an influential Western power pause before it made its choice for war. It is in the face of such odds as these that the most insignificant of European States is allowed to get on stilts, make use of threatening ajd offensive epithets, violate all international law, and jeopardize the public peace. If we can conceive the Isle of Wight invading Hampshire, and declaring war against the British empire, we have some sort of picture of what is now in progress in the East. Things look black when any mischievous and incorrigible boy gets hold of gunpowder and half blows up his nursery, But, there is a method of stopping fun like this, a method which, unfortunately, has been as yet neglected in this case. Still occasion may arise, and then we hope be used unsparingly. Little and bad Governments, like little and bad boys, require the birch.