Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/594

 556 Readings in European History enjoyed during many centuries ; nor have we ever ceased in Hellas to defend these rights by arms whenever opportu- nity offered. Building upon the foundation of our natural rights, and desiring to assimilate ourselves to the rest of the Christians of Europe, our brethren, we have begun a war against the Turks, or rather, uniting all our isolated strength, we have formed ourselves into a single armed body, firmly resolved to attain our end, to govern ourselves by wise laws, or to be altogether annihilated, believing it to be unworthy of us, as descendants of the glorious peoples of Hellas, to live hence- forth in a state of slavery fitted rather for unreasoning ani- mals than for rational beings. Ten months have elapsed since we began this national war; the all-powerful God has succored us; although we were not adequately prepared for so great an enterprise, our arms have everywhere been victorious, despite the power- ful obstacles which we have encountered and still en- counter everywhere. We have had to contend with a situation bristling with difficulties, and we are still engaged in our efforts to overcome them. It should not, therefore, appear astonishing that we were not able from the very first to proclaim our independence and take rank among the civilized peoples of the earth, marching forward side by side with them. It was impossible to occupy ourselves with our political existence before we had established our independence. We trust these reasons may justify, in the eyes of the nations, our delay, as well as console us for the anarchy in which we have found ourselves. . . . Epidaurus, January |f, 1822: the First Year of Independence. The first signal disturbance of the arrangements made by the Congress of Vienna was the revolt of the former Austrian Netherlands from the rule of the king of Holland, to whom the Congress had assigned them. The creation of the present kingdom of Belgium is