THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE 1821 TO 1833 BY W.ALISON PHILLIPS 1897

PAKTY FEUDS 123
primates: Zaimis, Karalampos,
and Metaxas. A fifth
place was not filled up, and was reserved for a representative
of the islands. Kolokotrones, however, with
threats of violence, obtained the vacant place for himself.
He attempted also to secure the election of his
creature, Deliyanni, to the presidency of the legislative
committee ;
and when this was filled by the choice
of Mavrocordatos, he broke out in uncontrollable fury.
The Phanariot, with his spectacles, his swallowtail
coat, his European airs, and his talk of constitutional
government, was an object of loathing to the savage
old
'
Klepht. I won't allow you to be '
president he
!
cried.
'
If you accept, I will follow you step by step,
and throw dirt at that fine European get-up of
yours! ' *
Kolokotrones now saw that, unless he appealed to
arms, his influence in the Government would be lost.
For a time, indeed, he and the other military chiefs
submitted, grumbling; but on the 10th of April, a
fresh aggression on the part of the civilians precipitated
the crisis. It was now decided by the Assembly
to deprive Kolokotrones of the supreme military command,
and to vest this in a committee of three. This
was but one more example of the unwisdom of making
offensive proposals which there is no possibility of
i
Mendelssohn, i. 311.