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

334 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
traded the attention of the Powers, for the time, from
the affairs of Greece.
Unpopular as the protocol of the 3rd of February
was, it contained, however, one provision which was
highly acceptable to the Greeks, that, namely, which
designated
their future ruler.
In the matter of the
appointment of a prince, Capodistrias had been playing
a dark and diplomatic game. There seems little
doubt that he was himself ambitious of becoming the
ruler of Hellas;
and the ambition would have been
perfectly justified. He seemed, however, quite incapable
of using open and straightforward means for
the attainment of an object, when underhand and
crooked methods could be employed. He had publicly
proclaimed his anxiety for the speedy appointment of
a king;
in his private memoranda to the Powers and to
the ambassadors he had frequently expressed the same
opinion;
and he had himself proposed the name of
Prince Leopold to the conference of ambassadors at
Poros.
Yet now that the appointment seemed about
to be realised, he did everything, short of open protest
and resistance, to make it impossible.
The Opposition had long been casting about for
some effective means of embarrassing the Government;
and the popular enthusiasm aroused by the
nomination of their new prince appeared to them to