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

364 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
join the Russian admiral before Poros. It
was impossible
for them, under the circumstances, to dissociate
themselves entirely from the action of their colleague;
and they now combined with him to demand the withdrawal
of Miaoulis.
They had, however, no authority
to use force;
and, when the Hydriot
admiral refused
to obey, they returned to ^Tauplia to ask for instructions,
having first obtained a promise from both
Miaoulis and Admiral Ricord that neither of them
would take action during their absence.
To the Residents of the Western Powers it seemed
that, however technically wrong the action of Miaoulis
may have been, morally he was in the right; they
were jealous, moreover, of the attitude of Russia in
the matter;
and they refused to have anything to do
with measures of coercion. Ultimately a compromise
was agreed upon. The Hydriot admiral was to be
summoned, in the name of the Triple Alliance, to surrender
the property of the State; but Capodistrias, on
his side,
was to announce a general amnesty,
and to
promise once more to convene the National Assembly.
With these instructions, Captains Lalande and Lyons
sailed on the 12th of August for Poros.
Meanwhile, however, Capodistrias had sent a letter
overland by a swift messenger, explaining the state of
affairs to the Russian admiral, and bidding him strike