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

CAPODISTRIAS BELIES ON RUSSIA 357
and towards the President. The action of the Russian
admiral was naturally resented by the other members
of the Triple Alliance ;
and even the Russian Resident
had, for form's sake, to reprimand the admiral for exceeding
his instructions. But the antagonistic interests
of the three ' allies ' were now clearly defined ;
and
while the Opposition felt that they could reckon upon
the support of France and England, Capodistrias
threw off all disguise, and openly avowed his dependence
upon the goodwill and the assistance of Russia.
The French officers of the Greek regular troops, who
had expressed their disgust at the devastation of Poros,
were dismissed, and their places filled
by Russians.
The Greek fleet, too, being now destroyed, Capodistrias
did not hesitate to appeal for aid to the Russian
admiral, and even proposed
that Russian officers
should be placed on board such Hellenic ships as still
remained.
At the request of the President, Admiral
Ricord now sailed to blockade Hydra and Syra;
and
the French and English frigates followed to prevent
hostilities. For their part, the Greek islanders, who
ever since the treaty of Kainardji
in 1774 had been
accustomed to sail under the Russian flag,
now tore
this down, and hoisted the revolutionary tricolour.
Capodistrias now announced his intention of summoning,
pour dcs raisons majcures, the National As-