man sympathy, and therefore little fitted to deal with the wild
and democratic elements of the society it was his task to control. The
Greeks could understand the international status given to them by his
presidency, and for a while the enthusiasm evoked by his arrival made
him master of the situation. He thoroughly represented Greek sentiment,
too, in his refusal to accept the narrow limits which the powers, in
successive protocols, sought to impose on the new state (see GREECE).
But the Russian administrative system by which he sought to restrain the
native turbulence was bound in the end to be fatal to him. The wild
chiefs of the revolution won over at first by their inclusion in his
government, were offended by his European airs and Russian uniform, and
alienated by his preference for the educated Greeks of the Phanar and of
Corfu, his promotion of his brothers Viaro and Agostino to high commands
causing special offence. Dissatisfaction ended in open rebellion; the
islands revolted; Capo d'Istria called in the aid of the Russian
admiral; and Miaoulis, the hero of the Greek war at sea, blew up the
warships under his command to prevent their falling into the hands of
the government. On land, so far as the president was concerned, the
climax was reached with the attempt to coerce the Mavromichales of the
Maina, the bravest and most turbulent of the mountain clans, whose chief
Petros Mavromichales, commonly known as Petrobey, had played a leading
part in the War of Independence. The result was an insurrection in the
Maina (Easter, 1830), and the imprisonment of those of the
Mavromichales, including Petrobey, who happened to be in the power of
the government. At the news of their chieftain's imprisonment the
Mainots, who had for a while been pacified, once more flew to arms and
threatened to march on Nauplia; but negotiations were opened, and on the
advice of the Russian minister Petrobey consented to make his submission
to the president. Unhappily, when he was brought under guard to the
appointed interview, Capo d'Istria, in a moment of irritation and
weariness, refused to see him. Maddened with rage at this insult from a
man who had not struck a blow for Greece, the proud old chief, on his
way back to prison, called out to two of his kinsmen, his son George and
his brother Constantino, "You see how I fare," and passed on. According
to the code of the Maina this was a command to take revenge. Next day,
the 9th of October