Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

THE HETAIRIA 147between Capo d'Istria and Alexander IpsilantL The formerwas a diplomatist, the latter a soldier. Capo d'Istria declinedto mix himself up in the matter, at least openly,because his master, the Emperor Alexander, was unwillingto appear as the protector of the Hetairia . Ipsilanti undertookits direction ; and as soon as it was known that he haddone so, the hopes of the conspirators of the eventual supportof Russia rose to fever-heat, and Ipsilanti in 1820 found itadvisable to leave St . Petersburg and go to Odessa, to bemore in the centre of the movement . But though a soldier,he was no general, and allowed himself to be carried awayby the enthusiasm he saw around him . Though contributionsin cash came in so slowly that he had to makeprivate loans, he lost none of his confidence . In July beappointed Georgakis commander of the "army of theDanube," and Perrhavos chief of the "army of Epirotes."He himself intended to enter the Peloponnesus, and to setup at Maina the standard of independence, fancying thatthe Peloponnesus was a fortified camp, outnumbering insoldiers the Turkish contingents . But he was soon convincedof this error, and he was advised to make his firstattempt against the Turkish power in the Danubian principalities; and though other counsellors rejected this proposal,lpsilanti decided to adopt it, guided by the fact that thetreaties between Russia and the Porte forbade the entryof an army into the Principalities, unless with the consentof both parties . Should the Porte, in consequence of the,Hetairist rising, send .troops to Bucharest, Russia would bebound to support the Greeks .530 . Ipsilanti's Proceedings .-Further hesitation becameimpossible . A certain Asimakis, a member of the Hetairia,in conjunction with the brother of the murdered Galatis,betrayed to the Turkish police all the details of the conspiracy.Kamarinos, who had been to St. Petersburg, onhis return publicly revealed the futility of Russian promises ;to silence him the Hetairists had him assassinated . Theyalso endeavoured to take advantage of the quarrel which hadbroken out between Ali Pasha and the Sultan, whose besttroops were then occupied in besieging Janina, Ali Pasha'scapital . Ali, being sorely pressed by the Turks, promisedthe Hetairia his help, their cause being his-the overthrow ofthe Sultan . The Suliotes, also, his ancient enemies, werewon over by him, partly in consequence of the bad treatmentthey received from the Turks, whose side they had at firstadopted, and partly because their leaders were initiated