Επί δέκα χρόνια οι φιλελεύθεροι διεκδικούσαν τη διενέργεια ανόθευτων εκλογών, την καθιέρωση προσόντων στις προσλήψεις και την επιβολή αξιοκρατίας στις δημόσιες θέσεις. Ο νέος Γενικός Διοικητής Κρήτης Σαρτίνσκυ πασάς αποφάσισε να αντιταχθεί στο διεφθαρμένο καθεστώς των Συντηρητικών προχωρώντας σε απολύσεις των υπαλλήλων που σε ποσοστό 3/5 είχαν διορισθεί από αυτούς. Στις εκλογές που διενεργήθηκαν τον Απρίλιο του 1889 οι Φιλελεύθεροι κατήγαγαν συντριπτική νίκη. Οι συντηρητικοί δεν θέλησαν να αποδεχθούν την ήττα τους και στη συνεδρίαση του νομοθετικού σώματος της 6ης Μάϊου κατέθεσαν ψήφισμα, με το οποίο ζητούσαν την άμεση κήρυξη της Ένωσης με την Ελλάδα και κάλεσαν τους οπαδούς τους σε ένοπλες συναθροίσεις στα βουνά. Στην πραγματικότητα το κίνητρό τους ήταν η απομάκρυνση του Πολωνικής καταγωγής Σαρτίνσκυ, ο οποίος προχωρούσε σε απολύσεις της στρατιάς των υπαλλήλων, που είχαν μάλιστα διορισθεί σε θέσεις με ανύπαρκτο αντικείμενο.
Ήταν ένα κίνημα που έσερνε την ιδέα της Ένωσης στον «βόρβορο των κομματικών παθών, χρησιμεύουσα ως αντιπολιτευτικόν απλώς όργανον», όπως αναφέρει ο ίδιος ο Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος στο ιδιόγραφο κείμενό του για το πραξικόπημα του 1889. Ο Βενιζέλος, που είχε εκλεγεί βουλευτής με τους Φιλελεύθερους, αντιλήφθηκε αμέσως τους κινδύνους από το δημαγωγικό αυτό διάβημα και έσπευσε να το αποδοκιμάσει. Ο κομματικός αγώνας και τα «φλεγμονούντα πολιτικά πάθη», έγραψε, ωθούσαν την Κρήτη και πάλι σε έναν πρόωρο επαναστατικό αγώνα, από τον οποίο κινδύνευε να εξέλθει εξασθενημένη, ανίκανη να αγωνιστεί για την ένωση την κατάλληλη ώρα. Ο νεαρός βουλευτής πίστευε ότι επρόκειτο για ένα πραξικόπημα με αντεθνικούς, εν τέλει, στόχους και ότι η αντιδραστική μερίδα οδηγούσε την Κρήτη στο βάραθρο, ενώ παράλληλα επεδίωκε να εκθέσει στην κοινή γνώμη το Κόμμα των Φιλελευθέρων κατηγορώντας το ως δήθεν αντίθετο προς την ένωση.
Ο πρωθυπουργός Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης στην Αθήνα καταδίκασε αμέσως το πραξικόπημα ως αντεθνικό τονίζοντας ότι δεν επρόκειτο να σύρει τη χώρα πίσω από τυχοδιωκτικά κινήματα μόνο και μόνο για να αποφύγει τις κατηγορίες της αντιπολίτευσης ότι προδίδει την Κρήτη. Ο μεγάλος εκείνος πολιτικός πίστευε ότι η κρητική ηγεσία όφειλε να πειθαρχεί στα κελεύσματα της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης, διότι η αλυτρωτική πολιτική έπρεπε να είναι ενιαία και να εκπορεύεται από την Αθήνα.
Στο μεταξύ στην ελληνική πρωτεύουσα επικρατούσε πολεμικό κλίμα και ο αρχηγός της αντιπολίτευσης Θεόδωρος Δηλιγιάννης κατηγορούσε τον Τρικούπη ότι ξεπουλούσε την Κρήτη, ενώ ταυτόχρονα υποκινούσε διαδηλώσεις που κατέληγαν σε αιματηρές συγκρούσεις με την αστυνομία. Παράλληλα ο αντιπολιτευόμενος Τύπος εξαπέλυσε οχετό ύβρεων και συκοφαντιών κατά του Μεσολογγίτη πολιτικού αποκαλώντας τον «Εγγλέζο», όργανο δηλαδή των Άγγλων. Φυσικά ο Τρικούπης αρνήθηκε να υποκύψει στις πολεμικές κραυγές του πεζοδρομίου, των εφημερίδων και της αντιπολίτευσης. Ενώπιον της Βουλής ήταν κατηγορηματικός: η Ελλάδα ήταν στρατιωτικά ανέτοιμη για έναν πόλεμο με την Τουρκία και συνεπώς το Κρητικό ζήτημα δεν μπορούσε να αποκοπεί από το γενικότερο πρόβλημα του υπόδουλου ελληνισμού. Και τόνισε: «έχομεν την απαίτησιν [οι Κρήτες] να υποτάσσωνται εις την γνώμην ημών». Ήταν μια πολιτική ξεκάθαρη απέναντι στις λαϊκές χίμαιρες, τη δημαγωγική αντιπολίτευση και στην καταστροφική τακτική της ανεύθυνης ηγεσίας των Χανίων.
Οι Συντηρητικοί στην Κρήτη όχι μόνο αψήφησαν τις συμβουλές και τις οδηγίες της κυβέρνησης της Αθήνας και του ελληνικού προξενείου στα Χανιά, αλλά έφτασαν στο σημείο να αποκηρύξουν την ελληνική κυβέρνηση και να αναζητήσουν στήριγμα στο ρωσικό προξενείο στα Χανιά, ανακηρύσσοντας τη Ρωσία προστάτιδα της Κρήτης.
Η συνέχεια υπήρξε οδυνηρή. Η Κρήτη πλήρωσε με αίμα, τρομοκρατία, διωγμούς και καταστροφές το επιπόλαιο και δημαγωγικό κίνημα των Συντηρητικών. Το οθωμανικό καθεστώς έστειλε ισχυρές στρατιωτικές δυνάμεις, που χωρίς σοβαρή αντίσταση κατέστειλαν το κίνημα. Ταυτόχρονα επέβαλε τον στρατιωτικό νόμο και βρήκε μια ανέλπιστη ευκαιρία να αφαιρέσει τα προνόμια που είχε παραχωρήσει με τη Σύμβαση της Χαλέπας. Οι ανθρώπινες απώλειες και οι υλικές καταστροφές ήταν μεγάλες και έφεραν σε απόγνωση τον Κρητικό λαό. Η απογοήτευση και η πτώση του ηθικού οδήγησε αρκετούς Κρητικούς να αναζητήσουν ασφάλεια στη βρετανική προστασία. Άρχισε και πάλι να κερδίζει έδαφος η ιδέα η Κρήτη να γίνει βρετανικό προτεκτοράτο, προοπτική που προωθούσε ο Βρετανός πρόξενος στα Χανιά καθώς και ο αγγλικός Τύπος.
Hello there, just became aware of your blog
through Google, and found that it is truly informative.
I am gonna watch out for brussels. I will appreciate
if you continue this in future. Many people will
be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Im not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up!
I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later.
Cheers
You have mentioned very interesting details! ps nice internet
site. Travel blog
Very good information. Lucky me I found your site by chance (stumbleupon). I have book marked it for later.
I’ll be sharing this with my friends!
Such a unique way of explaining things!
A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment. I think that you ought to publish more about this issue, it might not be a taboo subject but typically people don’t speak about these issues. To the next! Kind regards.
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Cheers.
Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you, However I am experiencing difficulties with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I am unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting identical RSS issues? Anyone that knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
This blog was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Appreciate it.
Hi, I think your site could possibly be having web browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, wonderful website.
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn’t fail me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I actually thought you would have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you could possibly fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.
It’s hard to find educated people in this particular topic, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
I blog quite often and I really thank you for your information. This article has really peaked my interest. I will book mark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week. I subscribed to your Feed too.
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes which will make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
This is a topic that’s near to my heart… Best wishes! Where can I find the contact details for questions?
Everything is very open with a clear description of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful. Thank you for sharing!
This web site really has all the info I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Kudos!
Everything is very open with a very clear explanation of the challenges. It was really informative. Your site is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this information to him. Pretty sure he will have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!
I was more than happy to discover this site. I wanted to thank you for ones time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely savored every little bit of it and I have you saved to fav to look at new information on your site.
Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a top notch article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.
There’s certainly a great deal to learn about this topic. I like all of the points you made.
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t fail me as much as this one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I actually believed you’d have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you could fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.
I love looking through a post that will make men and women think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment.
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I think that you need to publish more on this topic, it may not be a taboo matter but generally people do not talk about such topics. To the next! Best wishes!
May I simply say what a relief to uncover somebody that truly knows what they’re talking about on the internet. You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people really need to read this and understand this side of your story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular since you definitely possess the gift.
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Many thanks for supplying this information.
This is the perfect web site for anybody who really wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that’s been discussed for many years. Wonderful stuff, just excellent.
Excellent post. I certainly appreciate this website. Stick with it!
There is definately a great deal to find out about this subject. I really like all the points you made.
You’ve made some decent points there. I checked on the net for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this website.
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always useful to read through content from other authors and use something from other sites.
Good day! I simply would like to offer you a huge thumbs up for the great info you’ve got right here on this post. I am returning to your web site for more soon.
Very good information. Lucky me I ran across your site by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later!
Howdy, There’s no doubt that your site could possibly be having web browser compatibility issues. Whenever I look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, great site.
I love reading through a post that will make people think. Also, thank you for allowing for me to comment.
This site certainly has all the information and facts I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Hello, I believe your website may be having internet browser compatibility problems. When I take a look at your site in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Besides that, wonderful website!
Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Many thanks, However I am going through difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know why I can’t join it. Is there anybody getting the same RSS problems? Anyone who knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanks!
That is a very good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Simple but very accurate info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!
Hey there! I just want to give you a big thumbs up for the great information you have got here on this post. I am coming back to your website for more soon.
Howdy! I just wish to offer you a big thumbs up for the excellent info you’ve got here on this post. I will be returning to your web site for more soon.
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who has been doing a little research on this. And he actually ordered me dinner because I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this issue here on your web page.
Hi, I do believe this is a great website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may come back once again since i have book-marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
It’s hard to come by well-informed people about this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
This is the perfect blog for everyone who wants to understand this topic. You know a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject which has been written about for many years. Great stuff, just wonderful.
Good blog you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find excellent writing like yours these days. I honestly appreciate people like you! Take care!!
There’s certainly a lot to learn about this subject. I really like all the points you’ve made.
I could not refrain from commenting. Very well written.
I was excited to find this site. I want to to thank you for ones time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to look at new information in your web site.
May I simply say what a comfort to find someone that genuinely understands what they’re talking about on the web. You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people really need to read this and understand this side of your story. I can’t believe you are not more popular since you surely have the gift.
You are so awesome! I don’t think I have read through anything like that before. So great to find another person with genuine thoughts on this subject matter. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is needed on the web, someone with some originality.
I blog frequently and I really appreciate your information. This great article has truly peaked my interest. I will take a note of your website and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.
I was able to find good information from your blog posts.
bookmarked!!, I like your website!