Ali Pacha | Page 9

Argyro-Castron. This union, happy
on both sides, gave him, with one of the most accomplished women in
Epirus, a high position and great influence.
It seemed as if this marriage were destined to wean Ali forever from his
former turbulent habits and wild adventures. But the family into which
he had married afforded violent contrasts and equal elements of good
and mischief. If Emineh, his wife, was a model of virtue, his
father-in-law, Capelan, was a composition of every vice--selfish,
ambitious, turbulent, fierce. Confident in his courage, and further
emboldened by his remoteness from the capital, the Pacha of Delvino
gloried in setting law and authority at defiance.
Ali's disposition was too much like that of his father-in-law to prevent
him from taking his measure very quickly. He soon got on good terms
with him, and entered into his schemes, waiting for an opportunity to
denounce him and become his successor. For this opportunity he had
not long to wait.
Capelan's object in giving his daughter to Tepeleni was to enlist him
among the beys of the province to gain independence, the ruling

passion of viziers. The cunning young man pretended to enter into the
views of his father-in-law, and did all he could to urge him into the
path of rebellion.
An adventurer named Stephano Piccolo, an emissary of Russia, had just
raised in Albania the standard of the Cross and called to arms all the
Christians of the Acroceraunian Mountains. The Divan sent orders to
all the pachas of Northern Turkey in Europe to instantly march against
the insurgents and quell the rising in blood.
Instead of obeying the orders of the Divan and joining Kurd Pacha,
who had summoned him, Capelan, at the instigation of his son-in-law,
did all he could to embarrass the movement of the imperial troops, and
without openly making common cause with the insurgents, he rendered
them substantial aid in their resistance. They were, notwithstanding,
conquered and dispersed; and their chief, Stephano Piccolo, had to take
refuge in the unexplored caves of Montenegro.
When the struggle was over, Capelan, as Ali had foreseen, was
summoned to give an account of his conduct before the roumeli-valicy,
supreme judge over Turkey in Europe. He was not only accused of the
gravest offences, but proofs of them were forwarded to the Divan by
the very man who had instigated them. There could be no doubt as to
the result of the inquiry; therefore, the pacha, who had no suspicions of
his son-in-law's duplicity, determined not to leave his pachalik. That
was not in accordance with the plans of Ali, who wished to succeed to
both the government and the wealth of his father-in-law. He
accordingly made the most plausible remonstrances against the
inefficacy and danger of such a resistance. To refuse to plead was
tantamount to a confession of guilt, and was certain to bring on his
head a storm against which he was powerless to cope, whilst if he
obeyed the orders of the roumeli-valicy he would find it easy to excuse
himself. To give more effect to his perfidious advice, Ali further
employed the innocent Emineh, who was easily alarmed on her father's
account. Overcome by the reasoning of his son-in-law and the tears of
his daughter, the unfortunate pacha consented to go to Monastir, where
he had been summoned to appear, and where he was immediately

arrested and beheaded.
Ali's schemes had succeeded, but both his ambition and his cupidity
were frustrated. Ali, Bey of Argyro-Castron, who had throughout
shown himself devoted to the sultan, was nominated Pacha of Delvino
in place of Capelan. He sequestered all the property of his predecessor,
as confiscated to the sultan, and thus deprived Ali Tepeleni of all the
fruits of his crime.
This disappointment kindled the wrath of the ambitious Ali. He swore
vengeance for the spoliation of which he considered himself the victim.
But the moment was not favourable for putting his projects in train.
The murder of Capelan, which its perpetrator intended for a mere crime,
proved a huge blunder. The numerous enemies of Tepeleni, silent under
the administration of the late pacha, whose resentment they had cause
to fear, soon made common cause under the new one, for whose
support they had hopes. Ali saw the danger, sought and found the
means to obviate it. He succeeded in making a match between Ali of
Argyro-Castron, who was unmarried, and Chainitza, his own sister.
This alliance secured to him the government of Tigre, which he held
under Capelan. But that was not sufficient. He must put himself in a
state of security against the dangers he had lately, experienced, and
establish himself on a firm footing' against possible accidents. He soon
formed a plan, which he himself described to the French Consul in the
following words:--