Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-30
ADDRESS

ADDRESS
Or The Committee appointed at General
Meeting, held in Philadelphia, Dec II,
1898, FOR The RELIEF OF THE GREEKs; to
their fellow citizens.
| The citizens of Philadelphia and its vic-
nifty, convened for the purpose of devising
means of evincng the public sympathy for
the oppressed people of Greece, have assign
ed tn us the duty of addressing YOU our fell
10" citizens, IN this most interesting subject.
| Under ordinary circumstances, We are a.
ware, the necessity might not exist, of urging
upon considerations of humanity because.
so far from closing your 10 the voice of
Distress or averting your eyes frum her bag
gard form, you have always caught her slight
csI whisper, and sought her in her most seclu
| dad retirement; have, unasked, healed and
clothed and fed the children of misfortune.
and raised their hopes from the dust, and
reared their dwellings from the ashes. Nor is
| II, we know, within the narrow circle of home
only, that your philanthrophy has been thus
"Xefted: distant cities, even distant countries
have already tasted of Your bounty. II could
not therefore be doubted, thar the syn.eatbv
for suffering Greece, so universally felt and
expressed, should also be productive of ths
fruit of charity. For, remote as she is, her cry
has heen echoed from the shores of these con-
tinents. and the blaze of her burning cities
glared across intervening seas. You have
viewed the destruction of her churches, and
the murder of the ministers of her religion.
and have shuddered as Christians YOU have
seen her soil devastated, and her sons trod-
den To The earth, and have glowed AS patriots;
you have beheld her children massacred her
matrons and maids dragged to slavery and
pollution, and have felt as men.
But there may be some among our fellow
citizens, who, from a conscientious adherence
to religious obligations, might be scrupuIous
IN besiowing the aid we solicit, lest il should
be applied To the furiherance Of warlike opera
ions In Greece while Others might shrink
from any participation in our labours. because.
IN their opinion, the aspect of our political af
fairs, in relation to Europe, gives an impor
lance 10 the act of any portion of the Amer-
can public having tendency to urge the go
sernment to the adoption of policy leading
10 hustiiitIes with foreign powers. To these
| "nlec'ions, however, ready, and, we trust, a
satisfactory answer, can be given. II need not.
and IL ought not To be concealed that the FIND
contemplated TO he raised, would be- appro-
priaied not only to the alienation of the dis
tresses of the non-cOmbatants of Greece, but
mar her warriors also would receive their
share of succour. But the arrangement made
IN reference to this subject, will it is hoped.
remove every difficulty. The committee have
Instructed those who collect donations. TO
make entries in books prepared for that exclu
sve purpose OF all sums or donations of what
ever kind, received from those who at the
time express their wish to that effect: and the
money or articles thus distinguished shall be
RENTED To Greece, for the sole purnose or1
contributing to the relief of private distress.
In other countries, the estimabIe class of
| Christians tn whom we allude, have been libe
raj IN their contributions in aid of the Greeks
| WIN us they nave been ever amongst the first
deeds of charity, and il may be hoped the,
VIII not lind any impeachment on this OCCASION
10 free exercise of their wonted beneGcence
Ii is true, likewise, that the meeting from
which we derive our powers, has instructed
ms To address memorial to the Congress of
the United States, on the subject of recoq
nitIon OF Grecian Independence. But This
measure can have no such tendency as seems
to be apprehended. The l41emoriai Is but IN
pray the government To take into considera-
ton the propriety of acknowledging the indie
pendence of the Greeks and already a pro-
position, having the same object, has been sub
mIited To Congress by one Of its members.
aud may probably be acted on before our me-
mortal reaches that body. And there is no
doubt, the government will decide on this sub
.ect with IFS accustomed prudence, although |
without any abatement of its characteristic |
irmness. Our policy has been openly declar |
ed, and viii not be lightly altered if such al |
teTaiion should incur the danger of exhaust;ng |
the national strength abroad, while the ron.
centratlon OF all its energies might be reuuir- |
ed in this hemisphere. IT, therefore the re-
cOgnition of GrcCan independence fakes
place, II cannot be by a departure from our
policy 1t will be because what is in accord |
aDce with the avowed sympathies of the 90
vernment, and with the general sentiment of
the people. Is also found to- be in strict con- |
tOrmlty with the true policy of the nation.
No, fellow citizens there is nothing which |
ought to prevent you, as men, as patriots. as
Christians, from afording your assistance to
the labour we are engaged TO- For ages the
unhappy Greeks have been tramped under
the feet oi their ierOciOus enslavers. They
have at length turned upon their opnressors, |
ana sIngle-handed dare TO contend for their |
natural inheritance. Surrounded by priya- !
tons Of every kind, amidst the Wondering
RUNS OF their habtati0ns, over the blackened |
corpses Of their relatives, they still have
fought, and still withstond the fearful odds /!
against them, and, at the end of their third |
campaign, rrNaln masters Of almost the en- |
ire Morca The governments of Europe have /
witnessed their struggle with Indifference, or
with selfish jealousy. Their senates have been |
lnsuIted, their hlOckades violated their can |
lures forced from them. Vessels under men.
trail Gags have degraded themselves into trans !
port ships for their enemies; and even go
'rrnment vessels Of that power, looked up io
as the bulwark of European freedom, have
sNllrd by their blazing islands in frgid neu
irahty, without hearing Of the supplcafpr
shricks Of the female victim, almost within
reach Of her ouistretched arms.
Greece c%Pec,s nothing from European