The Litchfield County post., 1827-02-09
THE SUFFERING GREEKS

we have been favored with the follow
ing extract from letter, written by the
Rev. JONAS KING, Qate a Missionary in
Palestine, but now in France to MIR. Ev-
ARTS, orresponding Secretary of the A.
merican Board Of Commissioners for For
eign Missions. We take this occasion to
remind our readers, that eleven Greek
youths, FIVE of them members of, Colleges
in New-England, are now receiving an
education in this country, with view to
their future usefulness when they shall re-
turn to the land of their ancestors.
". Y. Spec.
elf the people in America could see UNI
happy Greece, sitting in dust, in the midst
Of her ancient grandure, stretching out her
hands, as it were towards happy America;
could they hear her sighs,-could they
behold the sorrows of her thousands and
tens Of thousands in captivity Il am sure
they would extend their helping hand.
But alas-the sufferings of distant nation
make but slight impression on the heart.
The signs, that are borne along on the east
ern gale across the wide Atlantic, die away
before they reach the western world :; or
light but feebly on the ears of those, who,
in that happy country, sit peacefully and
quietly under their own vine and fig
tree, without any to modest or make them
afraid.
"That twelve millions of freemen, who
justly hailed La Fayette, with unexampled
joy, because, in his youth he left his coun-
try and joined our immortal Washington in
the cause of freedom, should contribute no
more, than forty thousand dollars, to aid
nation, struggling for the dearest rights
of man-for liberty, for life two frig-
ates (which, were they sent might even now
save Greece) should be left upon the stocks,
or one be sold to defray the expense
of the other, is to me a matter of
surprise.
"A remark was made to me "a fewmonths
since by very respectable gentleman,
which struck me very much. sWhat, said he,
lis the object of your Bible Socties Is it
not to distribute the word of God among
Mussulmans and Pagans,to bring them
to the knowledge of the truth, and to en-
brace Christianity How few are you able
to distribute among Mussulmans. But here
you see fifty or hundred thousand Greeks,
women and children, led into captivity, to
be taught the Koran, to be trained up as
Mussulmans-who are ready to receive
the Sacred Scriptures, who already be-
lieve in Christ-who now sigh to return
to the religion of the Gospel; and you
stand and look on, and no. one appears to
redeem them. 1t is the duty of the friends
and patrons of the Bible Society to pour
out their treasures, for the redemption of
those captives, if they wish to do good.'
~ must confess, that there is something
in this remark, that looks like reason, and
l am astonished, that Christians and free
men feel so little,or if they feel do so little,
for suffering nation.
sit is said, The Greeks are all pirates. >
That there are piratical Greeks, I have
had abundant evidence, in the loss of nv
own properly. The Greek government
does not approve of piracy. But how can
Greece, when struggling for life, not only
against the Turks, but the Austrians II
say how can she spare vessels from her
little navy, to go and destroy her pirates ?
1t seems to me thing not to be expected
Ia thing impossible.
ut IS said, The Greeks are divided.
That they are not united as they should he
| am ready to grant. But it appears to
me that there must have been some bond
of unity some where to enable them tc
Withstand, for more than FIVE years, the u.