New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-21
PUBLIC MEETINGS..
SOCIETY OF UNIVERSAL DEMOCRATIC REPUB-
LICANISh

NV YORK. Dec. Is. t-o3.
II col PonnTs- Dear Sir. A. have perceived that
IN acme quarters the natural sympathy enlisted with the
Turls their defense against the aggression Oh hlss
mod BY The supposi'lon ha. tne cs ca r. u =;
some measure at variance with the Interests 81 Pics.
iustjee venture to intrude few remarks to point ont
to Ittle Foundation there is for this opinion nnt how
il he impression that Russia in aoy way repre-
ssnis religious liberty true Christianity and how ussi
h would lie in any 70 identify the Turks with any
TuTfey in point Of religious federation il. 10 fact and
in deed has elgoys been far in edvsnce Of all Greek or
Roman Catholic countries. IL may even be ssid that
mot on ar with tie United States, it H. the whole
hardly, in this respect behind any country ia the ga
World, including England, sweden and Prussia la SPAN
Hberazed in religion % il has been since the time when
The father Of hc present. Queen was led by MS cOnepf
to sssist from Bis balcony in the act Of ath by "n,ssny
the burning alive Of the victims o the inqusionn sPan
Al The rresn day AZ the influence n Great Britain eN
srtd 10 secure simple right Of christian barA ipr ffo
t'isns The Pope who s.nd. ose. heIe ~, ~ ,a a. ~,
ynoms nj allow Professionals pubcpace Of worship how
ever humble within the walk Of Rome where they can
wor,br God according to the forms Of vast majority OF
the American PEOPLE In France, formerly the most oler
ant country Of the Old Wofd, but where CahoAcm has
oLtse ed ssc6ndency with the Gscenaency OF despptsn
VIC have recently Protestant congre CATION deprived
against a precedent and law, Of tie right to meet and
In Tn,c1nv fbe distribution Of Bible s penal, and
along The Isgn shores OF the Adriac not only the esiab
E,lmept Of Protestant bOufe Of worship or OF mosque
i not to be thought Of bat Nah IN nodln, coming
from the Turkish asst where Greeks PrDtesans Roman
faolss and Americans may build churches where they
Ia rs q M0AOInmtinn
isnd In Pruss vexatous supervision Is exercised BY
Government all religious ~eeds and the jews are
s Oppressed England It'll treats all churches except
herfavored Episcopal Church "a step Children ana has
only IN this generation repealed the Roman CatnOr De
Al tifs which Sweden l maintains Gnmindful That tho
fool,L intolerance of Proestantism succes'fuy
enul at but 0nly tend TO siren, the dangerous ana
epcrosohiDg Intolerance Of Rome.
Now, subject TO certain disabilities Turkey mas NJ All
finer permitted and protected oil forms OF religious wOr-
slin Uder the reign OF the past and present Sultans
these disabios tmlly amounted 70 me paymeh. by an
who were kuhommetans Of cap alton tax in Their
beng dobauod from The profession oi arms ana 10 iner
bi forbidden resort prOcesions or use church
bells which is still forbidden to all but the Orthodox IN
On the other hand Christians in Turkey not liable
like haionodans 20 military conscnpuoH 10 many parts
of DE empire for instance in Albania IN pats OF Turkish
Gree and in the lands settled by the Ia ish CJssacks
Cmitians go about armed 10 the teeth, license not ~
lid 10 he Christians Of Russia. Germany, Austria
Iay or Imperial France and furthermore, quite recently
that oaItuon ID abolished and the sultan Is at this
momoIt employ ing Christian corps OF volunteers In
Turkey there fore has always existed religious toeraon
tranm, lied Ly certain disabilities, which disabilities have
proresfyCy been decreasing whist in many instances
The suululcus reslecto the Porte of spe;a privileges
accorded TO the hctcrodox and the msche'"ls lntef-
frnoe by foreign governments nOleran 81 home in the
name OF religious liberation has cramped or impeied the
reforms which the Turkish Government honestly nenleu
For Instance formerly the evidence of Mahommedans
only was admitted in of law The constitution given
by lie Sultan admitted the evidence of all religious de
Nominations. Now in tie debased condition of Christian
ty i'm Turkey, whether Greek Roman Catholic or Arme
ninn II is notorious fact that half the Christian pOpu
aon mil ut be got to give any evidence require for dol
lar and that Witnesses might be procured al any hour IN
any street. any mans life or property away AT
the s9me lime they were made 70 Ieke 4a ogl'S se
that iis the only practical mode of introducing this
Teio lut in nearly every instance these dgnar os re-
fu.ed administer enforce that OATH and II the Turkish
authorities to Obgc them they appealed 10 the
Russian or French legations, who Immediately ntefered
with tlcir protection, raising the cry OF violated treaties
Bishops, strong in the protection OF Russia the
comIy OF France and nbeciity OF England arrested,
tl...~ attn usrI4 tha prQ-
ixt of eccesiasca discipline with arbitrary severity
which the letter end spirit of the IGRrtfnat iorbds the
highest Tuikh ofcul to- exercise toward TURK jew or
Christian.
Diplomacy and The Interference of self styled allies and
PRETENDED friends in fact forbade the Turk to extend TO
these his subjects the protection OF the law ana cons
tuition
Mount Athos to this day is covered with the dungeons
and prisons the Greek Church The horrors of these
places of captivity and punishment detailed to me
BY Greek priest the keeper of an inn in the famous
vale rather gorge of Tempe but who was for several
wears there Imprisoned for reading Protestant Bible,
and Who having escaped to Corfu back under the
protection Of a British passport
Greek resident in the neighbOring City OF Ambeiaka
pointed cut to me mOnastry in which hall dozen
calayeIs Or monks shared between them prncey re-
venue He related thst the Turkish Governor suggested
to the Greek population of his government that would
be well to apply the greatest part Of this overgrown wealth
in founding schools for their children Now redeeming
trait in the character Of the Greeks is their thirst OF know
ledge which gives their bishops much uneasin 81, and
which is stronger than their superstition They eagerly
adopted IL suggestion but the Bishop called on Rassia
tbe fmkeh Governor was rebuked the caayers continue
to aiten in their sye, and the unwilling Greek congrega
ton to vegeate in its ignorance
What religious intolerance does exist on the part OF
Turkey is the intolerance of laws regulations but Of
oIinonhe chief persecution of the Christian now Is the
IersecutiOn of contempt sBut this, arising partly from
Mehommodan prejudice partly from Christian dessert is
neither unaccountabe nor unmerited.
An impartial investigation of history forces us to admit
that the Greek and Cshoc forms of Christianity with
which the Tux formerly almost exclusively brought
in contact exhibited toward his creed degree Of noler
anCe and anatiCism far exceeding what he has ever
shown and which calculated TO foster If not originate
that which he has manifested. The Turks never made
bansmen death the alternative of conversion as Fer
dinand and Isabella did with Mahommedans ana jews or
as Louis NV did with the Huguenois In the past his
fereest popagsndsm left the choice between vassaase
and iuferioiIy adoption OF his creed.
In the present have endeavored to show the contrast
between his nduC toward Christians and the liberation
OF Catholic Governments toward him. but il moreover
only fair add that in Protestant countries II Is
objectionable whether he would find under other forms
as much intolerance of opinion he is guilty Of If he
came TO establish mosques IN London and New ork In
the next place HE ideas of Christianity derived from his
intercourse with native Roman Catholics and Greeks,
Identity in bis mind Christianitywh dirty habits thevng
lying treason rearhery and idol worship. Is 1t any
wonder then that in remote cities 1.-THE empire ana among
the ignorant boys, women and few fanatics VIII
still occasionally insult and anathemalise Christian inru
ders into the Turkish quarters for il Is only in certain
places and at certain times that this angry feeling any
VI ere finds VENT
Atle same time even this intolerance is rapidly dsaP
pesrrg and the Turk is slow where tho opportunity
tfoTdCd him, in peIcoiving and recognizing al least dit
ference htt~eon his Christian fellow subjects and higher
toned foreign Christians following pu-ei creed Dsbe
he in the Koran and in the Prophet dspcasng to him.
but his anger aversion pac pay reused by Idols
y and be cond the hinge worship OF The Roman
Callohc ard The picture worship OF the Greek But ne
looks on the lible with respect ant Christ as
prophet whose name his wrath sometimes kiadled -
think that idola0Is prOGne.
II .lsr. Ia obs