The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-18

the accustomed ceremonial, with the exception Of
the henedicton, the priest not daring to hold out
hsnd,' said Alexander, quietly, but the in.imidated
priest remained mOtionless Then, Alexander angrly
exclaimed, will you give me your hand, fool,
(doarak) I" The trembling priest obeyed.
Such then, is the Russian church-such Is that
church whose protectorate is sought to be imposed
upon the Greeks, subjects Of the Sultan-a naughty
prctenson which nothing justfes, either the records
Of history, or political or religious right. Has the
daughter of the Church Of Constantinople- it is
she that has Systematically torn herself away from
the latterthat 1t is from that same Church Of Con-
stantnople up to the end OF the sixteenth century,
che received her Patrarchs who have never occupied
but The fifth rank in the Oriental hierarchy. Has
she then forgotten that at the very instant when she
could have assembled to the highest step OF supre-
macy, she suddenly fell, Peter the Great having
broken the link that bound the daughter to the
mother by secularizng in his person the patriarchal
dignity2
But this is precisely the title that is sought to be
81 he
right to extend his sceptre over the head OF the
Sultan, that he may reach those Of his fellow-be-
levers in Turkey II this principle were admitted,
why would not the Catholic Emperor OF the French
project against Leopold and against Frederic, the
Catholics of Belgium and Germany Why would
he not call the Emperor of Russia himself to account
for his treatment Of the Catholics Of Poland?
All il the Russian Church carried in herself that
character of elevated science Of venerable morality,
which call forth respect; it. by the extent of her i'm
munities, the briancy Of her privileges, she really
ruled that other church whose ttorshp she requires
her pretensions might to some extent be mderstOod
but church reduced to the condition of corpse;
church which scarcely succeeds in defending against
the subterranean efforts Of sect her interior unity
church whose every minister is serf Of the throne
whose almost every minister is type Of ignorance
and iamCrality, church where smony is q normal
regimen, where religion is but a confused mass
Of vain formulas and ridiculous superstitions;
where the administration Of the sacrament is but
parody where the word Of Christ meets with no echo
and awakens no conscience /; should not such
church as this. instead Of aiming at protectoship,
rather seek for protector? What, then is the snare
that the Cars Of Russia have for 80 many years
sought to lay for the West? It is true that as soon
as they are discovered they hasten to find deusve
pretext and take refuge in the question Of the Holy
Land But even there, are they treading safe
ground7 What title have they to the privileges which
they claim to possess in the case of Jerusalem? Have
they bled to snatch the sepulchre of Christ from the
bands of infdels? Alas! while the men of Western
Europe were flying to the crusades, the Russians,
crouchDg down under the yoke of the Tartar, kissed
the stirrups of their lords and licked from the dust
the drops of milk fallen from the cup which they
were forced to present to their naughty masters.