The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-27

meeting has already been satisfactorily stated to you in
he call which has ust been read. II there any
people in the world who have right to call for the ex
ercse md indulgence Of religious liberty In foreign lands
1t Is the people Of the United States You cannot walk
in any Of the public streets Of this city without seeing
evidences Of the beaty which extend to the people
Of foreign rations Their people come kere for tbs pur
poses OF busir for the purpose Of recreatonin
other DatoIs visit foreign countries. You hear al
most all the laDgu Of Europe spoken 10 street,
and those people have full sery to engage In al the
rous branches OF commerce and OF the arts AID havs
equally the privilege OF Worship their God according
to the dictates OF their Coincidence without any
srcon whatever And We think that pso ,e OF this
country ought receive similar privileges Ia those
tiors that derive those important benefits in oar
own country ApplAuse We wish to plaza TIL. sub.
Congress that the subjsct may receive from our ~
that attention which its Importance deervss
station Of respectabity and OF imp rtAnos among the
different nations OF the earth to entitle government
when they AXE call Of this kind on the various nations
in the world to have that call ed and carried into
tsct (Applause) have new stated the geae. Il pur
poses Of our assembling here to night The meeting will
be opened by prayer BY the Rev Dr. Boecher OF tbs Ba
tst Church, formerly Of Albany but now Of this city
The Rev. Mr. BncHxs then opened the meeting with
impressive address to the Throne Of Grace He prayed
that God would bless the objects this meeting and that
he would not only grant protection to but all people
On the face Of the earth.
The PRESIDENT then introduced Rev Dr. BAIRD who read
the following statement
THE STATEMENT.
1t will be expected that the for calling this
meeting .hould Be set forth At the outset This
ton Is beth egn ate and proper We shall enisayor
to satisfy it BY presenting avery simple and brief state
ment:-
The vast expansion OF the commerce OF couotry,
and the great augmen Aon Of the facilities Of travel
have combined within the last few years to induce many
fellow citizens 90 abroad for business
plesfure and every essve year In decreasing
bers It win not be going too far to airm that many
a. ka
ing or travelling in foreign lAnds.
In some OF these there are very great obsta
AID religious worship In some they csanos enjoy those
rights at all In Some countries they exposed to in
suit and injury II they do not comply with 10
the streets that to their osnscsnious
vctions And in some they find it almost II not quite,
impossible 10 have their dea1 buried
they deem most Christian and most consonan with their
The limits of this docum.n. win not allow much detail
usve,tteless, must submit . few facts.
In our immsdiae voiny lies the Island OF Cuba In
whose ports hundreds and thousands OF Ameissn mari
ners are annually to be s,en. and to whose and
annnsy resort in the prosecution Of business
luett Of health Many go thther to die AID yet, to
this day. there neither American Protestant chapel
chaplain for the spiritual instruction and OF
sesmep and Others OF oountrymsn for their guild
and confolaon In the most fearful Of oil hours-he
hour Of death far from their homo and their friends.
When the attempt made . few years ago BY tbs
American Seamens Friend Soety to have Protestant
gious services conducted ON board American ships at Hs
Tana, the chaplain compelled to desist bscause It
Was not only required that he should domciats" and
take the oath Of allegiance TO the Queen of spA bat
As theseiwords signify Roman Catholic in that lapd
centous Protestant aid woui take the oath.
The sns sAement holds good Of Porto Rico, the etner
principal Spanish island in the West Indies
There no American Protestant chapel service In
Mexico, 90 far lsan and it IL osisvsd that 1t
countries In South America ss well A. in Central
Ameri there would be difficulties TO encounter yet they
would be lar kss ormd ibe II is believed than in Mexico
and Cuba.
In Italy ITSELF thu central county Of Christsndom With
the exception Of the krgiom Ct Sardinia religious
vice could be held BY an An ercan Protestant minister for
the btn, ct q his countrymen unless in tn, house of
diplomatic OF COZ suar agent beueath the Anne loan flag
Rome, the capital of the Christian world as some vaun
irely claim. Although the Roman Catholic Church ID
permitted to eroy 10 these United States (svsn sshths
at least OF whose inhabitants Protestantsl all the
shs ard privileges that any Protestant church does
yet American Protesants denied the right to have
church In Rome or even chapel unless under the pre-
eArous condition Of enjoying the patronage Of and
connection with the American en- bassy.
Nor Z the state Of things in Spain or In Austria more
favorable than In Italy In TACT 1t II less so-whs. In
Portugal according to the penal CODE promulgated
on the 10th OF December 1852 tae celebrating Of pub
punishable with imprisonment OF from three ye s
and to One propertionec to tbs income Of the trans
Church or chsps even for foreigners, could not bs
oTered in the tuguese domnions this went
into effect without mourning the most serious risk And
all this done the micd Of tbs Xxth century and By
nation which owes It's very existence 1t this day to
Protes tsnt Enelsrdi
ss2 American Protss,Ants exposed to insult and
rous n al treatment In Mexico, Central America, all
South America, Cuba Porto Rico, Spain and Portugal,
neS ly all Of Italy and Austria when they meet pro-
ess,op with priest 1T its head, carrying the "Host"
II do rot render what there considered TO be acts
OF sdoi aon but which they conicsrtouly dsem TO be
idtrous and contrary to tie word Of God Every year
the truth OF this assertion confirmed BY dsgrAcful
oaAgss in word or deed perpstrAted In those ooun-
tiles.
3 As to the burial or their Dead American Prottants
find very serious difficulties In several OF the countries
just named. Until very recently that
II is not stl-they would have been compiled to
carry The bodies OF their ceosssed friends fem Msdrid
the pIisl Of Spain to Masga Gibraltar or Lisbon, to
Fad . burial for them. English PiotsstaIU we're
subject to the same shameful indigpss Ever within
tbs last few months, L1rd Hovden, the Brti,n AmbIn
dor a. the Court Spsn has been 10
es.es v;.h he splIah gsvernnent In r.Laoa 70 the