Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-10-12
Letter from Hon. George r. Marsh.
from tho " ChrnnicIe1

At the late meeting Of the American Board,
Dr.. Pomroy read the following letter, re-
ceived from Hon. George P. Marsh. late
Minister Plenipotentiary Of the Cniled States
to Constantinople, in reply to an invitation
to attend the meeting of the Board -
BURLINGTON. VI, Sert g. 1855.
DEAR Sin Il had hoped to he able to Mt.
tend the Annual Meeting Of the American
Board, ut Utica. this year, hut business en-
gagements put it out Of my power to be pre-
sent on that occasion.
Although | could have added nothing IN
the facts, Of which the Board and the rnl.
gious public are already possessed. vet
should have taken especial pleasure in hear.
ing testimony. rs an eve witness. to tho value
and Importance Of the Missionary efforts in
the East, and the eminent riotv. zc-l. learn
ing and ability Of the immediate agents of
the Board in that great enterprise.
The success of these efforts. to carry hnck
10 their original source the light or Chris
tianity and civilization. is not to he moasurrd
by the results apparent to distant oNsnrvors !:
and however familiar American Christians
may he with tho statistical data Of Missionarv
movements in the Turkish Empire. tho vast
significance OF those facts can onlv hn nrrrn-
ciated by n personal acquaintance with the
field Of operations.
The action Of tho Missionaries has. 7 ho-
lieve. thus far not hocn imnodo1 hv tho
events Of the war If that action now
to he suspended. MS it infalihlv would hc hv
Muacovito triumph in the present crca'
struggle still the seed already sown. could
not fail to Weld harvest that would amply
repay the sacrifice. it has cost to American
| liheralitv and American dnvoti N. If IN the
other hand the Turkish Government shall ho
| left free tn protect these efforts against the
omen rancor and the secret intriguos of Greco
| Slavic higotrv, there can hc M doubt. that
| thev will rrove tho rnCst eficicnt means Of
that regeneration of the East. which tho bar
| barous element in the European political
system is now e1nrting its utmost energies
| to smother. have NOT tho slightest doubt
that the keen sighted Irv1rd is right in as-
signing to this manifestation Of tho tcndcn-
cies Of American institutions in the Fast a
| prominent place among the occasions Of III"
| political and military movomnnts which have
shaken Asia and Furone since 1853.
The iron heel that ushod tho rising
horcs Of Contincr tal liberty in lSi9 is again
armed to tread out the gimmorinr spark Of
civil and religious rroolom in the Orientll
world. The friends or human progress in
Asia, meet their most Formidable obstacle in
the relentless hostility Of I" the great conser-
vative power Of Europe
We have no right to donht that these
counsels will he ovcrruled for good, and we
may well hope that the second generation Of
our American heralds OF Christian truth and
Anglo-Saxon civilization, who are now, under
such favorable auspices. going forth as the
| helper. and successors of their fathers, will
achieve results more valuable than have as
yet been accomplished by any Of the organ
| lied charities OF modern times.
| nm, Sir, truly yours,
GEO. p. MARSH.
Rrrr nn Dnunnr