The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-29

The following report Of Prince GOrtchakon TO the
Gear. on the interview which he recently had with
q deputation from the Evangelical Alliance. is pub
lished In the Russian official Journals
FRIEDRIoHsHoFEN, July 4 Q6,, 1871.
deputatiOn, composed or representatives from
different evangelical communities, came to Fred
richshofen for the purpose OF pettionlng your I'M
was supposed was violated In Russia, especially In
the case of the EstnOnlans and LIvOnians OF our
Baluo provinces This deputaton your Majesty
was pleased to order me to receive. 1t came to
me on the I'd Q4th) OF July. The deputatiOn
lasted for upward Of two hours. Many OF these
gentlemen made long speeches, and l oonsidered
myself bound IN courtesy TO hear them all with In.
do not venture to expose your Majesty to tho
infection, and ask permission to report shortly
the general coLtents OF what was said to me ana OF
what answered. BY all, without exception. ex-
preston was given OF deep respect for your lmpe-
nanimity 81 your character. the gentlemen laid
especial stress on thus, tnat their preseat peti..
ton mad no political a nue. aoa .aKe
towards your Majesty was prompted solely by
general ends In rn yoor ey
Tor them for the purpose OF handing to your Ma
]esty the addresses presented by tnem or these "a,
Evangelical Society, one from the, If may SO ex-
press myself, European Evangelical Society. the
text OF which was written in London; finally, third
from some Quakers. said TO the gentlemen thar
the principles OF federation ana freedom OF con.
science were convictions OF your Majesty and that
you mad been pleased to always remain faithful
to the example or your predecessors, whose
on all the leaves of Russias history that the history
OF country in this respect presented an appear
ance the Ike Of which we would lind 1t hard 70 dis.
cover in the same period In the annals OF other
countries; finally that this was one OF the glorious
prerogatlves Of Russia, which we wished to main
tam. Besides, SAID the confidence unanimously
expressed by them in the qualities OF Your Majesty
was sufficient guarantee and tnat | was not In o
pllance with the requests put forward py them
would entail the abrogation OF some laws OF the ena'
pire that we In this matter could permit
NO FOREIGN INTERVENTION WHATEVER;
that though this declaration, that they had no poll
give full credence to the complete frankness Of this
decaratiOn-the admission To Your Majesty OF
naonates and the Objects Of Which had become
completely public, had the appearance OF an inter.
yentoa in our internal q, affairs but that we c9nlt
ever side 1t came. This declaration was received
with deep regret, which also was expressed In re.
SpectIul terms.
THE AMERICAN DEPUrATIoN
then requested me to accept their address, with the
contents Of which had already made myself prl.
vatey acquainted and as 1t contained only general
observations answered that was ready TO lay 1t
Geneva tnereupon got up and said that those who
had commissioned hun were In hopes tnat would
also ns address Which, In n
pean one. This address was, as has been men
toned above, written IN London. l requested 70
remarked that 1t contained pas sa3e5 which looked
like
"A
Without hesitation declared that the references
to the religious belief and condition OF the EsthO-
mans and Llvonans rested partly on erroneous,
partly on insufficient, data and IL appeared to me-
openly said to them, that these data were derived
from partial sources, whose authenticity II was
allowable to doubt.
IREFUSED TO ACCEPT THE ADDRESS
In a very decided manner, and expressed 1t as nv
personal opinion that 1t would be better to ABSTAIN
altogether from the presentation OF an address,
since the acceptance OF the American address alone
would wear an appearance which might be offensive
to the whole deputat0n. After consultation among
themselves they agreed to my proposal.
last attempt was then made TO induce me TO give q
written statement Of everything that had been said
answered that was, as ID rule, an enemy or all
useless written dissertations; that considered what
/ had said Of the convictions and fundamental
principles Of your Imperial Majesty to be sufficient;
that. they had found any want OF cleaness In this
respect since, on account OF their differences OF
nationality, ! had by turns TO make use
OF the French, English and German languages,
ready once more 10 declare our Intentions They
answered that they had completely understood all
these ln that ca5e' said i, cit will be for you TO
report to your constituents on our interview" So
recognition o} Complete Want OF success was visi.
bic, and do not think am IN If assert that
the frankness and courtesy OF my words met with
their respect. The next day met four members Of
the depuation In one OF the adjacent avenues OIL the
caste-two OF them English, two American. Those
gentlemen expressed with warmth their gratitude
for the reception that had been given them and said
that they had Immediately telegraphed to the Lon
don Times concerning the impression and conf
dence with which they had been inspired by tue
high qualities oil Your Imperial Majesty.