New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-16
LONDON.
Deputati0n of American Evangelical Alli-
ance at Stuttgardt-Address from the
Alliance to the Czar.


ance at Stuttgardt-Address from the
Alliance to the Cznr.
LONDON, July 15.-A dispatch from
Stuttgart announces the reception of
deputation from the American Evangelical
Alliance by Prince GortschakOff to-day.
The address from the alliance to the Car
was presented and favorably received.
The address, which was prepared IN ad-
vance, and for which we are indebted to
member of the deputation, is as follows:
To his Imperial Majesty Alexander Second, Empe-
of all the Russias;
The undersigned, citizens of the United
States of America, and delegates of the
American Branch of the Evangelic Alli-
ance, which is an organization composed of
Protestant Christians of different denomi-
nations and countries, beg leave. most re-
specttully, to explain the circumstances
which have prompted this appeal to your
Imperial Majesty.
By increased facilities of intercommuni-
cation the unity of the human family be-
comes more and more a practical reality.
National acts of justice and philanthropy
exert direct influence beyond the bound
aries of countries in which they originate.
The benevolent DEGREES of your Imperial
Majesty in reference to serfs commanded
the admiration of all friends of humanity
in our own land and throughout the world
and had a favorable effect upon our own
government in bringing about shortly after
ward the emancipation of four millions of
slaves.
Confidence in the we'll known benevolence
of your Imperial Majesty, emboldens us to
express the profound sympathy felt by null
tides in our own country, with large num-
bers of your Imperial Maiesty's subjects in
| the Baltic provinces, whose conditions are
so graphically described in a report to your
Imperial Majesty by Count Brobriski in
April, 1864, and who, by existing laws are
prevented from openly returning to the
faith of their Lutheran ancestors. .
| As Americans we venture to refer to the
results of our own national experience as
illustrating the effects of religious liberty in
the welfare of individuals and the stay
bility of government. BY religious liberty
we do not intend freedom from all author
ity, much less that all opinions are equally
good, but simply the right of every indi-
vidual to believe and worship according to
his own free conscience, responsible only to
the authority of God, as revealed in His holy
word.
In the United States all religious denomi-
nations and forms of worship are equal be-
fore the law, which supporting none, pro-
tects all, and never interferes with their in
ternal affairs. The orthodox Greek
Church, though with us smallest as to num-
bers, enjoys in every respect the same liber
ty as the largest denomination. 1t may
build churches, propagate opinions, and
extend influences as freely in the United
States as in the Empire of Russia.
This religious freedom we have found not
only relief to the State from agitatiOns
and cares, but the surest pledge Of social
| order and national unity, by promoting
mutual respect and charity among the diff
ferent denominations, and by imparting
sense of security to all in the common en-
jOyment of the most sacred rights.
In view of these considerations, we re-
spectfully unite our request with our breth-
ern in Europe. in behalf of your imperial ma
jesty's subjects in the Baltic provinces, that
they may be permitted to worship God and
to educate their children according to the
faith of their forefathers, and the free pre-
ference of their own conscience. Still
further, in behalf OF American Missionaries
distinguished by Intelligence, piety and
scholarship, who have labored long and sun
cessfully among the Armenians, HISTORIANS,
and other Christians under Mahommedan
rule in Turkey, and on the borders
of the Russian Dominion, we beg leave
to ask that your Imperial Majesty's Chris
tian government may be induced to grant
within the limits of its jurisdiction among
| all subjects not belonging to the orthodox
Greek Church, the liberty of worship and
religious instruction, including the cireula-
ton OF the Holy Scriptures. In support of
the memorial which we now earnestly and
respectfully present, we appeal to the
| genius of Christianity, which, being spir-
| ltuaf In Its nature, requires moral iAhuence
and motives to the sacred rights of con-
| science which demand outward expressions
in the freedom of public worship to the
| spirit of modern civilization, which tavors
religious liberty, and seems to anticipate
its universal province; and to the precepts
ceKTugvap On UoKrH PAoR1