New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-14
1yE ErJyGiLICIL ALLTANCr

TIE EDI NGEIfCIL 1LLjlNtI.
The American branch of the Evangelical
Alliance received yesterday the report of tie
drputation which visited Europe last Summer
to present memorial to the Car IN behalf OF
religious liberty. The leading points Of dis
memorial and Il summary of the conversation
between PriMce GortsyhakOf and Che Deputies
have already been published, but we give tins
morning the fall text OF the address, ana n
much more complete account of the lWcrNie
than has yet appeared i'll any American news
Dlprr Thr l,rrsCcutionS Of which the An
oncn Complaincd were directed chiefly against
the Lutheran inhabitants of the Bait, ProYn-
ces OF Russia. The policy of . classification
begun andcr The reign Of the late Emprior
Ncholl3 WAS carried into rcIIE'nS' ~
well as social and political mcdaliitS,
nru over one huudl ~ thousand OF
the ignorant inhabitants ~ these PROV
inc,4, mostly Gr.mar@, L,',is, and ESth'nidnS.
were forced uto he communion OF i'lr Russo
Greek huycll, md hcpt th"re by strict penal
laws. II r, ipihi,Irn liz Russia to scCr,lc from
the cs.il.;si-i chaich, aul apb;taay il pun
i,hrd by couii-'ltio2, io.lritnrc of social rank,
inpr,sanupnt. corporal punishment, and even
Transportation to Liberia The condition of
the yrctch,d people II Li,ona, scduCcd or com
ncllcd to abandon the PlOtcSCanti,m OF their
ancestors, and jhCu brought under the opera
ton Of these cruel lava to prevent their return
30 he Lutheran faith, has often excited the
.unrlnis"rition of various religions Organiza'
ions Of Europe and America, and has even
been the subject Of Il very frank report to the
err by Gre of his aides, the present Minister
,,,D ,l. 81 bus indeed
done for heir rclIci during the present reign;
l,ut uujI ;hc Emperor consents to change the
or2auic law of bis domnions and proclaim
the great principle of religious freedom, as he
has already proclaimed the principle of per
sonal liberty, they will still be objects for the
pity and the prayers of al good Christians.
The American deputies speak hopefully of
the result OF thor mission; yet they drew
nothing from the Russian Minister except a
general expression of sympathy, and they
were not admitted TO the Car at all. We
lave two accounts of the interview with
Prince GOrtSchakoff, an American and n Rus
star one, and substantially they agree with
each other. The deputies were civilly in
formed that his Majesty did not want foreign
advice and must therefore decline seeing them;
bln ;ho Prince readily consented to lay before
tie Ear tho memorial which the Americans
had prepared. A deputation from England
aud some of the Continental States then pre-
sented an address Of similar purpOrt; but IA
this was cOucbed in strOng-not to say Of
fensive-terms the Minister refused to receive
it, and intimated that the American memorial
had better be withdrawn. Of course such an
invitation had to be accepted; and with many
expressions of good will the two delegations
rctired,-certainly not triumphant, but by no
means disheartencd.
The Alliance has done well to print az an
appendix to the report Prince GOrtschakOf's
own account of the interview. 1t is not In all
respects hattering one, and its reproduction
therefore il a proof of the honest purpose of
the d"putatiOn to tell tho whole story. "Our
"int2ryiew," says the veteran statesman.
"lasted for upward Of two hours. Many of
"these gentlemen made long speeches, and
considered myself bound in courtesy to hear
Chem all with inexhaustiblo patience. | do
"not venture to expose your Majesty to the
g same inhictiOn, and ask permission to report
shortly the general contents of what was
" said to me, and what | answered. SO
eve parted. / observed no sign of irritation,
although a recognition OF complete want
of Success was visible, and do not think
"am in error if | assert that the frankneSs
"and courtesy of my words met with their
"respect" There is little encouragement in
this surely; but the delegates do well to
confde in the liberal tendencies of tho
rcgning Emperor and to trust that the good
seed has not fallen upon barren ground. 1t ID
at any rate no small thing to have made
what may be called an international demon
strlion in sympathy with the oppressed and
i'll favor Of religious liberty