The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-28
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN TURKEY.

States in Syria and Palestine, will be read with
interest. IL lays open to public notice the base
ness and the depravity OF the Ottoman govern
ment, revealing Its hatred OF religious liberation
while protesting to the world that 1t Is governed
by 'Iberal institutions" and that ."religlous lib
ertyn is practsed In the widest sense Of the term.
This letter should rouse government to q
sense OF the indgnity thus cast upon II as one of
the CHRISTIAN governments OF the earth by a
semi.barbarous people. Kept together only by the
forbearance OF the CHRISTIAN governments Of Eu- |
rope ana America
| 10 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The following otclai statement has been issued |
by the Porte IN relation TO tne refusal OF the sui.
| tan TO receive deputation OF the English Evan
"Tae formal demand which was made for an au-
dence OF the Su tan on the part OF the deputaton
| OF the Evangelical Ahance mad to be declined, as
sucn a request was without precedent and be-
cause the grievances the reputation wished TO lay |
before HIS Imperial Majesty have no serious
| foundation. In reality the Jour points OF com. |
| plant put forward by the deputation were most
thoroughly reiuted oy The Ministers OF the sultan.
The arrests OF Christians which the deputation
represented as measures OF Intolerance were
rendered incumbent on the Turkish authort
! ties, as the persons arrested were Ottoman |
| subjects, VINO, by changing their religion, sought
to evade military service. Other grievances
similar TO the ABOVE are BASED upon an erroneous
Interpretation OF perfectly legitimate measures OF
pubic order and police, of when the authorities
are entirely justified IN aVaillng themselves In q
country governed by liberal INSTITUTIONS 1t Is wen
known mat religious liberty Is practsed III lur-
key III the widest acceptation OF the TERM"
| MISREPRESENTATION.
| / cannot allow the readers Of your valuable
journal 10 suppose that the foregoing Official state
ment, issued by the Porte relation to the refusal
OF the sultan to received population OF the Evan
| gelical Alliance, Is to accepted as truthful
representation OF religious liberation IN Turkey.
The statement declares, "rne arrests OF Christians
which the deputatlon represented as measures OF
intolerance were rendered incumbent on the
Turkish authorities, as the persons arrested were
Ottoman suJects. who. by changing their religion,
sought 10 AVOID military SERVICE" his IL a direct
Misrepresentation Of facts.
SYRIA where Ave teachers employed by the Re.
formed Presby terrain Mission were rudey seized
OF night on the Mission premises, in B'namra, and
marched or to Damascus IN CHAINS like common
ana OF teaching the Bible to the heather An
Tns By to
had been drafted into the army Christians are
exemptsd by law rom the conscrlptlon and these
indeea, one OF them was brought up IN the Mis-
sion How How tnen can the Porte e. with ruth state
changing their religion sought to evadc military
service p, Ihey did not declare themselves CHRIS.
the draft was to oeen forced and they would never
such grounds. The first lntlmatlon they received
oil their liaoity to military service was their sud
den arrest, i'll an Illegal manner oy the soldiers
nected with the arrest OF these unonending
governed by LIBERAL institutlons.n Here are the
facts from an eye-wltness:-
Satan in tho form of Turkish Oct Is sS:u,
q wn hs "a the b tine s,sri
captured Yae and sase and three Other Prossiant
~ We have been as teachers Hr num-
, Mission House. ' '''
sc T+
@ @ ssr @ sa "a Te ns q tic
siss bis aim n as sd gfd a -.
70 reload bur !, ie from his hand This gave Yacoub
ishere in the IN Mlss,enhed. A'N ~ A"AA' ""A
took "es s village n1a sy mule
snsa .yha, said the soldier will yoadars 70 reai
@ DC TO b + Gnsd
IN reson and 6s
and my her have been dead ana nave been
guard. VS. ''''.'NN'''' ''N'''N '''1''
% wsSs the ne made to Walk down La
50 heavy that they were Obliged 10 raise them in their
their limbs When they reached here limbs We're
allowed ss 4%1 't ihs%
a he any eer e% a s s
nsy t1ey VIM let their friends see them but they
. ssns aSSst obtain am
0oIosnn SIt deemed useless to try to see the
no ia as dH the Officers So bitter us They
n s S y S0Rs H ss az a
f. and take them away The soid.ers SAID f in
sy an the to s di Su
G a no a o Mhn S viii 90
treaty 'O' -''N '"' '''A' " 'A'''
0cfoBER 1--WE have just heard to-day that saiccm is
SICK WITH lever Any thing sent from the Mission,
enemies against them '''' 'N'''
me matter OF the arrest oil the Lataka teach.
ers and violation OF the American Mission prem
LEES Is sun under investigation by the United
States Legation at Constannople through It's
Dragoman, now IN Syria Tor that purpose. The
following extract, rom recent ConstantinopIe
journal, states he does not concur III the Turkish
report OF the AFFAIR."
, Our Damascus CORRESPONDENT writes under date of
LEGATION arrived here yeser lay Beyrout had an
ana si Beyrou visit Was n IN co".
Turn oonsiantnoDe last boat but receyd
n whf he oes NOR tS i'm IL
TSpSt Of thS nIar ocia
MORE ToLERATIoN.
TINS Is not The fist arrest OF Protes'ante made
at Latakia, as shown by tile following facts 10
Frst-That the 18th OF May, 1873, the Governor
VI Latakla addressed letter TO the American Vice
CONSUL there, demanding not only the shutting or
iong-estaolished school, but the removal OF The
teacher asanny ana G ms iamlIy from tue village
above mentioned Official, having had his au.
inorty extended over the district of JeDeleh,
prlsonment OF the three teachers-lusel Jedeed
Saeem hhalaify and Daoud Sulciman-who had
had, as members OF the Protestant community
PAD taxes INTO the Turkish Treasury.
| .hc Icdoou IOF luclT arrest cVi.
IDENTITY, no other tnan tee TACT OF their benS ,br,s.
| tlans, as is shown ny the circumstances tpat the
| Governor at the same time summoned aIl tne An.
eaIriyeh Proe5tants In the district, and tnat one
| suspected Individual, who was appretc nded VS.
released on producing satisfactory evidence that
| ne was 0! the Ansaiilyeh religion.
fOWN--That the arrest OF these men took nlo cc
| on the Sabbath, the 7th OF September whtle
they were assembled for worship; that on Inc
g 9s tney were hurried with extreme cruelty, to
| JeDeleh, whence Oh the 18Th they were sent I'm
Cmatns o lripoii; ana tnas from 1rlpo they were
Mans,erfed 10 Damascus, winch they reached ON
| fuU-That on their arrival at Damascus they
meue imprisoned, maltrealed and reproached on |
account OF their religion, and finally remanjny
Urn in lner procession, they were, by sembance
vi regal iormaty, GRATED into the Turkish army.
| StGth-That, on Her Brlttanic Maesty,s Vice |