The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-06-01


and priests were banshed or poisoned, ana
converts aud religious institutions were
( suppressed Not only this, but the Polish
language was forbidden to be taught in the
schools The extent of this persecution
will be seen when we say that Iii Lithuania
alone 4. 900, 600 persons were forced To con-
{ form 80 the faith Of the Gar In the late
ly acouired posse sSions in Asia D10dus
; 0Derandi similar to tha. attributed to the
5ull-dozers of the South was adopted. The
soldiers went about with prayer books and
whips and every unforiunat native they
caught was asked TO profess the ''orthodox"
faith, failing i'll which an application of
whips to their backs had the effect OF in
ducing those ignorant people to assent To
faith Of which they knew no more than
they did about the religion of the man in
the moon. What consistent enthusiast
is this Emperor who denies liberty of con
science to those under his own sway and
pretends to go to war to secure 1T for the
subjects of the Sultan.
Our readers must not suppose that be-
cause we have no faith in the professions of
Russia that we sympathize with Turkey.
An empire OF kingdom founded by vlo-
lence and bloodshed will fall by the same
means, and we think the time Of the dis
rupton of this Mohammedan empire is at
hand and that Russia is the instrument to
be used by an angry God for this purpose.
And it is a singular coincidence that the
peril of Turkey is also that of England-a
nation which has been the cause of more
human misery than any other despotiSm
that ever existed, and which the New York
Herald not inaptly calls the greatest Mo
hammedan nation in the world. 1t would
be infinitely proper that these two freeboot
ing monstrosities, that have been compan-
ions and allies in life, should not be sepa-
rated in death. The Almighty is long
suffering and patient, but there is an end
to his forbearance, and the cups OF iniquity
of these two nations are now fun to over
flowing. From the time that the followers
of Mahome. first went forth to make con-
quests their history has been one of rapine
and murder. First the conquerars of
great part of western Asia, including Pal
eStine, they were the objects against whom
the Crusades were directed. Subsequently
they became more powerful. and invaded
Europe and Adrianople in 1856 and Con
StantlnOpIe almost century later, Con-
stan:ne the last Emperor of the Greeks
having fallen ON the steps of St. Sophia,
then a Christian church, now a Mobam-
medan mosque. All Europe was in state
ofterror because OF the power Of the TuI ks.
Poland was conquered and Italy threaten
ed. Their encroachments were finally
checked by the defeat Of their fleet in the
Gulf of Lepanto bv an xpedition~titted out
by Pope Plus Y. in 1911 and commanded
by the Archduke Don John Of Austria and
their subsequent discontinue by the arms
of John Sobieski. king of Poland.
|: is a notable fact that those nations of
Europe who derived the mos benefit from
this achievement of little Poland showed
their gratitude for the service rendered
them by the paitit of the country OF So
bicski.
The rule Of the Turk throughout has
been a UIonstI osi:y Of the most unparalleled
barbarSm that the world has ever seen.
These followers Of Mahomet have always
been the most uucompromising enemies of
Christianity and civilization, and their re-
hgIOuS belief and practices are u tumble of
the most intOlerable and immoral nature.
According to the command Of the Prophet
they are to kill ali who are not true "be
LEVERS" Ii is this injunction which has
caused the preparation of untold massa-
cres of Christians by the NOslemS. Under
The shadow of the slightest pretext the
Turks have slaughtered those who opposed
them. outraged their wives aud daughters,
or, still worse. carried them off to be con
signed to a life of shame in the haremS Of
their captors. 1t is no wonder, then, that
the Christian subjects of the msnamed
Sublime Porte should be tired of their ru-
lers. In fact. the only reason that they
have had 10 endure the misrule Of the Turk
so long is found in the jealousy and appIe-
hensiun of the Great Powers lest Russia
should become too powerful for neighbo
On the plea of the necessity of the balance
of power they have sustained Turkey
which wonld long ago have gone to pieces
if left to itself a barrier to the natural
industrial development of Russia. hut now
they have lot the ability to do so any longer;
so we may expccr to see he Otloman EN-
pire fall before ihe lapse of many months,
never 10 Use again.