National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-05-11
sTBTLT FOR THE GREEK
CHURCH ATROCITIES.

CHURCH Atrocities.
II is difficult thing TO contend with one
who ignores all suthOTiiy SIS vague and
unreliable, and demolishes his opponen,
with tie COZ f6tnt issuance that he /
all ~roDg, ard we therefore 10 rot pro-
vCse iii. CusSion with cur correspondent Of
yesterday who imputGs ulteIior purposes
10 Russia in maintaining smicable relations
with the United States during the late re
bellior, Srd insists sgainst the record that
the Turks have reyer persecuted the Rou
maualus. Nor shall We combat the ez
ydFis statements Uf the inimical writers
quoted ss proving ly cUtCmPorausous tcs-
ImUI that Rus sia IS savage ard Turkey
Civiliz,J. AL controversy as TO these mat.
tiers is ,nher settled by the Judgment OF
history CT must remain open Until thus set
al rest Mere assertion is Improbable,
and its practice is degradation 10 capsc.
ity for the higher contests OF reason.
Whether, therefore, our currC 5pondcnt will
achieve by his system of GialCctics so sub
lime task Ne shall make known the truth
10 the midst of the error he aptaguniZrs Is
question which also must he solved 10y
the record, and concerning which We will
not inquire.
But there is point In the matter We
have not hitherto touched upon. and which
should be brought TO notice. 1t is tina, the
Greek Church Of which our correspondent
complains as the scOurge Of the Jews has
preserved, under the Turkish dominion, its
ancient organization slmos; entire having
its oecumenic Patriarch at Constantinople,
whose eccl, siAslical authority extends over
all the Church within the Ottoman Em.
pirc and without, it, IN Europe, wherever
the religion Of that Church - observed,
ia cnntradistinciion TO the Russian
Church: and that the Turkish Govern.
ment is responsible for the inhuman
practices o. thst Church as entirely
as our own Government would be for
similar violence in the United States.
Aud again We submit to the clndor OF
all readers, it is patent fact that a people
which has been for three hundred years
dominated by barblrism can no longer be
held responsible for It's civil, social or
religious condition; and it makes no differ.
authority IN .intNined the while, for they
were no more respected than the Interests
they spuEEt in vain 10 protect. At least
such is the testimony ut histUrncrIphers
familiar with the su'jcct. Every violence
prsC,icri by the Greek Cburch upon the
Jewish people was countenanced and en-
Outraged by the Government which did
not arrest it and punish its perpetrators
and every drop OF Jewish blood BOW shed
ia Roumauil by the Greek Church (4Id
this is the alleged syuTse of all cruelty)
is instigated by the barbarism instiIled
hy the government OF the Sultan. 10
whose realm lis head resides. How
u Church licensed in crime by its
liberation by the Government and slim
u!aliuu to is commission by the
general depravity, Can be isolated from its
relation u the State and be made response.
bic for the enormi'ies OF religious fansti,
cism, while the Government which per
mii;cd them is excused and even ex!olled
IS something We cannot understand The
common impression seems 10 have been,
and TO be, that the people who create the
Government and maintain its supremacy
are chargeAble with every Odense com
mitted within the realm; and this convic-
ton is certainly within the prec edents OF
experience, and justified by the judgment
of time. The Church, in al enlightened
and civilized country, is the mightIest
agency of morals aud mercy; but under
the veil OF darkness and the weight of op,
preston il becomes the blindest rayager of
nations. 1t is composed Of per-ons and
represents collectively the average stan
darI OF morals among its members. Itthey
be debased by prevalent evils their assoCia
ton will display their vices only the more
coGspcuously, and render them the more
destroying.
II, therefore, ii lie the Greek Church
that has done and is doing the violence
which shocks the world, then Turkey is
auswerLble for it, and the only difference
between our correspondent and those who
have undertaken to compile the facts for
the use of the public is that he regards the
Church ss alone 10 be blamed for the
crimes, while they do not recognize the
Church at all in the matter, except as an
incident of national existence, seeing only
the agency and responsibility of the Gov
ernment.
We are free to admit that the Jews of to-
day, from Lori BEACoSsFIELD down, side
with Turksv. and that this is pretty strong