Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-20
TO The CAR.
Form in Which Humble American Citizens
WIN Petition the Sire of the RussIas.


this Circu lar May Reach:
We write to ask your earnest sympa-
thy and cooperation in a movement
which has for its aim the presentation to
the car of Russia of monster petition,
signed by Americans, calling his per-
sonal attention to the crueIties which are
! currently reported to be practioed on
| helpless victims under what is known as
! the Siberian exile system, with the hope
! and expectation that his attention, SO
! pointedly and urgently invoked. may
| lead TO revision and reformation Of that
! system.
| The form Of petition which has been
| adopted and a copy of which accompan-
| les this circular, has been drawn up with
/ the greatest possible care, under the su-
| pervisiOu and correction of those who
! are we'll versed in diplomatic and Russian
affairs, and is believed to be one which
will command the widest endorsement
| here, and the best chance of reception
andrespectful attention on the part OF
the car and his government, at the
same time leaving the way open for fur
Their effort.
We feel that the movement must call
out the cordial interest of all who have
the cause of humanity and its sufferings
at heart-Rnd we therefore ask you TO
assist it in any way within your power;
by the formation OF local committees
and auxiliary associations, by the kind
ling of public sentiment in It's behalf, by
assisting in the widest circulation OF the
petition, and by sending us pecuniary
help as you may be able to gather it, to
wards meeting the necessary expenses OF
so large an undertaking.
Rev, w. n. MC(ICEAR. d, D.
President.
MIR. J. P. MUMFORD, Treasurer.
REV. ALFRED j. p. MCCLURE,
Corresponding Secretary.
Mrs. W. F. jerks Recording Sec y.
Executive Committee: DR.. Henry
Hartshorne, Mrs Matthew Baird, Dr.
Charles Hermon Thomas, Mr.. Taleott
Williams, Miss Anna Lea Blackwell, Mr..
Robert NJ. MoWade, Hon. w. n. Ash
man, Mrs. Deborah g. Leeds, Mr.. VIII
liam Wanamaker, Mr.. Philip c. Gar
r. Roads. Mr.. s. Burns Weston, Mr..
George Grifiths, Rev. Edward T. Bart
lett, d. D.. Miss Nina Lea.
ee-Presidents: Rev. George Dana
Boardman, d. D., Mr.. George Burn
ham, Mrs. James C. Biddle, Mr.. John
II. Converse, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyns
Rev. W. H. Furness, d. D., Rev. Cyru,
ID. FOss, d. D., Mr.. Alexander Brown,
Mr.. Charles s. Keyser, Mr.. Simon Muir,
Mrs. s. c. +. Hallowell, Rev. Ignatius
Horstman, d. D., Professor Morris Jas
trow, d. D., DR.. II. z. Jacobs, Miss
Frances Lea, Rev. Joseph May, d. D.,
DR.. James e. RhOads, DR.. J. W. White,
Mrs. John Lucas, Mrs. A. S. QuintOn,
Mr.. Horace J. Smith, Rev. Henry Clay
TrumbulI, d. D., Right Rev. OH W.
Rev. H. L. Weyland, ID. D., Rev.
Charles Wood, DR.. w. W. Keen, Mr..
Edward s. Whelen, Mr.. George Junkin,
Mr.. Robert C. Ogden.
To His Imperial Majesty, the Gar OF all the
Russias:
We who petition your majesty are citi-
Zens of the United States of America.
We belong to a people who have long
been bound by the natural ties of SYM
pathy and gratitude to the great Russian
nation and to the cZars clothed with her
majesty, who WELD her power and shape
her destiny.
1t is your majesty 8 province to do for
Russia what we, in certain sense, do
for ourselves; and though the methods
of governmental action are different, the
aims of good government are the same;
the strength and true grandeur of the
state and the welfare and happiness of
the people.
For these things nations are organized
andslaws are decreed and executed; for
these things great princes in the fear of
God exercise imperial sway, and presi-
dents are appointed.
Differ though they may in outward
form, your government and our govern
ment are brothers in their noblest duties
Nor are our fTaternal professions an
empty feeling; we remember, and we
can never forget, how the car, by his
faith in the stability of the American
Union and by the presence Of Russian
ships in the harbor OF New York,
strengthened the republic when it was
supposed, by less far-sighted sovereigns
aud statesmen, to be on the verge OF
ruin. Our danger, then, arose from an
evil which your illustriOus father. Alex
Rnder H., by his example, helped our il
lustrious president, Abraham Lincoln, to
remove; and the great prince who liber-
ated the Russian serfs and the the great
citizen who freed the American slaves,
by kindred deeds Of humanity, linked
their countries together by enduring ties.
Sharing, therefore, as the past has
taught US to do, in the thoughts that
concern the glory and happiness OF your
people, we have been moved to bring to
Tina. your majesty will personally take
note of a widespread interest, among US,
in the workings and effects of the Siber-
ian exile system.
We do not forget the penal reforms al
ready accomplished in the Russian en-
pire. We are not blind to the mental
and physical sufferings that of necessity
are part of any system of punishment
for crime against individuals, society or
the state, nor are we unmindful OF the
need of reforms W hich are actively en-
gaging the attention OF philsnthropIsts in
our own methods OF dealing with con-
victs. In this we are giving expression
to the feeling OF a friendly people, that
in the punishment Of some of her sub
jeets Russia, whether from causes pecuI-
lar 70 her people, or on account of an
cient custom, is not in harmony with the
humanzIng sentiments of the age. II is
our wish thar by the wisdom and power
of the czar and the favor of God, Russia
may grow in the admiration and sympa-
thy OF the American people and Of the
whole civilized world.