The Portland daily press., 1890-02-24
TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE CAR.
A Petition To Be Sent From Thous-
sands of Americans
Calling Attention to the State Of Af-
fairs in siberia.
Further Particulars of tho Recent
outrages In Kara Prison.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, February pa
largely attended meeting of the Siberian Ex-
lie Petition Association was held in Associa-
tion Hall in this city. this afternoon This
association was organized some months ago
as a result Of the interest created in the con-
dition of the Siberian exiles by lecture de-
liyered here by Mr.. George Kennan, the ia
nous Siberian traveller. Today's meeting
was presided over by Rev. w. n. Mcyicker
the president of the association, and the
form of petition to the Car of Russia was
agreed upon. 1t is the purpose of those in
terested in this movement to circulate copies
of the petition all over the United States for
sigatures and to place the same in the hands
of the Gar The petition reads as follows
TO His Imperial Majesty the Car Of all the
We who petition your majesty are citizens Of
the United States of America. We beloFg to a
people who have long been bound by the natural
ties OF sympathy and gratitude to the great Rus
sian nation. and to the Cars, clothed with all her
majesty, who WELD her power and shape her des-
tiny. 1t is your ma1esty's province to do for Rus
sia what we IN a certain sense do for ourselves,
and, though the methods of governmental action
are different, the ends and aims of the govern
eur OF the state aud the welfare and happiness of
the people. For these things nations are organ
lied and laws are decreed ard executed; for these
things great princes, in the fear of God, exercise
imperial sway and presidents are appointed. Diff
fer though they may in outward form, your govern
ment and our government are brothers in their
noDleSt duties, nor are our fraternal professions
an empty feeling, We remember, and we can
never forget, how the Gar by his faith in the sta
bility OF the American Union and the presence OF
Russian ships In the barbor of New York,
strengthened our hearts and hands when our re-
public was supposed, by far-sghted Sovereigns
and statesmen to be on the verge Of ruin. Our
n
trious, father, Alexander ii, by his example,
helped our illustrious President, Abra.
ham Lincoln, to remove; and the great
prince who liberated the Russian serfs
aud the great citizen who freed the American
slaves, by kindred deeds of humanity and through
common martyrdOT, have linked their coun-
tries together by ties as enduring, we may hope
as their immortal fame. Sharing, therefore, as
the past has taught us to do in the thoughts that
we have been moved to bring TO you, with good
greetings, this petition: That your majesty will
personally take note of a widespread interest
among us IN the workings and effects OF the ST.
reforms already accomplished in the Russian en-
pre; we are not blind to the mental and physical
Sulferlngs that OF necessity are part OF any Sys
TEN OF punishment for crime against individuals,
need OF reforms which are actively engaging the
attention OF phIlanthropiStS in our own methods
OF dealing with c0nylctS. In this we are but giy-
ing expression TO the feeling of friendly people,
that III the punishment OF some OF her subjects,
Russia, whether from causes peculiar 70 her peo.
pie, or en- account of ancient CUSTOM is not in all
points in harmony with the humaniZing senti-
ments OF the age. Whether we err in this, or
whether we are right, our wish is that by the wis.,
dom and power Of the Gar and the favor of God,
Russia may continue to grow in the admiration
and sympathy of the American people and of the
whole civilized world"