The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-04-15

Der of excellent addresses on the
mission work among the Greeks.
In these addresses he pointed out,
as missionaries usually do, the
effects of an idolatrous religion on
moral character, and he said in
substance that the national sin of
the Greeks is a want of regard for
the truth. a letter from America to
the Greek Christians in Macedonia
informed them that Mr. Sampson
had said that " the Greeks are all
confessedly liars" Upon this, two
elders of the church in Salonica-
the same men who had received
profuse promises of pecuniary aid
from Athens and from the United
States-addressed a letter to Mr..
Sampson in which they inquired
about the statement he had made.
Mr.. Sampson replied that he.had
not said that all Greeks are liars,
and he repeated what he had said.
He referred to a statement he had
made that drunkenness is the ma
tional fault of the English, and
immortality the national fault of
the French. This does not imply
that all Englishmen are drunkards
or that all Frenchmen are immoral.
So the statement that the national
fault of the Greeks is want of re-
gard for the truth, does not mean
that all Greeks are liars and fur
ther that he had defended and up
held the character of the Greek
Christians. This explanation would
have been satisfactory to reasonable
men but unhappily the two elders
were imbued with the influence
which had come to them by letter
from Athens and from America,
and they published a card in an
Athens newspaper-perhaps the
haWoi mentioned by Mr.. Lyle--in
which they declared that Mr. Samp-
son had " deceived the Churches
in America designedly," and had
called the Greeks in general a herd
of mountebanks and liars" Such
are the means that have been used
to create the Hellenistic senti-
ment," against which Mr.. Lyle tells
US it is completely useless to
struggle"
s. | have perhaps said enough to.
make clear the real value of the
publications quoted by Mr., Lyle.
AS to what effect these things should
have on the future course of our
missionaries in Salonica and of our
Executive Committee, it would be
premature now to speak But |
desire to close this communication
with two remarks.
Our Church papers may be made
a power for good, or they may be
made power for evil. Every one
who enters them to advocate radical
changes, should see to it that he
uses his pen with care. The policy
of the Executive Committee of
Foreign Missions is a legitimate
subject of public discussion, but the
Committee may Justly expect that
brethren who intend publicly to
offer criticisms and recommends
lions, should first inform themselves
about the facts. | am sure that my
old college-mate, my esteemed
brother Lyle, intended only good
by his article on our Greek mis-
sion but / would ask him whether
it would not have been we'll, before
he espoused the cause of DR.. Kalopo-
thakes, to have inquired about the
other side of the case. Before he
publicly charged the Executive
Committee with a failure to re-
cognize the springs of influence
among the Greeks, would it not
have been we'll to make sure that he
himself understood the motives that
were at work? Before he charged
the Executive Committee with
spending money to little or no pur-
pose, would it not have been well
for him to have considered whether
there are not others "results of our
missionary efforts i'm the East"
which care something to be proud
OFF" And above all, would it not
have been we'll for him to have
ascertained clearly that he was ON
the side of righteousness, before me
gave aid to what, i'm view of all the
facts, must appear to honest men
an unholy intrigue to drive a be-
loved missionary of our Church
from a needy field i'm which he is
doing Gods work?
One remark more. The dis
closures made i'm this communion
ton are sad, but they are not so sad
as those made i'm the Epistles of Paul