The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-12-07
RUSSIA AND IT'S RULER.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Corrects Some
Wrong Impressions
Concerning the Czar and His DOminious-
No Country So Misunderstood and No
Monarch More Generally Misrep-
resented Motives for the
Misrepresentation.

promise that he would again speak of
his visit to Russia, and correct many
concerning that empire and
Its ruler. He took for his text III. Peter,
H., 10:
Prescriptions are they, self-willed, they are
not afraid to speak evil of dignities.'
Amid most reprehensible crew, Peter
here paints by one stroke the portrait
of those who delight to slash at people
in authority. Now, we all have right
to criticise evil behavior, whether in
high places or low, but the fact that
one is high up is no proof that he ought
to be brought down. 1t is bad streak
of human nature now, as it was in the
time of the text, bad streak of human
nature that success of any kind excites
the jealous antipathy of those who cam
hot climb the same steep. There never
was a David on the throne that there
was not some Absalom who wanted to
get it. There never was Christ but
the world had saw and hammer ready
to fashion a cross on which to assassi-
nate him. Out Of this evil spirit grow
not only individual, but national and
information defamation. To no country
has more injustice been done than to
our own in days that are past Long
before Martin Chuzzlewit was
printed. the literature of the
world scoffed ut everything Ameri-
can. Victor Hugo, as honest az
he was unequaled in Literary power,
was so misinformed concerning Amer
lea that he wrote: '"The most singular
thing is the need Of whiting, with
which all Americans are possessed. 1t
is such that on Sunday they give the
sailors little bits of wood because If
they did not they would white the
ship In court, at the most critical mo-
ment the judge, whiting, says 'Pris-
oner are you guilty?' and the accused
TRANQUILITY responds, whiting: I am
not guilty" Lord John Russell called
Ills "A bubble-bursting nationality"
But our country has at last recovered
from such oaricature, and there is not a
street on any city of Europe or Asia
where the word America" will not win
Difference. But, there is sister nation
on the other side of the sea now going
through the process of international
defamation. There is no country on
earth so misunderstood as Russia, and
no monarch more misrepresented than
its emperor. VIII it not be in the
cause of justice If try to set right the
minds of those who compose this au-
gust assemblage and the minds of those
to whom, on both sides of the
ocean, these words shall come?
If the SANDER of one person is
wicked, then the SANDER Of one hun
drcd and twenty million people is one
hundred and twenty million times more
wicked. In the name Of righteousness
and in behalf OF civilization, and for
the encouragement Of all those good
people who have been disheartened
by the standardization of Russia, ! now
speak. But Russia is so vast subject
that to treat it in ono discourse is like
attempting to run Niagara Falls over
ono mill wheel. Do not think that the
very marked courtesies extended me
last summer by the Emperor and EN-
press and Crown Prince of Russia have
complimented me into the advocacy OF
that empire, for ! shall present you an
authenticated fact that will reverse
your opinions, II they have been an
tagonistic, as mine WAS reserved.
went last summer to Russia with az
many baleful prejudices as would make
an average avalanche from the noun
tain of fabrication which has for years
been heaped up against that empire
You ask how it is possible that suct
appalling misrepresentation Of Russia
could stand? l account for il by the
fact that the Russian language is t.
most an impossible wall Malign the
United States or malign Great Britain
or Germany or France, and by the next
cablcgram the falsehood is exposed, for
we all understand English, and many
of our people are familiar with German
and French. But the Russian language
beautiful and easy to those born &c
speak it, is to most vocal organs an un'
pronounceable tongue, and II at St
Petersburg or Moscow any auti-Russiar
:alumny were denied, the most of the
world outside of Russia would never
see or hear the denial.
What are the motives for misrepre
sentation? Commercial interests and
International jealousy. Russia is as
large as all the rest of Europe put to
gether Remember that nation is
only man or woman on big scale.
Go into any neighborhood of America
and ask the physician who has small,
paacticc what he thinks OF the physi
clan who has large practice, Ask a
lawyer who has no briefs what he
thinks of the lawyer who has three
rooms filed with clerks trying in vain
to transact the superabundant bushes.
that comes to him. Ask the minister who
has very limited audience what he
thinks of the minister who has over
flowing audiences. Why does not Eu
-ope like Russia? Because she ha,
enough acreage TO swallow all Europe
and feel she has only half meal. Russia
is as long rs North and South America
put together. But" says some one
do you mean to charge the authors
and the lecturers who have written OF
spoken against Russia with falsehood?'
by no means. You can find in any city
or nation evils innumersble if you wish
to discourse about them.
said at St Petersburg to the mos
eminent lady Of Russia outside of tn,
imperial family; Are those stories OF
cruelty and outrage that have heard