The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-11-25
AT THE TABERNACLE.

days in Russia before was asked II
had any passport at all. Depend upon
it, IL hereafter man believes he is I'M
comfortably watched by the police of
st. Petersburg or Moscow, ii is because
there is something suspicious about him,
and you yourself had better, when he is
around, look after your silver spoons, l
promise you, an honest man or an honest
woman, that when you go there, as
many of you will, for European travel
is destined to change its course from
southern Europe TO those northern re-
gions, you will have no more molesta-
ton or supervisal than in Brooklyn OF in
New York or the quietest Long Island
village.
Calumny the Third-Russia and its
ruler are so opposed to any other religion
except the Greek religion that they will
not allow any other religion; that moth
ing but persecution and Imprisonment
and outrage intolerable await the dis
ciples of any other religion. But what
are the facts? had long ride in st.
Petersburg and its suburbs with the pre-
feet, a brilliant, efficient and lovely man,
who is the highest official in the city of
st. Petersburg, and whose chief business
is to attend the emperor. said to him,
Il suppose your religion is that of the
Greek church," NO" said he, II am
a Lutheran" "What is your religionY'
l said to one of the highest and most in
fluential officials at st, Petersburg He
said, Il am of the Church of England"
Myself, an American, of still another
denomination of Christians, and never
having been inside Greek church in
my life until went to Russia, could not
have received more consideration had l
been baptized in the Greek church and
all my life worshiped at her affairs. /
had it demonstrated to me very plainly
that mans religion in Russia has moth
ing to do with his preferment for either
Office or social position. The only ques-
tons taken into such consideration are
honesty, fidelity, morality and adapta-
ton. had not been in St Petersburg
an hour before | received an invitation
to preach the Gospel of Christ as | be-
lieyed it. Besides all this, have you for
gotten that the Crimean war, which
shook the earth, grew out of Russia's in
reference in behalf of the prosecuted
Christians of all nations in Turkey?
But" says some one, "have there not
been prosecutions of other religions in
Russia?" No doubt, Just as in other times
in New England we burned witches,
and as we killed Quakers, and as the Jews
in America have been outrageously treat
eli ovvi si,l1o /, can remember, and the
Chinese in our land have been pelted,
and their stores torn down and their way
from the steamer wharf to their destined
quarters tracked with their own blood.
The devil of persecution is in every land
and in all ages Some of us in the differ
ent denominations of Christians in Amer
lea have felt the thrust of persecution
because we thought differently OF did
things differently from those who would,
II they had the power, put us in furnace
eight times heated, one more degree of
caloric than ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Perse-
cutions in all lands, but the emperor of
Russia sanctions none of them. l had
most satisfactory talk with the emperor
about the religions of the world, and he
thinks and feels as you and do-that re-
ligion is something between man and
his God, andslo one has right to inter
fere with it, You may go right up to
st. Petersburg and Moscow with your
Episcopal liturgy, or your Presbyterian
catechism, or your Congregationalist's
liberalism, or your Immersionist's Bap-
tistry, or any other religion, and if you
mind your own affairs and let others
mind theirs you will not be molested.
Calumny the Fourth-Russia is so
very grasping of territory, and she
seems to want the world. But what are
the facts? During the last century and
a quarter the United States have taken
possession Of everything between the
thirteen colonies and the Pacific ocean,
and England during the same length of
time has taken possession of nearly
three million square miles, and by the
extent of her domain has added two
hundred and fifty million population,
while Russia has added during that time
only one-half the number of square miles
and about eighteen million of population
-England's advance of domain by two
hundred and fifty million against Rus
sia's advance of domain by eighteen mil
lion. What paltry Russian advance
Of domain by eighteen million as COM
pared with the English advance of do
main by two hundred and fifty millioni
The United States and England had bet
ter keep still about extravagant and ex-
tortionate enlargement of domain.
Calumny the Fifth-Siberia is den of
horrors, and today people are driven
like dumb cattle; no trial Is afforded to
the suspected ones; they are put into
quicksilver mines, where they are
whipped and starved and some day find
themselves going around without any
head. Some of them do not get so far
as Siberia. Women, after being tied to
stakes in the streets, are disrobed and
whipped to death in the presence of
bowling mobs. Offenders hear their
own flesh siss under the hot irons.
But what are the facts? There are no
kinder people on earth than the Rus
slams, and to most of them cruelty is an
impossibility. / hold in my hand card.
You see on it that red circle That is
the governments seal on a card giving
me permission to visit all the prisons Of
st. Petersburg, as l had expressed a
wish in that direction. As the messenger
handed this card to me he told me that
carriage was at the door for my dis
posal in visiting the prisons. 1t so hap
pened, however, that | was crowded
with engagements and I could not make
the visitation. But do you suppose such
cheerful permission and carriage to
boot would have been afforded me If the
prisons of Russia are such bells on earth
as they have been described to be?
asked an eminent and distinguished
American, Have you visited the pris-
ons of st. Petersburg, and how do they
differ from American prisons?" He re-
piled, Il have visited them, and they
are as well ventilated and as well condi-
toned in every respect as the majority
of the prisons in America" Are women
whipped in the street? No; that state
ment comes from the mandatory of
fabrication, a mandatory that runs
day and night, so that the supply may
meet the demand.
But how about Siberia? Ny answer
is, Siberia is the prison of Russia, a
prison more than twice the size of the
United States. John Howard, who did
more for the improvement of prisoners
and the reformation of criminals than
any man that ever lived, his name
synonym for mercy throughout Christen-
dom, declared by voice and pen that the
system of transportation of criminals
from Russia to Siberia was an admirable
plan, advocating open air punishment