Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-21
A SLANDERED LAND.
Russia Not the Place of Darkness and
Brutality That It's Painted.
TALMAGE PRAISES THE CAR.
Religious Liberty Exists, and the Cruel
Knout Long Unknown.
LYEN SIBERIA THE BEST OF PRISONS
-sPFcrAl TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.

BROOKLYN. Nov. 20-Rev DR.. Talmsg
to-day fulfilled his promise that he woul
again speak of his visit to Russia and cor
rect many wrong impressions concernin
that empire and its ruler He took for hi
text H. Peter, lilo: "Presumptuous ar,
they, self-willed, they are not afraid t
speak evil OF dignities.
Amid a most reprehensible crew, Pete
here paints by one stroke the portrait O
those who delight to slash at people in au
thority. Now, we all lave right to crtti
else evil behavior. whether in high place
or low, but the fact that one is high up Is M
proof that he ought to he brought down. i
is a bad streak of human nature now, as i
was in the time of the text a bad streak o
human nature, that success OF any kind ex
cites the jealous antipathy OF those wht
cannot climb the same steep.
Out OF this evil spirit grow not only in
dividual but national and international
defamation. To no country has more in
Justice been done than to our own in day!
that are past. Long before Martin Chu zzle
wit" was printed, the literature of the worlC
scofTed at every: hing American.
There is a sister nation on the other side
OF the sea now going through the process o
international defamation. There is nc
country on earth so misunderstood a:
Russia and no monarch more misrepre
Hented than its Emperor. Ii the slander o
one person is wicked. then the SANDER oil
120 600 600 people is l20 900 0c0 times more
wicked.
The Difficulty of Their Tongue.
\ ou ask how is it possible that such ap
palliug Misrepresentation OF Russia could
srand? Iaccount for it by the fact that the
Russian language is to most an impossible
wall. Malign the United States or malign
g reat Britain or Germany or France, and by
the next cablegram the faIsehood is ex-
posed, TOR VIC all understand English, and
many of our people are familiar with Ger.
rnau and French. But the Russian Ian
uage. beauti nj and easy to those born to
speak it, is to most vocal organs an unpro'
1Ounceabie tongue, and If at st. Petersburg
or Moscow any anti-Russian calumny were
denied, the most of the world outside OF
Russia would never see or hear the denial.
What are the motives for misrepresenta-
tion? Commercial interests and interna-
tIOnal jealousy. Russia is as large as all the
rest O Europe put together. Remember
that a nation is only man or woman on a
big scale.
Oethought myself: Do the people in
America hold the Government at Washing
son responsible for the Homes tead riots at
Pitt burg, Or for railroad instructions, or
1or the torch of the villain that consumes a
block of houses or for the ruf1ians who ar
rest q rail train, making the pa assengers hold
un their arms until the pockets are picked?
WHY, then, hold the Emperor of Russia ho
is as impressive and genial man as have
ever looked at or talked with, responsible
JuT the wrongs enacted in a nation with a
population twice as large in numbers as the
millions of America? Would you indivfd-
ualy prefer to be judged by your faults or
Your virtues? All people, except ourselves,
have faults.
The Russians Are Our Friends.
1t is most important that this country
have right ideas concerning Russia, for,
among all the nations this side of heaven,
Ru.sia is Americas best friend. There has
not heen an hour in the last 15 years that
the ship ~recl1 of free institutions in Amer
ica would not have called forth from all the
despotisms of Europe and Asia shout of
giadness wide as earth ana deep as perdi-
tion. But whoever else failed u.s. Russia
never did, and whoever else was doubtful,
Russia never WAS.
There Is a vast realm of Russia as vet un-
occupied. II the population of the rest OF
Europe were poured into Russia, 1t would be
only partially occupied. After awhile
America will he so well populated that the
tides OF emigration will go the other way,
and by railroads from Russia at Bering
S;raits-whcre Asia comes within Sc miles of
Joining America-milIions of people will
loUr down through Russia and Siberia, and
ON down through all the regions waiting for
the civilization OF the next century TO come
ana culture great harvests and build mighty
cities. What the United States now are or
the Western hemisphere, Russia will be on
the Eastern hemisphere.
And now proceed to what l told the En-
Deror and the Empress and all the imperial
FAMILY at the Palace of Peterhof what l
would do ii / ever got back to America, and
thaU l. to answer some of the calumnies
which have been announced and reiterated
ard stereutYped against Russia.
Sor.e of the SANDERS Answered.
Calumny the First: The Emperor and all
the imperial ialnily are in perpetual dread
OF assassination. My answer to this is that
] never saw a fuce more Tree from worriment
than the EmperUr's ace. He rides through
the streets unattended, except by the EN-
press at his side and the driver on the box.
Tnrye ~ not person in this audience more
free from fear of harm than he Il. His sub
ircts not only admire him, but almost wor-
snip him. There are cranks in Russia, but
have We not had our c. aries Guiteau and
John Wilkes Booth?
But Is not the Emperor an autocrat?" BY
which you mean, has he not power without
restriction? 1es, but 1t all depends upon
hat use "a ma makes of his power Are
Nou an autocTat in your factory, or an auto.
C1at in your store, or an autocrat i'll your
STYLE o: business?
CaIumny the Second: If you go to Russia
you are under severest espionage, stopped
lere and questioned there. and in danger of
arrest. But my opinion is that If man is
dis IN bed in Russia it is because lie ought to
I've disturbed. Russia is the only country i'll
Europe I'm which my baggage WAS not exam
iued. / carried in my hand tied together
Y it'll a cord so that their titles could be
seen eight or ten books, all a them from lid
10 lid cursing Russia. hut had no trouble
in taking with me the books. There is ten
Inn, ore difficulty in getting your bag
Iage through the American Custom House
tEau TIN ough tile Russian.
Perfect Religious Liberty Over There.
Caluninv 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 nothing but
persecution and imprisonment and out
ia e intolerable await the disciples of any
&. her religion. But what are the facts? L
ad n ion ride in ST. Petersburg and its
suburbs with the Pre- ;ect, brilliant, eff
Ci-nU and luveir man. who Is the highest
fficial in the city of St. Petersburg, and
wuo-e chief business Is TO attend the En-
1eror. | laid TO him: i suppose your re-
li.io, l. that OF the Greek Church," az O."
said he. Il am a Lu heran." "What is your
leligion?~ ] said to one OF the highest and
most influential officials at st. Petersburg.
lie said: Il am of the Church of England"
MvseiL an American, OF still another de-
l.o,uinatiun of Christians, and never having
lee Inside Greek church in my life until
I went to Russia. coHld not nave received
/ C.r consideration had i been baptized in
the Greek Chui ch. l haa it demonstrated
fo me very plainly that mans religion in
Ru->ia has nothing to do with his prefer
ment for either office or social position.
Calumny the Fourth: Russia is SO very
Erasping OF territory and she seems to want
the world But what are the iacts? During
The lasI century and a quarter the United
: atcs have taken possession OF everything
between the ThirteCn Colonies and the Pa
c:fic Ocean, aud England, during the same
length o. line, has taken possession of
nearly 3 Coz 90 square miles, and by the ex-
tent ul ucr domain has added 30 0U0, 600
pouulation, white Russia mas aided during