The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-12-07

| posing that he must by that time have bsen
almost in Siberia, he found that he was OF
the door Of his own home. But this pun.
ishmsnt was sufficient.
The same emperor, having heard that a
| poet had written a poem defamatory of his
empress, ordered the uoat into his presence.
| Expecting great severity, the poet entered
the palace and found the emperor and en-
press and dukes and duche SSes gathered to-
| gether "Good m rning," said the emperor
to the offender. II hear you have written
most beautiful poem, and have sent for
| you that you may read it to us and We may
have the pleasure of hearing it," TIE man
! cried out, "Send me- to Siberia or do any,
| thing with me, but do not make me read this
poem in your presence" He was compelled
to read the deFanatorY poem, an then the
empress, against whom it was aimed, g lid:
''I d. not think he will write any more
verses about US again. Let him CO." And
| so he was freed
And now comes in Alexander the Third,
doing the best things possible for the nation
which he loves and which as ardently loves
him. But what an undertaking to rule one
hundred and twelve million people, made up
| Of one hundred tribes and races and speak
ing forty different Ian guagesi But notwith-
standing all this, things there move on mar
yelously WELL and do not believe that out
Of five hundred thousand Russians you
would find more than one person who dis
likes the emperor, and 80 that calu nny Of
dread of assassination drops so fat it can
fall no flatter.
Calumny the Seconi-It you go to Russia
you are under severest espionage, stopped
here and questioned there. and in danger OF
arrest. But my opinion is that il q man
is disturbed in Russia it is because ha
ought to be disturbed. Russia Is the only.
country in Europe in which my baggage
was not examined. 1 carried in my hand,
tied together with a chord SO that their
titles could be seen, a pile Of eight or ten
books, all OF them from lid to lid cursing
Russia, but had no trouble in taking With
me the books. There is ten times more difi
Guilty in getting your luggage through this
American custom house than through the
Russian. Ispeak not Of myself, for friends
iutercede for me on American wharves, and
Russia before was asked if hal any pass
port at all.
Depend upon 1t, if hereafter q man be!
lieves he is unc ,mtortably watched by the
police of st. Petersburg or Moscow 1t is be.
cause there is somethin, suspicious about
him, and you yourself had better, when he
is arouni, LOOK after your silver spoons. /
promise you, an honest man or an honest
woman, that when You go there, as many OF
you wiIl-for European travel is e'tinet to
change its course from southern Europe to
those northern regions-you will have no
more molestation or supervisal than in
Brooklyn or New York or the quietest Long
Island village.
Calunny 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 perse.
cution and Imprisonment and outrage intol-
cradle await the disciples OF any Other re-
lipion. But what are the facts? had q
long ride in st. Petersburg and its suburbs
with the project, brilliant, efficient and
lovely mao, who is the highest official In the
city Of st. Peters ourg, and whose CHIEF
business is to atteul tn, emoeror. I said to
him, ~ suppose your religion is that OF the
Greek church?' "No," said he; II am @
Lutheran" "What is your religionY Isaid
to one OF the highest and most influential
officials at st. Petersburg. He said, II au
Of the Church OF England"
Myself, on American, Of still another de-
nomination Of Christians. ami never having
been insi ie Greek church 10 my life unttl
Invent to Russia, could not have received
more consideration had been baptfssd In
in the Greek church and all my life wor.
SHIPPED at her alters. had it demonstrated
to me very plainly that mans religion In
Russia has nothing to do with his prefer
ment for either Office or social position. Tho
oniy questions taken into consideration ara
honesty, fidelity, morality and adaptation.
I had not been in st. Petersburg an hour
before Ireceived an invitation to preach the
Gospel OF Christ as I believed it. Besides all
this, have you forgotten that the Crimean
war, which shook the earth, grew out OF
Russia's interference In behalf Of the prose-
cu5ed Christians OF all nations in Turkey?
But" says some one, "have there not
been prosecutions Of other religions In Rus
SLAP No doubt just as In other times In
New England we burned witches, and q; we
killed Quakers, and as the JewSin Apuerics
have been outrageously treated ever sincs
can renem Der, 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 different demo ninatious OF Christians in
America have felt the thrust Of persecution
because we thought differently or did things
differently from those who would, il they
had the lower, put us in q furnace eight
times heated, one more degree Of caloric than
Nebuchadnezzar's. Prosecutions in all lands
but the emperor Of Russia sanctions none Of
them.
mad most satisfactory talk with ths
emperor about the religions Of the world,
and he thinks and feels as you and I do, that
religion is something between q man and
his God, aud no one has right to interfere
with it. You may 60 right up to st. Retar5-
burg and Moscow with your Episcopal
liturgy, or your Presbyterian catecalsm. or
your Congregationaiist's Liberalism, or your
1umersionist's Baptistry. or any other re.
ligion, and If you mind your own affairs and
let others mind theirs you will not be mo.
lested.
Calumny the Fourth-Russia is 80 very
grayping Of territory, and she seems to want
the world. But what are the facts! Dur
ing the last century aud a quarter the
United States have taken possession Of
everything between the thirteen colonies
and the Pacific ocean, and England, during
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 AMI about
eighteen million Of population -Englands
advance of domain by two hundred and
fifty million against Russia's advance of do
main by eighteen mi'Gon. What paltry
Russian advance Of domuin by eighteen mil
lion as compared with the English advance
of domain by two hundred an fifty mil.
non! Ine CnlCeu States AMI Engiann hal
better keep still about extravagant and eK-
tortionate enlargement of domain.
Calumny the Fifth-SiberIa is den Of
horrors, and to-day people are driven like
dumb cattle; no trial is atfor led to the sus.
pected ones; they are put into quicksilver
mines where they are whipped an 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 ara disrobs1
and whipped to death in the presence Of
bowling mobs. Offenders hear their own
flesh siss under the hot irons.