Connecticut western news., 1892-11-24

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 noth- ing but persecution and imprisonment and outrage intolerable await the dis ciples of any other religion. But what are the facts? I 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, 1 said to him, 7 T suppose your religion is that of the Greek schurch?' s.No," said he. 1T am Lutheran" "What is your religionP' I said to one of the highest and most in- fluential officials at St. Petersburg. He said, s.I am of the Church of England" Myself, an American, of still another denomination of Christians, and never having been inside a Greek church in my life until went to Russia, could not have received more consideration had I been baptized in the Greek church and all my life worshiped at her altars. 1 had it demonstrated to me very plainly that mans religion in Russia has noth- ing to do with his preferment for either office or social position. The only ques- tions taken into such consideration are honesty, fidelity, morality and adapta- tion. had not been in St. Petersburg m hour before received an invitation to preach the Gospel of Christ. as I be- heved 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 persecuted Christians of all nations ill Turkey2
 But says some one, .have there not been prosecutions of other religions in Russian Nodoubt, 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 ed ever since 1 can rememb 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 differ ent denominations of Christians ill Amer ica have felt the thrust of persecution because we thought differently or did things differently from those who would, If they had the power, put us in furnace eight times heated, one more degree of caloric than Nebuchadnezzar's Perse- cutions in all lands, but the emperor of Russia sanctions none of them.a had most satisfactory talk with, the emperor about the religions of the world. and he thinks and feels as ycr and do-that re- 7 ligion is something between man and 2 his God, and no one has right to inter- fere with it. You may gos right up to St. Petersburg and Moscc " 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 Jet others mind theirs you will not betmolested.
 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 arquarter 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 Aand fifty million population, Z 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 ulion. What a paltry Russian advance
 
 pared with the English advance of do- main by two, hundred and fifty .millionl 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;i they are put into quicksilver ..p 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 tc 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 sians, and to most of them cruelty is an impossibility. hold in my hand a 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 I had expressed a wish in that direction. As the messenger handed this card to me he told me that 8 carriage was at the door for my dis posal in visiting the prisons. It so hap pened, however, that I was crowded with epga gelnents 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 hells on earth as they have been described to be? I 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 we'll ventilated and as we'll 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 manufactory of fabrication, a manufactory that runs day and night, so that the supply may meet the demand.
 But how about Siberia2 My 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 d synonym for mercy throughout Christen- dom, declared by voice and pen that the system of transportation of criminals from Russia to Siberia was all admirable plan, advocating open air punishment rather than endungeonment, and also because It was taking all offenders hum dreds of miles away from their evil companions. John Howard, after wit messing the plan of deportation of crim- inals from Russia to Siberia, commended 1t to England. If man commits mur- der in Russia, he is not. electrocuted as we electrocute him, or choked to death by halter as we choke him to death. Russia is the only country on earth from which the death penalty has been driven, except in case of high treason Mur- derers and desperate villains are sent to the hardest parts of Siberia, but no man is sent to Siberia or doomed to any kind of punishment in Russia until he has fair trial. So far as their being hustled off in the night and not knowing why they are exiled or punished is concerned,