Connecticut western news., 1892-11-24
AT THE TABERNACLE.
OR. 1ALMAGE sTARTLES THE couN- TRY BY HIS REPORT ON RUSSIA.

York and Brooklyn Talking Before
 Night-Russia Our Friend in 1se1-5.
 Many Calumnies Refuted.
 BROOKLYN, Nov. 20.-Rev. Dr. Tal- mage today fulfilled his promise that he would again speak of his visit to Rus sia and correct many wrong impress ,ions concerning that empire and its ruler. After an exposition of Scripture and congregational singing he took for his text II Peter ii, 10, 'Presumptuous are they, self willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
 Amid a 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. It is bad streak of hu- man nature now, as 1t was ill the time of the text bad streak of human na ture, that success of any kind excites the jealous Antipathy of those who cannot 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 cut cross on which to assassinate him Out of this evil spirit grow not only in dividual but national and interna i)ua defamation. To no country has more in justice been done than to our own in days that are past.
 Long before "Martin Chuzzlewit" was printed the literature of the world sooffed at everything American Victor Hugo, as honest as he was unequaled in literary power, was so misinformed con corning America that he wrote: 1.-The most singular thing is the need of whit ting, with which all Americans are pos sessed. It Is such that on Sunday they give the sailors little bits of wood, be- cause if they did not they would whittle the ship. In court, at the most critical moment, the judge, whittling, says, sPrisoner, are you guilty? and the &C., cused tranquilly responds, whittling, I am not guilty"
 . Lord John Russell called us "a bub- ble bursting nationality" But our coun- try has at last recovered from such cari- cature, and there is not street in any city of Europe or Asia where the word America" will not win deference. 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 mis- understood as Russia, and no monarch more misrepresented than its emperor. Will it not be in the cause of justice if try to set right the minds of those who compose this august assemblage and the minds of those to whom, on both sides of the ocean, these words shall come? If the islander of one person is wicked, then the islander of one hundred and twelve million people is one hundred and twelve 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, I now speak. But Russia is so vast subject that to treat it in one dis course is like attempting to run Niagara falls over one mill wheel
 Do not think that the very marked courtesies extended me last summer by prince of Russia have conlplimented me into the advocacy of that empire, for shall present you authenticated facts that will reverse your opinions, if they have been antagonistic, as mine were reversed. I went last summer to Russia with as many baleful prejudices as would make an avalanche from the mountain of fabrication which has for years been heaped up against that em- pire.
 Ton ask how is it possible that such appalling misrepresentations cf Russia could stand? I account for It by the fact that the Russian language is to most an impossible wall. M~ign the United States, or malign Greas Britain or Germany or France, and b. the next cablegram 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 to speak it, is to most vocal organs an unpro- nounceable tongue, and if at St. Peters burg or Moscow any anti-Ru.sian cal umny were denied the most of heworld outside of Russia would never.see or hear of the denial,
 What are the motives for 1lisrepre- sentation2 Commercial interests and in terna tional jealousy. Russia ls as large as all the rest of Europe put together. Remember that nation is only man or g. woman on big scale. Go into any neigh borhood of America and ask the phyeician who has small practice what he thinks of the physician who has q large practice. Ask a lawyer who has i, no briefs what he thinks of the lawyer who has three rooms filled with clerks !. trying in vain to transact the superabun dant business that comes to him. Ask ths minister who has very limited audience what he thinks of the minister who has overhowing audience es.
 Why does not Europe like Russiai Because she has enough acreage tc swallow all Europe and feel she had only half meal. Russia + ;.s long as North and South America pat together She has twenty-five thousaud miles oi se~board. "But," says soma one, 'tdo you mean to charge the authors and the lecturers who have writer or spoken against Russia with falsehond?" By nc means. You can find in any city or na tion evils innumerable if you wish te discourse about them.
 1 said at St. Petersburg to the most eminent lady of Russia outside of the imperial family, Are thoss stories oi cruelty and outrage that have heard sud read about true?' She replied: INC dSubt some of them are true, but do yor not in America ever have officers of ths law cruel and outrageous in their treat ment of offenderss Do you not have in stances where the police have clubbe' innocent persons? Have you no in stances where people in brief authorit act arrogantly?' I replied, "Yes, W