The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-14


in Chicago.
The opening exercises consisted first
OF singing by the audience, led by a
small choir:
From all that dwell below the skies,
Let the Creators praise arise,
Let the Redeemer's name be sung;
In every land, by every tongue.
Cardinal Gibbons then stepped TO
the front Of the platform, and first
crossing himself slowly, repeated the
Lords Prayer" in which the audi
ence Joined.
Nh. Bonney gave the first address Of
welcome, beginning, "Worshippers Of
God and lovers of men," IL was often
remarked that he thus at the outset
struck the keynote OF the whole Par
Lament. For it was curious and inter
esting to note as the convention pro-
crossed, how men of all religions,
Christian and Jew, Buddhist and
Glen and Parsee and Jain all professed
to worship God, each in his own way,
and how each labored to show that
his religion was the very best adapted
for the moral and material uplifting Of
mankind.
DR.. Barrows followed in another
address OF welcome, setting forth the
objects and aims OF the Parliament.
Archbishop Feehan, of Chicago, repre-
senting the Roman Catholic Church,
followed, and spoke of the Parliament
as the highest and best of all the great
things spoken of in connection with
the Worlds Fair. Men representing
all systems of faith had come to learn
what other men believed. without a
thought of surrenderiDg one atom Of
what they accepted as truth.
The Rev. Augusta j. Chaplin gaid
that the Worlds first Parliament OF
Religions could not have been called
sooner and have gathered representa-
tives of all the faiths together; the
hour had been prepared by the tele-
graph and the railroad and the steam
ship; if it had been held a hundred
years ago or fifty years ago woman
could not have been represented in 1T
as she is today.
Then followed responses to the
greetings of welcome.
First, Cardinal Gibbons said that
while there would be radical differ
ences with respect to the systems OF
faith presented, there was one plat
form on which all could stand united,
and that was the platform of charity,
of humanity, and of benevolence. 1t
was the mission of the blessed Re
deemer to break down the wall of
partition that separated race from
race, people from people, and tribe
from tribe" in order to make ''us one
people, one family recognizing God
as our common father, and Jesus
Christ as our brother"
Representing India, PrOtap CHM
den MaZoomden spoke. He is head
| of branch of the Brahmo Somaj, and
spoke of India as the mother of reli-
III hn M
modern India, intellectual, social,
political, are all awakened, and its
religious instincts stirred TO the roots.
The religion of the Brahmo SOmaj
represents the harmony of all reli-
gions.
Pung Quang Yu, Secretary of the
Chinese Legation in Washington,
turned over his manuscript to DR..
Barrows, who read his address. He
spoke of this as a great moment in
the history of nations and of religions.
The great sage of China believed that
duty was summed up in reciprocity,
and he thought that word had ac-
quired a new meaning in the Parlia-
ment of Religions.
The Greek Archbishop Latos, in
good English, spoke of his great plea
sure in thus being able to fulfill the
wish of his heart in coming to Amer
lea to see what Western ideas had
developed. He expressed himself
rs greatly delighted with everything,
and especially with the friendly faces
he saw all about him. His face
glowed with his enthusiasm, and as
he closed, he lifted his arms and said,
81 bless you L bless you all in the
name of God :"
Renchi Shibata, representing Shin
toism in Japan, appeared in his eccle
siastical dress, bowed to the audience,
and gave his address to DIR. Barrows
to read. He said that the time was
when there We're great conflicts be-
tween various creeds; but that time
had now passed away, and it was a
great blessing, not only, to the reli-
gions represented but to mankind,
that the apostles of each could meet
together on friendly platform
Dharmapala, head of Buddhist
sect in Ceylon, dressed in long coil
of white cloth which you wondered
how he could keep about him as he
gesticulated with great earnestness,
presented the greetings of 415 millions
of Buddhists.
Prince Serge Wolkonski, of Russia,
an elegant young nobleman, said: 81
shall express my gratitude should this
Congress have no other result than to
teach us to Judge our fellow-man by
his individual value, and not by the
political opinions we may have of his
country"
Other speakers representing differ
ent countries were, Count Bernstein of
Germany; Mons. Maury of France;
Archbishop Redwood of New Zealand,
who said: "Whatever the future may
bring, one thing is sure, there can
never be any more persecution for the
sake of religious belief in civilized
nations" and Miss Jeann Serabji, a
converted Parsee, who said she ''felt
it to be great privilege to stand on
this platform and say that she loved
the Lord Christ and would fight under
His banner until the end of life"
This is only specimen of the meet
ings that were held during the seven
teen days, although at many of them
only long and carefully prepared pa
pers and addresses were given. The
representatives of all the non-Chris-
tian religions We're given respectful
and interested hearing, and it was
said that only once in the whole con-
vention was there any decided sign of
disapproval. That was when an Amer
lean convert to Mohamedanism, Rus
sci Alexander Webb, undertook to de-
fend the practice of polygamy among
the Mussulmen, and declared that
under certain condition of climate
and custom pOlVCamy should be look