New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-15
DIR. PETERS DENOJNCES THE ~" LhS

THE RECTOR OF ST AICHAELs PAYS TRlhIlE
TO THE uERoIsM OF GREECE
In ,hs-course OF his morning sermon yesterday
IN ST Michaers Church. Ninety -ninth-st. and AM
sterdam-ave. the Rev. Dr. John p. Peters. the
rector. said in reference to the Cretan question:
For over a hundred years the so-caled christian
Powers OF Europe have kept Turkey IN sNis,ehcs
and authorized It TO rob and murder the CHRISTIANS
within its dominions because each Of them either
wanted a slice OF IL for itself or wanted 10 prevent
some one else from securing a slice OF IT. Be
cause OF the greed and selfshness OF those Chris-
tian Powers hundreds o. thousands o: Chrlstinihs
have been massacred. and myriads more compelled
TO live in misery. degradation and barbarism. IN
1921 the conditions in Greece became so aoe
that the people in rebellion. The Turks at
once iel on the unonending Greeks OF Constants;
nople and massacred them under circumstances o.
peculiar atrocity. hanging the aged patriarch with
some OF the bishops before the door o. the cam.
edral Easter Day. \ little later the Turkish fleet
descended on the rich and prosperous island OF
Chos and after having lulled the inhabitants into
fancied security By procaiming amnesty, landed
troops. who ie upon the unarmet villagers and
killed ?.SoO OF them and carried go away TO be
Others equally atrocious. Whenever the Turkish
savages were able they slaughtered the Greek
and the younger women 10 be sold as slaves.
The Christian Powers agreed to keep their hands
content and the Greeks were left 10 their fate
But they were heroes as truly as were The Greeks
TLermopylse and Platea. and though they fought
Sue s nneSSa Struggle @
age SO heroic we're their exploits that poets sang
them in all tongues. hanaris. Win MS cofnraces,
after receiving the sacrament-for they expected
70 sacrifice their ves-sailed with their ships into
the midst OF the Turkish fleet and blew into the
air the ship OF the Admiral who had executed the
Sultan'< commands Chos Marcos BOzZaris.
with $50 Suliotes. fell on 800 Turks by night and
scattered them. such achievements when the
Greeks Tough, against great odds. fired the hearts
OF the free people OF Europe and America. and
volunteers iOcked TO Greece from this country.
England. France. Switzerland. Bavaria and Italy.
his death In Greece as n Greek volunteer. Among
those who went from this country 10 fight the
battle OF freedom former rector or this par
ish OF St Michaels. But though the hearts OF
Greece in her desperate struggle for independence
the Christian rulers were with Turkey IL was al
most by an accident AT last that Russia. France
and England led TO intervene and give Greece
her freedom. and In doing so they reduced her bor-
ders within ae narrow limits possible
Crete which had fairly earned It's freedom. Eng
land insisted on restoring TO Turkey. christian
England FOR fear that In some way free Crete
might prove to her material and commercial dis
advantage handed Crete back to Turkey and thus
consigned thousands OF Christian men 20 massacre
and Christian women 10 outrage From that day
20 this Crete has been scene OF horrible mis-
government. incessant revolts and brutal massa-
cres Now last. the Turks were attempting
10 put into execution the same policy or pacihca-
ton by determination which they pursued recently
in Armenia the Greeks have dared 10 interfere for
the rescue OF their fellow countrymen.
And then. what? The Christian rulers OF Europe
have ordered Greece to leave the Cretans to their
fate have threatened her with war. have driven
away her vessels by superior force. have hred upon
the Cretans whose allies they should have been.
and helped the Turks 10 plumber their homes.
Valiant little Greece, No man who loves God and
freedom but must honor and admire her, But. oh,
shame on the rulers Of England and Russia and
germany who blasphemously call themselves