New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-03
RUSSIAN BISHOPS FAREWELL.
he TAKES PART IN A SPECIAL MASS IN
THIS CITY-PLEADs FOR ALASKAN
REFORMS.


special farewell mass was celebrated yester-
day morning In the Syrian-Arahc Chapel OF the
Orthodox Russian Church. at No. II Washington
ct, for Bishop Nicholas Of Tauris and Simferopol.
and late OF the Diocese Of Alaska and the Aleutian
Islands which includes the Russian churches OF
the whole OF the United States and Canada. The
Bishop IS about o take shi, for Genoa. in COM
pany with the Grand Duke Cyril Vlad.mirovitch
Bishop Alexander. in robes Of Goth OF gold. and
wearing golden crown with diamonds and
rubies took part in the service
The service long lasting frcm 10 Till after 1
o'clock. II was in the Syrian and Russian Ian
guages. with little Greek here and there. The
people stood during the whole of the service,
chairs being provided only COR the old people and
FOR the to take occasional rests when
fatigued by long standing. The communion was
administered two OF the congregation. and at
the close the Bishop greeted each person who
passed him. allowing each TO kiss the cross he
held in his hands. while the choir chanted.
rhe clergy, the Bishop and some invited guests
afterward had a Syrian dinner In the room above
the chapel The Bishop removed his ceremonial
robes and put the black robe with the nat
yelled turban he ordinary occasions. The
dinner given by the Syrian Orthodox Society
and after il there were presented to the Bishop
some pieces of antique Eastern plate made In
silver
Copies of the Bishops farewell address to his
flock, printed In Russian and English were c'rcu-
lated after the service. He admonishes The peo-
pie to avoid attempts OF 9th churches to prose-
yte them and considers the public schools
of this country inmical to the faith.
while you yourselves abide in the faith OF
your fathers" he says. strive TO bring up your
children In the same spirit and on the same lines
You see yourselves how bad is the education
given in the public schools of this country most
Of the children who have attended them come
Of III
without the ordinary Of shame. This ac
counts for all those abnormal conditions which We
prevailing in real life around us
The Bishop has also addressed n letter 10 Presi
dent Mckinley on certain abuses in Alaska. In
II he says: Called away by the will OF the high
est ecclesiastical authority in Russia. am about
to leave forever America and my ministry here
and. in wishing all heavenly and earthly bless
ngs to yourself and to the country of which you
AZ present the representative. consider Il my
on subject not unfamiliar to you owing TO
former communcat lions from me. in the nope
that these words OF mine may find their way into
your heart and induce you 70 take action In a
cause dear not TO me alone. but TO all Russia.
drections This I wrote to you in a former
memorial: this repeat to you now; limit must
which for over thirty years have had the uncon;
trolled management Of affairs, and have reduced
absolute exhaustion and the population to beg
gary and semi-starvation. limit must be set
to the abuses by officials, VINO. as SHOWN ny tne
experience of many years. sent there without
any discrimination and exclusively on the recon-
mendation of Alaska's irremovable guardian,
Sheldon Jackson. And lastly, Alaska must be de-
livered from that man.
I'm the OF humanity. Of justice and free
dom-of those very blessings for the sake OF which
you declared against SPAIN make these re-
quests. VIII you be acting consistently II while
waging war for the liberty OF Cuba. Porto Rico
and the Philippines. for their human rights you
ignore all these things at home In n part OF your
for the blessings promised to it? And are not We
Russians fully entitled to demand OF you for
Alaska that. In the name OF that for which you
have taken I'D arms against Spain?'