The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-09
ALL HAVE CONFIDENCE
IN THE GOVERNMENT

Hartford, Oct. S--After devotional
exercises at this evenings session OF
the American Board, President s. B.
Capon, LII. D., read the official report
of the board concerning the captivity
and ransom of Miss Ellen M. Stone.
The report was as follows:-.
There is such universal interest In
the case of Miss Ellen M. Stone, now
in the hands of the brigands, that 1t
seems wise for the officers of the board
to make brief statement of the facts
as they exist at the present time. For
several weeks the government author
tiles at Washington have been at work,
using every possible effort to secure
her release. These have been days OF
deep anxiety for the officers Of the
board. We have been in frequent COM
munication with our representative in
ConstantinOple.
Last Thursday we received dis
patch from Washington which told US
how increasingly grave the situation
had become On the receipt Of this
telegram a meeting Of the prudential
committee was hastily called to meet
the following day at II O'Clock. The
committee came together and consid-
cred the. situation most thoroughly. On
the one side was the life of dearly
beloved missionary; on the other SIDE
was the fact that If we yielded to
this demand for ransom II was putting
premium on the lives of every mis-
sionary Of the American Board, and
not OF our board only, but the mission
aries Of every society in the world. Inc
question was even broader than the
case of missionaries; it practically con-
cerned the safety Of any and every
American citizen.
RECOGNIZING the full gravity of the
situation the committee, without dis
senting vote, decided that it had no
right TO pay a ransom and establish a
precedent which would be sure to be
dangerous in the future. Furthermore,
we were restrained by the further fact
that we had no funds that could De
employed for this purpose. The gov
eminent were restrained from paying
the money by constitutional limitation,
and the American Board-seemed equal
" restrained from paying a ransom.
The solicitude of the committee was
such, and their purpose to do every
thing possible was so strong, that they
sent deputation, consisting Of the
president and one Of its secretaries TO
J Washington. to meet President Roose-
welt and the officials of the state de-
b
last Saturday fore noon. 1t is impossi-
BILE to overstate the sympathy and in
terest of the President, the acting sec
rotary of state, and other officials.
The conference was lengthy, during
which time the government showed
what steps IT was taking. and how eY-
cry power of diplomacy was being
used to effect the release Of Miss Stone.
Confidential details were given which,
of course is a breach Of trust for us
to give to the public, but the friends
of the board end the whole nation can
be assured that everything conceivable
is being done to further the recovery
OF Miss Stone.
The heart and the persistence or the
President in this effort were most sig
nificant They assured US that appar-
emily at the moment the only practi-
cable method to secure her life was TO
have the funds promptly at hand TO
pay the ransom. 1t was evidently the
positive conviction of the government
that this step was the first one 10 be
taken But it ought to be clearly IN
derstood that this is but one step; that
when she is released there will be a
vigorous attempt not only to secure
the return Of the money, but. further
more. to bring about such conditions
that such an occurrence shall not be
possible in the future. No one doubts
that our government as at present or
ganized will not drop this matter until
the rights OF American citizenship are
established.
Meanwhile a movement was begun
under the leadership Of the family Of