Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-15


Of at Irkutsk as being on his way to st.
Petersburg under a strong guard. 1t Is
understood that on reaching the Rus
sian capital he was incarcerated in that
living tomb, the Peter and Paul fort
ress, for having dared to proclaim u
republic under the very nose of the
Gar. The republic was wiped out OF
existence during the recent troubles in
China, and its territory, like the re-
| mainder of that portion of China, is
now in the possession of Russia. What
became OF the American members of
| that republic will perhaps never he
| known. They were mostly adventures
| and in many cases men who were not
in the least anxious to invite the at
tentiOn of the authorities of their ma
tive land, even if for purpose of protec-
| ton. 1t is quite likely that those who
have escaped the tortures of Chinese
| marau1ers and the bullets and sabres
of the Cossacks are now working out
terms which will only end with life in
the mines and other penal works OF
Russian Siberia.
1t is strange that the resignation by
DR.. Weldon, of the Eishopric of CAL
| cutta, which is the Metropolitan See OF
India, in order to accept the immeasur-
ably lower dignity of a canon at West
| minister should have attracted so little
attention and protest on the part of the
| Missionary Societies in England, as
| well as here. 1t is not for the sake of
his failing health that the Bishop of CAL
cutta, who was formerly headmaster at
| Harrow, has resigned, for he is a man of
magnificent physique. But he has been
forced out of the Primacy Of British In
dia by the Anglo-1ndjan government,
which took exceptions to his too vigOr-
Gus championship of the missionary
cause in India. Indeed the Bishop ac-
tually went so far as to assail the gov
eminent, and especially it's system o.
public education for neglecting to pro-
mote the interests of Christianity and
of the missionary cause.
Now, ever since the Indian mutiny in
| 1857, the British government has studi-
ously refrained from giving any counte-
nance to Christian missionary work in
that great Oriental dependency. 1t has
observed policy of complete religious
equality. 1t has accorded the same
privileges and protection to native
faiths as to the various Christian de-
nominations, and by this entire absence
of anything resembling a PROSECUTING
by the State, has managed to win the
confidence, not only of the natives, but
likewise of their clergy.
The Bishop of Calcntta's outspoken
abuse of this policy, which he charac-
| terized as the promotion of atheism"
had the effect of creating such popu-
lar ferment throughout the length and
| breadth of India that the authorities,
remembering that the great mutiny of
1857 had originated with religious
difficulty, insisted upon his leaving for
England, and upon his resigning his
prir9acy of the Anglican Church in In
dia.
1t is only since the fact has become
known in India that he had been dis
avowed, and so to speak, disciplined by
the Crown-that is the way the people
| in India look upon the matter-that the
uneasiness among the 300,000,000 of ma
tives of Hindustan has been allayed,
and that the native clergy have be-
come treasured that no attempt is
about to be made by the English gov
eminent to compel the adoption of
| Christianity.
incidentally. I may mention that the
| AnSlo-Egyrtian government has re-
Gently renewed for term of several
wears it's very stringent prohibition Of
any kind of Christian missionary work
in the Soudan. 1t wishes to reassure
| The natives that no attempt will be
made to interfere with their religious
beliefs, prejudices and customs.
It is only fair to add that the English
government has frequently commended
the purely educational and medical
| work accomplished by the American
missionaries in India.