THE CLOSE OF THE PARLIAMENT. 1 65 governments of their countries send rapacious armies on the western, south- ern and eastern coasts of Africa. I will express my gratitude to the Con- gress in the name of those, my brothers, whom we often judge so wrongly because of the cruel treatment their Government inflicts upon the Chinese. I will congratulate the Congress in the name of the whole world if those who have been here have learned, that as long as politics and politicians exist, there is no happiness possible on earth. I will congratulate the Con- gress in the name of the whole humanity, if those who have attended its sessions have realized that it is a crime to be astonished when we see that another human being is a man like ourselves. Now, Dr. Bonney, one word to you personally. All I have said in thanking these ladies and gentlemen, I beg you to accept for yourself ; for all I owe to them is due to your kindness. I pray you to accept my per- sonal gratitude, and the assurance that whenever 1 may be of any use to you, although on the other side of the earth, St. Petersburg will be near enough to Chicago. No continents, no oceans, no distances will ever pre- vent me from reaching a friendly hand to President Bonney, nor to any of the distinguished gentlemen and ladies I am so happy to have met and known.
- ' We have a splendid delegation from the sunrise king-
dom of Japan," then remarked Dr. Barrows, "and I'm going to ask our friends, the Buddhist representatives of Japan, to rise as their names are called, and then our eloquent friend, Mr. Hirai, will speak for them." The four Buddhist priests, attired in the full vestments of their order, arose and saluted the audience. " Mr. Hirai," continued Dr. Barrows, "has lived for several years in our country. His voice was one of the first to thrill us through and through as he told us of the wrongs so-called Christian civilization had committed in Japan. I now have the pleasure of introducing him." Mr. Hirai, after returning warm thanks for kindnesses, said : Ladies and Gentlemen,— The Parliament of Religions has come to its end, and to those who promoted it and endeavored to accomplish this grand enterprise we express our utmost congratulation for their great success, and we return our sincere gratitude for their cordial invitation and the kind treatment we have received in Chicago during several weeks. We also return our hearty thanks to those ladies and gentlemen who have daily attended this Congress and applauded our presentations, in spite of their being discourteous to you. We cannot but admire the tolerant forbearance and compassion of the people of the civilized West.
