The New York herald., 1876-12-12
THE TURKS VICTIMS.
APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE ExLED CHRIS
TIANs OF THE BALKAN PROVINCES.


APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE ExILED CHRIS
T1ASs OF THE BALKAN PROVINCES.
vESrSoR, England Nov. 90, 1876.
To THE EDITOR HERALD
VIII you give me space your columns TO make
appeal to the American people behalf Of the people
OF the Western Balkan provinces exiled by the
taken by the Turks for the repression Of
surrectionY | have been in that section since Sep
tembcr I, 1875 and am, therefore, competent speak
OF that portion OF the refugees for whom psadthose
who have taken refuge in Croatia Dalmata and in
Montenegro. ot these there in Croatia Alone
according TO Miss Irby English lady who
has been working among tho refugees more than
year, 72000; along the Dalmatan frontier
north or the Narenta probably about TO- 600 in tho
district OF Ragusa alone 600, and in Cattaro proba
ably 900 or 900 Those In the district north
Of the Narsnla We know little about that only an
approximation is possible. They have no committees
to for register them But in Montenegro alone
whose poor and valorous population nearer kindred
by and religion to the hunted Christians OF Hcrze
govna, and to whose mountains they fed. whom II was
possible, in preference to Dalmatia there are $4,000
souls thrown on the charity OF population which Is
the smallest poorest OF all the independent Chris
tan States being only l20 000 tho total revenue OF
the country being about $3.50, 900 and the total in
comes Of tho whole people probably not much above
$1,000. .000
the miserable living victims OF Bulgaria, because
do not know anything personally OF them; but their
number Is nothing like SO large as those this side
he Balkan Peninsula, and they already looked after
by powerful English committees, under the direction
'i Lady strangford and others. or those OF whom
Know can say unhesItatingiy, no desttuton can DO
greatcr than theirs Most OF them have now been in
xe for moro than year, and are entirely dependent
hastily put up by the committses &c have seen as
many as thirty souls, young and old, hudded in the
aoie o. Kindly peasant. where .ns pigs and sheep
sands died last winter from hunger and cold. On
part OF the frontier the Austrian guard told me, in
March last that all the children under three had
died already. One unfortunate band OF refugees
brought in their hfty-four dead bodies OF their
children VINO had dcd in their flight 10 give them
burial in Christian land. Even all summer long they
were dying in numbers OF starvation typhus."
Last winter the Austrian government allowed them
In some districts about four each but in the
mer this was Withdrawn, and the winter setting
in finds them without resources except the little aid
lhe local authorities and private charity gives them.
We may succeed In 30 calling attention 70 their cond
again for those its hands, but what does will be
barely 10 starvation and the question their
clo:hing in the cold bleak hills OF Dalmaa is almost
AS important as food, and for this the has
not done and Will not do anything
In Montenegro the means Of tho government
hready exhausted. The bread supply OF the country
never enough for Its population. The crops
u this summer nearly exhausted already, and the
almost continual with the Turk either preserve
Us own freedom to aid its kindred Herzegovina is
tality
In the district Of Ragusa OF the first cares OF tho
committee was TO organize schools Tor the children OF
the refugees, none OF whom could read, and by the
help or the priests they established seven schools
which have provided 500 children with the rud-
ments OF substantial education, with some clothing
and small pecuniary contribution their living at
an expense OF about Sl40 per month"; everything in-
cluded This has now to be gwen up, the need for
bread absorbing all the means OF the committee and
being miserably Inadequate even ior this in the
limited district In which 1t works AS things
stand at least 900 OF these refugees die Of
cold or starvation cannot get aid tor them
ser at about So each. want to ask practical and
llmple question. How many people there In the
United States who are willing to charge themselves
with one soul at that cost? l should like to
Of the generous deeds of our past outdone-ships
loaded with bread, with grain wheat maiZc coming
IN imperial way to bring the aid Of the great Rcpub
which has endured centuries Of slavery rather than
abandon its faith-a great splendid race, of
those which will one Of these days divide with
she sovereignty Of the world, but which has
hardly got head above the oroppresson
whose very name Is u synonym Of servitude. l should
like to OF our biggest ships como to Cataro
Montenegro-that Of liberty the desert which
Turkish oppression has made and European imperial
jealouses maintaned-o enable him to feed hts people
bankers drafts Tor some hundred thou
snnd dollars come to relieve tho
mediate strain OF this Immense misery
aid the poor and oppressed in this hemisphere In
Its own. Will the American people do splendid
thing for the starving Christians OF Herzegovina and
do 1t in the quick and splendid way it can do such
things?
WHERE SUBSCRIPTIONS NAY BE SENT.
Money by post office order London bankers draft
by draft London Trieste His Grace Hilarion
Rogonovich, Bishop OF Montenegro, Cettinge; or
Baron Gho'aidi aOndola Rasusa W Yours 's1 iruly;