The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-08-23
Turkish Atrocities.

Pending the resumption Of active oper-
ations by the two armies in Bulgaria, the
public is shocked by the horrible, even
tiendish, atrocities that are taking place
in the districts recently occupied by the
Russian troops, from which they have
been forced by the recent disaster al
Plevna. It would be absurd to suppose
that any war between two nations could
be conducted according to the etiquette
Of refinement, or upon principles of abso-
lutte humanity, much more so to expect
that two such coarse-fbred and naturally
fierce nations as the Tartar and the Turk
would make war against each other with
out the commission of some barbar1t1es,
incident to the passionate and ferocious
character of the Cossacks on the one hand
and the Bashi- -Bazouks on the other, not
to speak Of the Bulgarians, who are actu-
ated in their conduct by revenge based
upon centuries Of suffering. But these
atrocities are not confined to those which
might naturally be expected to grow out
of such war as this, and which presum-
ably are beyond the control of authority.
1t is impossible not to believe from the
evidence that there is studied and ma
licious determination upon the part of
the Turks to kill off all the Slavic and
Greek population of Bulgaria and Rou-
melia, men, women, and children; to
burn their villages; lay waste their fields;
and, if they are compelled to retreat be-
fore the Russians, to leave behind them a
depopulated desert.
The district in which the worst cruel
ties have been perpetrated lies to the
south of the Balkans and was recently oc-
cupied by Gen. Gourka's corps. When
Gen. Gourka evacuated Eski-Sagra, on
the 31st of July, the Turks ordered that
all Christians, men, women, and children
should be shot as they left their houses.
Those who did not leave were burned
alive in their homes. The hospital
containing 800 patients, was fired and all
its inmates were burned. The Tschirpan
district, one of the richest in that part Of
Turkey, has been completely devastated.
The villages were burned and as the in
habitants tried to escape they were shot
down. Along the road from Eski-Sagra
to Kezanlik, Turkish soldiers were posted
with orders to shoot every Christian that
passed. Those who have escaped are
homeless, shclterless, without food, and
must starvc. In the Eski-Sagra and Kes-
anlik districts alone, it is estimated that
$4,000 Christians have been already mas
sacred. by the inhuman Turks. The
correspondents of the London Times with
the Turkish armies are not prevented by
Turkish bribes or threats from disclosing
the atrocities of these butchers. One Of
them, with Suleiman Pasha's forces, tells
horrible story Of ghastly pyramid
formed of heads of Russian wounded.
Col. Wellesley, the British attache with
the Turkish troops in Europe, confirms
the reports Of these atrocities, and Sir
Arnold Kemball, who occupies similar
position with the Turkish army in Asia
witnessed the slaughter Of all the Russian
prisoners who were captured at Bajazid.
Such evidence as this proves beyond ques-
ton that the Turks are waging war Of
determination against Greeks and Chris
tians, and violating all rules of war
fare in their relations to the Russians.
On the other side, the Turks are not
slow in notifying the world of atrocities
alleged to be committed by the Russians.
Undoubtedly some cruelties have been
committed by the Bulgarians. They
would be less than human if they did
not show bloody resentment when the
opportunity afforded itself. If they have
been cruel, if they have burned and
killed, it is only tho natural outgrowth
of centuries of massacre, murder, rape, ar
son, and pillagc. They have been ground
down into the dust for 800 years by the