New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-30
'ENGLAND'S GREAT TASK.


REMEDY-THx CHRISTIANS GRArIFTD AT THE
NEW PRoTECToRATE-AN ARMENIAN CITY DUR
ING THE WAR.
iron A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'l
CoSsTANTINoPLE, Aug. 3.-To see good side OF
the Anglo-Turksh alliance it Is neodiul to stand
with the Christians of Asia Minor. Scattered
throughout the country, they are overwhelmed by
the masses of Moslems. They are of various races.
In the far east of Mesopotamia are the
HISTORIANS. North and west of them are
the Arnenians, and further west and along
the coast in all directions Greeks The folly
of natlonasm keeps these races from working To-
gether and assures easy prey to tyranncal mas
ters. Yet they are superior to their masters. They
are producers, not destroyers, and they have many
an aspiration toward education and progress What
does Koord or a Turcoman know of Education or
Progress The one has alphabet, the other never
heard of school. Yet Koords and 1urcOmans hold
down the Christians Of Asiatic Turkey with heavy
hands they the chosen people of the PacaS Mt
the Porte. During the late war when the koords were
ravaging Armenia, and were planning even To SACK
cities the Sultans Ministers sent CrcasSian to gov
ern the region of Botlis in Armenia Under that one
administration, the Armcnans lost property worth
thousands OF dollars. | have sent you again and
again Illustrations of the keen dIsappointments ana
miseues 10y which the hopeless Christians 81 Asiatic
Turkey are reprcsscd. Their religion IL spit upon
and reyed they daily forced to render respect
to private unofficial bulles of the other race. II
one Of them is ingenious has brains, thinks to
get Oh in the world by enterprise, the
tax-gatbcrers fall upon him, they what
suts their bursal needs, and the young trader
is utterly crushed in u short time. Whole districts
of Asiatic Turkey are now the utmost verge OF
starvation because last Winter Turkish cavalry de-
youred the hay that was to have nourShed their
tie, so that the cattle starved. For such waste
full foes of administration there Is no redress.
Because these people are Christians the courts are
closed TO them their poverty makes officials deal
to them; by long custom they are almost the seriS
of the Bcys. They have only resource in the day
of adversely. THIS is to sell their lands, Their wives
and children, their own selves to those who pave
regularly swallowed up The small profits OF their
labor. From this great sunny land wall Of distress
arises which is picOus for it, hOpceSsIess. BuiGa-
rians have lived in Paradise i'll comparison with the
1000, 900 of Christians in Asiatic Turkey.
These people have heard that Europe desires to
ameioratc the lot of the Christians. They have
stretched ont weary hands, appealing for help. But
the European Congresses not daring 10 touch the
problem of the unknown factors. lave merely eA-
pressed sympathy so formal that it did not even
cost intellectual labor These Asatc Christians are
now thrilled by the news that England has bound
herself TO attend to their case The motive Is not
an important matter to them. Let the treaty
bring" tEey saw" TO BeaconslcId the applause whlch
replaces with him the love of the people. "ciuk-
ish Christians only ask ourselves where we Woulu
look for redress If this treaty did not exist
The other day friend of mine was talking with
Mr. Forster III London, on the fate of Asiatlc Tnr-
key Mr. Forster said that, IN his opiuion. Lib
eral Ministry should wash ITS hands OF The Turks
auA their dong, in Aslatic Turkey. lie had no
ray of hope for the anxious muliltudcS VINO look
toward Europe out of that darkness. HE Inks
must be left alone to compass their own downfall.
This policy of giving the Turk rope TO hang himself
with would in time succeed. There Wolld be out
RACES and expressions, aud nasStcr"s ana Teprts-
SONS until Europe would be forced To intervene.
But Asatic Christians have not the patriotism To
submit 10 the rcpTeSsOns and masSacrcs that Europe
may be forced TO free their postcIity from Tie
presence of the Turk. r
Is the true difficulty. as well as the true rcconmend-
alton. of the AugO-rurllish alliance. The defence
of ASIA Minor and Armenia does not necessarily I'M
pIv that the wars will centre there. In any case
England can defend the land by It's people II Is
already rumorcd that cIlSlmets arc I" be made
for special force, Differed by Englishmcn. which
viii be available for defensive service, and will be
the counterpart of The Indian scpoys lie Prepara-
ton of such troops Is comparatively SIMPLE matter.
But an entire population cannot he drilled INTO
good moral conduct at word OF command. Yet II
the entire population Is not reformed tie Cyprus
treaty fails. The responsibility "hich weighs upon
England by reason Of the treaty Is less tue defence
of Asiatic turkey than its reformation.
Two American ladies, who lived during the war III
an Armenian city, have been telling me OF their eX-
perienccs. They heard daily of the burning of VII
lagos about them by koordsh robbers they saw the
smoke and heard the rattle Of mUSkctry. They
could not venture out Of the city; often it was not
safe to leave their house Al home they lived with
sword hanging over their heads. They knew that
co. scientlous Moslcms felt il duty to Kill the
Christians. They heard dav by day of the tluctua-
tons of public opinion between wild clamor for
carnival of blood and fear that such deeds
wOud be punished with interest by the
foreigners One day Koordlsh chief sent word to
the gentleman at whose houSe these ladies lived
that his young men were planning to sack the city
that right Instantly the streets were filled with
mob of frightened women and children, seeking adj
mission 10 this house as the only one that would be
spared. The night passed without the attack, but
this was certainly not due to any protection from
the Government. The Governor was as wax IN the
hands Of the KoOrds. During tins time they were
not a little cOmforted by promises OF protection
from some fine old Turkish gentlemen who
seemed to have influence by the mere weight
of upright character. Later, one of these
gentlemen was found guilty of having stolen
village from the Government by amt
Of u little assurance backed by geographical
know ledge which Official at the Porte has ever
;Spircd to possess. DURING SUIT 10 Recover the
revenues OF this village the fact was unearthed that
Ibis and other OF the upright ana ,SIipathNng
Turkish gentlemen were directors of rObhenes for
the district, and that their pous conteninieni was
based on many piles of stolen goods stored IN their
houses. These ladies found the Turkish telcgraphs
deIusiye and Turkish posts broken reed. Mails
aIne only seml-occasionaliy. Once they were
for seven weeks without news from the outside
world. At last the postmaster seht around tnc
mall-bags and had them emptIed on the ioor OF Inc
American house with the petition that they would
Ort out the mail for other places since they could
read The whole mail bad been in Il rlyer and
was reduced to pulp In all that seven weeks aeon,
mutation of letters there was not one which could
Their story illustrates the characters which Eng
land has contracted 10 reform. and the methods
which English reforms must suppIant. let