The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-28

countrymen are highly educated and lsng
f0r education. a civilized people ought
To be governed In a civilized manner; for
such government the Turkish adminIs-
tIation machinery Is totally unfit, as all
the world knows. We therefore hold that
In justice we are entitled 10 home rule.
but FOR the present We propose 10 bend
our efforts merely to the attainment OF
that TO which we are entitled In law.
namely, the enforcement of article 81 Of
the treaty OF Berlin: The sublime porte
undertakes TO carry out, without further
delay, the improvements and reforms
demanded by local requirements in the
PROVINCES inhabited by the Americans
and 10 guarantee their security against
the Ciict ssians and Kurds. IL will pc
radically make known the steps taken
10 this effect to the powers who superin-
tend their application
The fulhllment of this treaty has been
SHAME fully neglected by the sublime porte
at CcI stantinople.
Tiridstes the Great. the heoric king
OF our dear country. Armenia, may divide
with Constantine the honor OF being the
first sovereign who embraced the Christ
ian religion. About A. d. 2l6 the king
Tirldates of the race OF Arsacidae. was
converted by st. Gregory the Illuminator
like himself Of the race OF Arsacidae, but
descended from a collateral branch OF
that family. which had long occupied the
throne &C Persia. In the year 81 y. D..
Tiridates had 10 sustain war against
the Roman emperor Maximinus. IN con-
sequence Of the hatred of the latter
against Christianity.
Armcr Ia, NY it's industry. resources
and genius, once supported a population
Of nearly 100000 souls; embraced a
vast space Of fertile and mountainous
land IA western Asia. bounded by the
Black sea. the Caucasus. the Caspian
sea. the Persian gulf, Syria, the Medi-
terranean on the northeast and south
sides, while Byzantium has twice in
history formed the western limits Of our
ancient monarchy. Since IL was brought
under Turkish rule its natural resources
have remained undeveoped. pasture and
arabic lands have been abandoned and
are fast falling out OF cultivation: rivers
choke1 up. roads are broken. SO that the
country is now but sparsely inhabited
and become almost a dreary waste.
Armenia to-day is the helpless victim
Of oppression and robbery. There is
neither protection for life nor security
for property nor respect for honor The
Turks kurds. and Circassians Of the
fercest passion are free 10 roam un-
bridled and unchecked. The fortunes OF
the Christian Armenians are In the hands
of these ferocious brutes, who are per-
fectly free TO carry arms, while Christians
are forbidden 20 do so. Fraud. tricllery.
gun. and yatagan are all permitted to
them by the Turkish government for the
furtherance Of lustful and corrupt ends.
The Mahommcdan dynasty has lived
on 20 give an example of corruption and
evil to every kind for which it would be
hard 10 find a parallel among the worst
of earlier dyrasties. The Ottoman Turks
have never been in any strict sense a
nation. They began as a band Of robbers
and such they have remained ever since
To a great part Of their history. especial
ly q their position in the present time
that description would apply in its full
tess. The settled and self-styied clvirzei
Turk is really more of a robber than the
wandering barbarian.
Others among the great empircs Of the
world have done much wrong and caused
much suffering. but they have for the
most part done something alse besides
doing wrong and causing suffering.
The rule Of the Turk ~ whatever
cuphonisms il may bc called. means
bondage and degradation. IL is not am
Incidental evil which should Dc reformed.
fl is the essence Of the whole system the
groundwork on which the Turkish power
is built.
d. X. VARZHABEDIAN.