The Irish standard., 1893-01-21
AN RIM ENIAN REVOLT.
The People Are Olanoring for Re-
construction.

frissts Declare That the Day Of Deliv-
oronce from Mos1em Rule Il
ut Hand-A Proud But
Broken Race.
Mr.. Edmond Lecointe, who has re-
Dently returned from Persian Armenia.
aslls in Nouvelles Geographiques Of .
remarkable movement in that country
IA behalf of the political independence
OF the Armenians. Armenia is well
known as the Poland of Asia. The
country, once a powerful kingdom, is
how divided between Russia, Turkey
and Persia, and the Armenians have no
1xistence as distinct nation MIR.
Lecointe says that many OF them believe
their nationa lily will soon be restored
end this idea is particularly popular In
Persian Armenia, where, strange to
asy, preparations are being openly
Anado for the event.
, The Town Of Urmia is the head CEN
tsr of the revolutionary feeling. A
Aommittee is supported there which is
Slanning for the reconstruction OF indie
pendent Armenia. This committee Is
known as the Societe Bibliophile. 1t is
not surprising that it has French
pame. when we remember that French
the only foreign language that is cul-
avated in Persia, and that not q few
Subjeccs of the shah speak it with ele-
gance.
The Armenians in Persia of recent
years have had considerable reinforce
saents from their Russian and Turkish
brethren who have gone to Persia to
live to escape the exactions to which
Shey are subjected in their own coun-
try. 1t is among these immigrants that
many of the most active promoters Of
fnsurrection are found. They travel
openly from village to village preaching
q crusade against Mohammedans,
whether they be Turks or Persians.
They advise every adult to procure guns
and to prepare for the coming uprising.
The priests in the churches Of Urmia
declare that the day Of deliverance is
approaching and that every Armenian
should be willing to sacrifice his prop
erty and lay down his life, if need be,
for the national cause. Accommodations
Of firearms have already been made,
and every week many Ar1nenians arrive
at Tabriz to buy guns, pistols and
knives
There is one great difficulty, how
ever, in the way of the reconstruction
of the ancient kingdom of Armenia.
The people are themselves divided into
factions. There is no people in the
world who have become more disunited
by internal feuds than the Armenians.
They, therefore, do not have the advan-
tage Of single leader of authority.
They yield obedience to rival commit
tees which are promoting interests that
have nothing in common SO far as the
whole country is concerned except the
enc issue of the final reconstruction of
Che kingdom. Split up into factions,
as the Arneniaps are, Turkey and Per-
STA do not seem to think 1T worth while
to take measures to suppress the plot
ting that is going on. A day for the
general rising was fixed for May Is last,
but the event was postponed.
Persian armenia is the northwestern
part of Persia, adjoining the Armenian
possessions of Turkey and Russia. 1t is
an elevated country, with cool eli
mate, fertile soil, abundance of game,
and numerous gardens and fields whose
products are renowned in Persia. Its
chief iowa, Ur1nia, near the big lake of
Che same name, contains about forty
ave thousand inhabitants. Most of the
population are Chaldean Or Armenian,
though the re are good many Kurds
and some l'ersians and Turks. The Ar
menian population numbers about
seventy the usand in this district and a
few thousand are scattered over the rest
Of Persia. 1t is prolific and hand
some race, but the people are not very
we'll liked by their neighbors on ac-
count of their arrogance and faithless-
ness They do not seem to think it at
all dishonorable to break their word.
The Persian Armenians Mr.. Lecointe
says, are the happiest subjects of the
shah He gives them absolute liberty
in religious matters, and compels the
Mohamme lans to treat their priests
and churches with respect. They are
exempt from. military service and their
taxes are comparatively light, in which
respect tn " offer a striking contrast to
the misery of their neighbors, the
Turkish Armenians. For one cause OF
another the Russian Armenians seem tc
be rapidly dying out.
Not Ordinarily In tho Market.