The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-12-06
TINE ARMENIAN oUTI;A,iEs

THE ARMENIAN OUTl;A;ES
We alluded the other day to the active
sympathy that the Armenians deserve
from Cbristendom 1t is trne or govern
ment cannot interfere with tie slgnatory
mowers of the Perrin treaty who nave
assumed to protect the Armenians from
the expressions and outrages OF the
Turks, but our government can certainly
protest and urge these European powers
TO perfect measures through which this
ancient Christian nation should not be
subjected to the outrages inflicted upon
them by the Circassians and the hurds.
The story of these atrocities are gradually
escaping the vigilance of the Porte, and
il is enough to arouse the indignant pro-
test of the whole of Christendom. The
chairman of the Armenian Patriotic as
sociation has sent letter he has received
from an Armenian, whose name he does
not give for fear he will be punished, to
the British secretary of foreign affairs,
giving the horrible details of the recent
slaughter of Armenians. After speak
ing of former difficulties with the kurds
the writer says:
ask to ten thousand persons met such
fate as even the darkest ages of dark
ened Africa hardly witnessed, for there
women and tender babes might have had
Mt least the chance of life of slavery,
while here womanhood and innocence
were Knocked at by the cruel lust that
ended its debauch by stabbing women to
death with the bayonet, while tender
babes were impaled upon the same
weapon on their dead mothers breasts,
or perhaps seized by the hair to have
their heads Topped off with the sword.
I'm one place three or four hundred
women, after being forced to serve vile
purposes by the merciless soldiery, were
hacked to pieces with sword and bayonet
in the valley below.
I'm another place some two hundred
weeping and wailing women begged for
compassion, falling at the commanders
feet But the blood-thirsty wretch, after
ordering their violation, directed the sol
diers to dispatch them in a similar way.
"In another place some sixty young
brides and the more attractive girls
were crowded into a church and after
violation were slaughtered. Human gore
was seen flowing from the church door.
"At another place still large company
under the lead of their priest fell down
before them, begging for compassion
and averring that they had nothing to
do with the culprts. But all to no pur-
pose. All were called to another place,
and the proposal was made to several of
the more attractive women to change
their faith, in which case their lives were
to be spared. They said:
"'Why should we deny Christ? We
are no more than these pointing to the
mangled forms of their husbands and
brothers. Kill us toov and they did so.
"a great effort was made to save one
beauty, but three or four quarreed over
her, and she sank down like her sisters.
"But why prolong the sickening tale?
There must be God in heaven who
will do right in all these matters, or
some of us will lose faith"
There is God in heaven, but He uses
human means to shield and preserve his
people from such barbarities.
Every man in every congressional dis
trict in this Christian country should
write to his congressman, urging him to
make this n matter of some kind OF
protest and demand for protection to
these Armenian Christians. Civilization
does not stand with folded arms while
the barbarian riots in the virtue and
blood of the Christian. Let our govern
ment demand such retaliatory measures
as will strike such terror to these brutes
that for generations it will be remembered
and the outrages never repeated.
-O-
The completion of the Tehauntepec rail
road, which is announced is of peculiar
interest to Texas. The road belongs to
the Mexican government and is built
through its southern part nearest to Te-
hauntepec and connects the Atlantic with
the Pacific ocean. 1t is $50 miles long and
saves in the route to the Pacific 5000 miles
of travel or freight, formerly going by the
Isthmus of Darien or Panama route. 1t
will develop vast possibilities, opening up
as it does short route to the islands of
the Pacific with which this country will
in time establish trade. The building of
this road also shows that Mexico under its
present administration is taking vast
strides to enter into the rivalry for the
commerce of the world.
When preacher is given a holiday the
congregation feels like the boy when the
old folks are from home; they stretch their
rnnrol I;,,b, 4