Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
THE ARMENLANS IN AMERICA

In his annual message to congress Presi-
dent Cleveland, referring to the relations of
the United States with the Ottoman Porte,
said that Turkey complains that her Ar
menian subjects obtain citizenship in this
country, not to identify themselves in good
taith with our people, but with the intention
OF returning to the land of their birth and
there engaging in sedition. The president
declared that "this complaint is not wholly
without foundation and he cited in proof of
this that a journal published in this country
In the Armenian language 'openly counsels
It's readers to arm, organize and participate
In movements for the subversion of Turkish
authority in the Asiatic provinces" The
president stated further, in regard to the in
tentlon of the Ottoman government to expel
from its dominions Armenians who have OBJ
tanned naturalization in the United States
since 1868, that the right to do this is an
attribute of sovereignty and that ''our min
lister at Constantinople has been instructed
that, while recognizing the right Of that
government to enforce its declared policy
against naturalized Armenians, he is eX-
pected to protect them from Unnecessary
harshness OF treatment" So far as the
requirements of international relations are
concerned this position of our government
probably cannot be impeached, but on abb
stract moral grounds there will be a wide
spread opinion that a great Christian nation
like the United States ought to manifest a
liveller interest in a people who are among
the most earnest in the world in promoting
the cause of Christianity and a higher civil
ization in the land of the Turk.
A number of Armenians residing in this
country have issued an address to the pres
ident and people Of the United States, in
which they set forth the oppression and the
wrongs to which the people of Armenia are
subjected by the Turkish authorities. 1t is
universal sympathy for those unfortunate
people-peculiar1y Unfortunate in having to
submit to the despite rule of the Ottoman
government. The story told by these Arme-
mans in America, the truthfulness of which
is not to be doubted, shows a state of affairs
that ought to call out the earnest protest of
the Christian world and unite it in a de-
termined effort to relieve the Armenians
from the cruel and barbarous prosecutions
to which they are subjected. One cannot
read of the brutalities practiced upon the
Armenians by the Turks without experience
ing a profound feeling of Indignation. The
manifest purpose of the Ottoman govern
ment is to extirpate the Armenian race, and
it appears to be making good progress
toward the attainment of this result, for
that people has dwindled from 81, 600, 900 to
barely 5000, 900, and every year the number
decreases.
1t is not apparent that the government of
the United States can do anything to remove
the evils from which the Armenians suffer.
1t must keep within the limits of interna-
tional rights and obligations. But the Amer
lean people may do something by appealing
to the civilized world to unite in a protest
against the oppressive and barbarous treat
ment to which the Armenians are subjected
and demanding in the name of humanity that
the abuses and c~ruelties and prosecutions to
which they are subjected shall cease. There
can be little doubt that an earnest and well
directed movement with this end in view
would have a beneficial effect, and the duty
that rests upon Christian nations to insti-
tute such a movement is obvious and I'M
questionable.