The Washington times., 1894-11-19
ARMENIANS' UNHAPPY FATE
It Is Put in Bold Relief by the Re-
cent FrightfuI Massacre.
FOR INDEPENDENCE
Lacking the Promised Protection of the Porte
They Have Started Revolutionary Move
ment-This Furnishes the Pretext for the
0utrages Practiced Upon Them by Turks.

The hideous massacre OF Christians re-
| ported from Armenia will have the effect OF
| once more bringing the whole Armenian
question prominently to the notice of the civ
ilized world. 1t is question of old standing
and its history is one long narrative of mis-
government, oppression, cruelty and religious
fanaticism exercised upon the helpless Chris
tian subjects of Turkey in Asia Minor.
The Bulgarian atrocities OF eighteen years
ago raised g storm OF Indignation throughout
Christondon against the "unspeakable Turk, y
but in Bulgaria's long catalogue of horrors
there is no story to be found more revolving
than that of the outrage inflicted. upon men,
women, and children by the Governor of
Bitlis' savage soldiery. 1t is suggested-as it
used to be suggested with unfaillng regularity
during the eontinuancy of the Bulgarian
reign Of terror-that the account OF tie mas
| sacres is exaggerated.
! It is to be hoped tAat this is indeed so-that
the tale OF twenty-five villages e4terminated,
and 5000 persons slain may be in some de-
| gree inaccurate. But the report furnished by
the British consul at Van. and the conirma-
! tory report made by Zeki Pasha. the military
| commander charged with the 1uty OF making
| an Investigation on behalf OF the Porte, leave
| no doubt that, whatever inaccuracies OF de-
| tail may be discovered in the narrative
printed Saturday, fearful atrocities on an ex-
| tended scale have been committed upon the
| unhappy Armenians.
| The ArmenIans, though once courageous
and warllke people are now distinguished by
! their pacific and submissive temper, and they
| have made little or no resistance to the cruel
| afi ed nv nj Gov
! ernors and Kurdish brigands. Bat OF late
j years, finding that the protection so long
| promised them by the Porte is not forthcom-
ing, and encouraged by the sympathetic at
! titude OF Russia and England, they have
started a revolutionary movement the object
OF which is to realize the independence oftheir
! country through the Intervention of the pow
ers. There was an attempted rising in 1882,
| which was energeucaliy put down, but the
/ movement has continued. and thore are now
| Armenian national committees established in
various capitals, which are striving to stimu-
| late international opinion on their countw's
wrongs and to create sympathy for It's Gspira-
! tlons after political freedom.
So far. the existence OF this revolutionary
! propaganda has only had the effect OF making
the case OF the Armenian Christians worse
| than before. Charges OF sedition are made
| whenever occasion arises to excuse lgWless
raids or administrative oppression. The Sui
tan lives in dread OF Mohammedan disaffec-
! ton. and his favorite antisode TO the revolu-
tonary spirit which IS spreading so fast
| through Arabia. Syria, and Albania is to allow
turbulent AIoslens of the interior 10 set the
! law at defiance, with the hope that they may
thus be kept loyal and contented.
Kurdish robber and Arnaut brigand are
sure of pardon provided they leave foreign
| ers and children of Islam unmolested. The
Christian on the other hand. must endure
! in silence the oppression of the government.
and, far worse. the tyranny of his Mussuman
neighbors. Should he in sheer despair snug
| gle arms 10 replace those of which he has
| been deprived or dare hint at a limit TO pa
tience local authorities raise the cry of revolt
and discover seditious placards posted up on
| every wall. Then come the mob. rushing
about towns and villages, numbering peas
ants, insulting priests, plUnderlng houses.
violating girls, until the wretched rayah is
! cowed into abject submission and we hear
that order is restored.
Armenia. like Poland, is split into three
! parts, and in a greater or less degree each
division of Armenia, which is essentially a
! Christian country, partly OF the Gregorian
rite and partly in communion with the
! Church OF Rome, is oppressed by the power
| which rules it. Turkish Armenia is -in the
| hands of Sunnite Mohammedans Persian Ar
! menIa is in the hands OF Shiite Mohamme-
| dams and Russian Armenia is in the hands of
| orthodox Greek Christians. The Russian
/
| Shiite Mohammedan regime. but the active
and prosecuting intolerance of neither ap-
| proaches that of Sunnite Mohammedans.
| Nevertheless, in spite OF all obstacles, Arme-
! nian Christianity and Armenian progress
generally have managed TO flourish astonish-
| ingly After the vatican council the Arme-
nian United Church was threatened with dis
ruption on the hard question of papal infali-
bility. but Mgr. Hassoun, who was rewarded
| for his exertions with cardinals hat, sue
ceeded in healing the schism before it be-
| came serious.
Armenian progress has, owing TO the un-
happy condition of the country, made itself
more felt abroad than at home. One might
| draw up very long catalogue of Armenians
| who have highly distinguished themselves IN
various branches of the arts and sciences,
! but few oniv need here be mentioned
Count Loris Melikoff, Generals Lazareff and
Tergukasoff, Nubar Pasha. the painter Aivas-
| ofski; the chess player Albanian; Artin Effendi
Dadian, the Berlin mineraogist Azruni; the
/ London archaeologist Hormuzd Rrssam; the
| Zurich chemist Abelianz, and bankers and
tnancisrs in almost every country prove that
| Armenia Is much more nearly abreast OF the
Western world than Is perhaps generally sus-
pected. The splendid Lazareff Institute with
its twenty professors of Oriental languages.
at Moscow, is an imperishable monument of
the enlightened generosity OF an Armenian
millionaire of the last century.
AS race they are certainly the intellectual
equals of any nation, and the superiors Of
most: and the magnificent ruins of Ami. es-
pecially those of the great cathedral and of
the Notifications, attest how advanced were
they in the arts, even as long ago as the
eleventh century. Yet, far removed from
the Immediate view of the best modern civili-
| zation, the Armenians are now obliged to suf-
fer without much hope OF liberation from
their Affections. England, who is bound by
treaty 10 look after their interests, pay little
heed to the stories of their wrongs; and it
will not be surprising if, in despair of gain
ing the ear of Western Europe, they cast
themselves blindly into the arms of Russia.
THIEVES RBAPING 4 HARVEST,