New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-23
MISSIONARIES AND ARMENIA


NEED or ipENrnl'NTioN WITH THE CAUSE OF
TilD PEOPLE
TO Th@ Editor ~ Tho Tribune
Sir. Articles and editorials appear from time to
tine warning the world against an alleged rcvo-
lutonary Armenian movement injurious 10 the
eaus" OF missions have mad" reply for / had
supposed thcsr attacks TO o" prompted simply 10y a
f"W persons Ike The rc,rrcd pr Hamliu ON ac-
count Of their long absence from the country neces
sarlly ignorant - present conditions AMI inside
fact' Bur after reading the last article in The
Congrrgationallsi." which stated that all mission
aries iu Turkey 81 ne same opinion. | feel
called upon tp Indicate To- the public how far the
missionaries statements wron,. AZ least in
complete. W. appreciate the value of the work
done by N" missionaries FOR the Armenian nation.
and wh1; have 10 say Is designed 10 promote
their efficiency. Is all preliminary reform effort
Is largely tentative. Wis" adaptation the part
~ the missionaries be- the result OF protracted
time and study.
II was very natural Tor the missionaries 20 make
some mistakes in the process OF arriving Mt the
best methods % work Details aside. an their cr-
rors rcvOvr about one point. namely their attitude
toward the Armenian Natou. As religious reform
ers. their direct mission WAS to the Armenian
church Rut Indifference 10 National affairs was an
lmpossibliy The Armenian Nation and Church
are on~. their intcrIrpeno"ncc IS Ike that between
the body and the spirit affects affects the
other Recognition Of people in Turkey
church means recognition - Nation. Will" the
direct interest u 90" mis- sonIri,s was in Church
affairs. I'm reality they mad new Nation They
busted themselves in getting nrman from the
sultan recognizing their converts as new anI
Protestant Nation.
IIcnc. the Armcnians began 10 soc in the mis-
sionar - not only religious roformcrs. hut schis-
matte, and spatt.fs u: their Nation. INSTEAD II ap-
pearing as religious propagandists only. they soon
hogan 20 De- looked upon by me Nation IS d menace
to It's interests. This Was the prime obstacle IN the
path Of missionary progress. This the first
mistake. They now Stem To De taking second
false step While Armenia is struggling under
Turkish tyranny. AMI tryug hard to throw IN its
yoke. the missionaries mr." posing as Indifferent 10
their rights. and parading their lack OF sympathy
before the world. From their point of view they
may be right. That is not the point. The question
is this. can they remain ostentatiously aplthetic
to the good Of Armenia. and at the same time win
Armenians to their cause? The worst feature %
the case is this. instead OF taking the impossible
sttude OF neutrality. they really inJure the pros
poets OF the Armenian Nation.
Their sincerity Is not questioned but their
f. unavoilably superficial Their neWspa-
per articles accepted as authoritative. while In
fact they shoot far wide Of the mark. | regret to
gay that their publications snow piriiaiy II their
position should prevent them from writing anything
political. II they can say nothing OF the unspeaka.
BILE tyranny of the Turkish Government; II they
can In way help the Armenian Nation by making
known the facts or Turkish persecution why, then,
are they persistent aarmstS against IN" StruE-
gle Of certain young mcn who have found the
ottoman yoke ntolerabeH Why do they interest
themselves To such extent In the Huntchagist
and other movements! ~ IL because these youns
men are sedltlous? Are they more rebellious
against the Kingdom of God than are the Turks?
IL 1t because they interfere more than DO the Turks
with the missionary work and IN" SUNDAY schools.
AS Dr. IIamlin seems to think? Not at all II the
mi RES think this Is their third mistake
| am not sanctoning the HuntchaEist movement |
In all respects. it, courage ana zeal are COM !
tnendable. but the spirit OF reformation should be |
under that wise direction which trust time will |
bring II l. not fair the part Of the missionaries
10 remain silent concerning the horrors OF Turkish
rule. and the same time 10 fill the world with |
noise regarding those Armenians who are trying to
assert their patriotism. If tn" missionaries Will /
not help the Nation. they ought not to hamper II |
Or dictate ITS policy.
They could easily help the Nation in many ways.
TO them II naturally looks for assistance. The an
Ia gonism OF the Iuntchagsts Is largely due to the
TACT that they having been trained To IDEAS Of civil
and religious freedom. instead or getting the help |
md guidance OF the missionaries. find them taking.
not the side OF Christian liberty. but OF Turkish |
tyranny n the missionaries would show by their |
ords that they have the good OF Armenia at heart.
even the IIuntcha Ists would be content
whatever the missionaries may do I'm the country. |
heir success will depend on their sympathy with |
It's people. They cannot reach them unless they |