The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-11-24
THE OUTRAGES IN ARMENIA.

1he Kurdish atrCcltleS reported oy
current dispatches are not sudden out
breaks Of unwontcd cruelty, says the
Inter Ocean. They merely are
compressions into ene day of devasta-
ton, violation. and murder, of deeds
that generally are spread over a
month or two. If the spoken evidence
of Armenians who reside in America
be worthy of credence, if the letters
written by Armenians resident in
Turkey to their friends and relatives
in this country be truthful, then rob
berry, murder. and outrage are daily
acts Of the Turks toward the Armen-
ians. Recent events are but those of
a gala dav of Turkish oppression.
The Armenian is a man and q
brother; he is Christian also; further
more, he is the most civilized of
Orientale. He is robbed by the
prodlgal Turk because he is thrifty,
he is hated by the ignoran. and Mus
sulman because he is intelligent, he Is
abhorred because be is Christian.
Daily he is despoiled and abused,
periodically he is harried, his women
rayished, his children slain.
The political motive, if political be
a word fit, of the recent outrage is to
let loose a horde of Kurds upon
Armenia, and thus to supplant
by semi-nomadic and wholly Moham
edan occupation a Christian popula-
tion that may be suspected of sym
pathy with Russia, Great Britain, or
any other civilized power that shall
attempt TO establish protectorate
over such Turkish provinces as are in
habited by Christians.
The possibility of such massacres as
those reported yesterday was foreseen
at the close of the Turco-Russian war,
and was thus provided against In ar
ticle 81 of the famous Berlin
treaty, to which Russia, Great Britain,
France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and
Turkey were parties:
The Sublime Porte engages to realize |
without delay those amelioratioas and re-
orms that local needs require in the prev
noes inhabited by the Armenians. and
guarantees their security against the Circas-
lians and the Kurds. 1t undertakes to
make known, irom time to time, the meas
lres taken with this object to the powers,
Who will watch over their application.
The last sentence enables the Eu.
'opean signatory powers to enforce
he guaranty of Turkey for protection
If Armenia against Kurdish invasion
md massacre. Civilization calls upon
hem to exercise the power
The recent outrages in Armenia are
more than barbarous. They are inhu-
man. A joint note from all the sigma
,ory powers, or even joint protest
BY two of them, would bring Turkey
20 its senses. The hope of the Turks,
,he dread of the Armenians, is that
;he international jealousy of Britain
Ind Russia may lead the Ole to pre-
vent any action by the other, and that
zach may draw other nations into sup
,ort of policy OF disgraceful mastery
nactlon. Nevertheless, the moral
entinent of all Christendom calls
lpon the powers to enforce the condi-
ions of article 81 of the treaty of
Berlin. LIZ they do not, war may fol-
ow these atrocities in Armenia as it
ollowed the Bulgarian atrocities Of
S7S. Russia will have as good ex-
use for interfering In Armenia in
S94 as she bad for interfering in
bulgaria. The part of Armenia ceded
, Russia under the treaty of Berlin
as been peaceful because the Ar
enians on that side of the line are
eated Just as are the Russians This
,gravates the condition on the Turk
b side of the line, and contributes to
le discomfort Of Armenians .perse- !
tied by Turks and Kurds.