The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-01-04
INNOCENT AS LAMBS.

Turks and Kurds GuiItless OF Christian
BIOod-The Printed Reports of Massacres
and OutrAges Perpetrated Upon Armen-
fans Denied by the Porte-NOne So Blind
as Those Who Win Not See.
BosToN, Dec. 31.-Oficial letters re-
Gently sent out from the American
board of commissioners for foreign
missions containing accounts relative
to the European-Turkey mission were
opened by the Turkish officials. The
letters were subsequently delivered,
but with the Turkish word ''Exam-
ined" written upon the envelope
This indicates that the Turkish gov
ernment is attempting to assume au-
thority over the mail of foreigners.
When the reports of the massacre Of
Christians in the Sassoun region of
eastern Turkey, after more than
month of suppression on the part of
the Turkish officials, became public,
the Ottoman government was alarmed
at the widespread publications in the
American and English press. Under
pressure from the foreign powers the
sultan agreed to send commission to
investigate and report upon the out
rage. In view of this promise of the
government representatives of the Euro
pean powers at Constantinople decided
to wait for the report before taking
any positive action. But after this de-
cision by the powers, and while they
were waiting for the departure of the
sultan's commission, which had been
appointed and which was to make full
and impartial investiga tions of all the
affairs reported by the English consul
as well as by any individuals from the
Sassoun region, the Turkish govern
ment came out with the official state
ment of the case, which statement was
printed in all the papers of CONSTANT
nople- All papers printed in Turkey
are under close censorship, and no pa
per could refuse to print the state-
ment under penalty of immediate sus-
pension. Hence the Christian period
icals were compelled to print what
they knew to be false. The statement
follows: s...r,.-.r -..
Some of the recent European pow
ers have stated, contrary to the truth,
that few Armenian villages have
been destroyed, and in the meantime
persons have been massacred by the
Turkish soldiers in the region of Sas-
soun. Others, in order to magnify
these reports have asserted that the
news of the outrage were prevented
from leaking out by the obstacles the
government put in the way of travel
ers from that district.
"The subjects OF the empire of Sas-
soun district are quietly engaged with
their business, and the people travel
wherever they wish to in perfect
safety. Some Armenian bandits, be-
ing induced by agitators, began lately
in and about Sassoun to disturb the
peace and comfort of the people by
numbering, plundering and blocking
the highways. In order to put an end
to such disasters, the government en-
ploys the necessary means, and conse-
Quently ordered out sufficient
body of imperial soldiers of
the fourth army corps. Thus the ex-
tension of the revolt being checked,
the troops were withdrawn to their
headquarters. There was no interfer-
ence by the Kurds, but as stated above,
some armed bandits have ventured to
disorderly actions. the sublime porte
having been notified by the reports of
the authorities of the fourth imperial
army corps, and also by the gov
ernor at Betlis, undertook to in
vestigate as to the facts; and
subsequently, a commission of inquiry
composed of Abdoolah Pasha, Komer
Bey, Medjid Effendi and Hafez Tevfn
Pasha, was appointed, who will start
this week by the steamer to the scene
of the trouble. In general the su-
blime porte will never allow such out
RACES to be perpetrated, as published in
foreign papers, upon her subjects.