The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-24

| Ahc AIIncu iahs were the Cr5t natlOn
that uniformly embraced Christianity,
consequently the Church of the Armsn-
ians is tho oldest OF all national churches.
| They were converted by st. Gregory,
called The illumination, "A. D. 276, who
vas relative Of Dersad or Tiuda,es,
their prince. They received without
question the deerees of the council of
Nice, A. u. 325. and Ephesus, 43I, but by
an accident tney were unrepresentsd at
the council OF Chalcedon, twenty years
/ later. Owing TO peculiarly of their
language they had at that time but one
word for nature and person. in conse-
qnence OF which they misunderstood the
decision of that oouhcil that Christ
| possessed two natures, divine and human
| In one person. They r, jected t. G DEGREES
OF the council, and their church is there
fore anathemized as beretical by both the
Greek and the Roman churches. At the
neal OF the entire hierarchy is the Cath
olioos. who r. 81 es in Fitch m iadziu. in the
proviHce of Erivan, which since 1923, has
been under the rule of Russia. The
patriarch OF ConsiantInople, almost indie
pendent Of the Cathol COS, is, however,
tho most influential dignitary Of the Ar
menian church.
The royalty of Armenia expirer with
the origin of thl n schism, and since then
the rotations of fortunes wheel have
been nun befless. In 1912 the whole If
Armenia was overrun by the Mongols,
and this was the greatest disaster It
ever bef"ll tos ancient people, TOR such
AN enormous number of them were
slaughtered that they subsequently never
recovered their numerical strength. The
Turks, under Sultan Sci n | in 1873 can
quered the vest IN part of the country;
little later the Tartais overran the
plateau OF the Taurus. while the Pers ans
Muscnvlte came fran the narth and
wrestsd from Turkey and from Persia
some o! the ancient Armenian provinces,
yet thorough all these vicissiiudes the Ar
menlans detained their own language,
customs and habits, with special 1--we OF
their country. Under the rod of oppres-
sion the zeal of the Armenians is trrvent
and intrepid. They have often preferred
the crown If martyrdom to the tui ban of
Mahomet or to the teachings of the Rus
sian church. In the fourth century OF
our era, for instance, they seemed politi-
a sea OF misfortunes. ey were than
Persian subj cts, and we're as much the
property of this KING as the slave Is
chattei of his master. Yet, when il was
question OF compelling them t, change
Christianity for the worship OF Ormuzd,
they rose up, one and all. men ~omen
and children, and shook the throne OF
Iezdigerd Il IT'S foundations. In like
manner. some years ago, when the Rus
sian government or Tered them to consent
to change the constitution of that ancient
church OF theirs, they steadfastly refused,
and men who under different circumstan
ces would almos: barter their human Dig
nifty for "a ribbon to stick in their
coats" resisted the imperial commands
lisehsroes, prefer1ing the apparently in
evltable alternat,ve-the mines OF Siberia.
= 4 r
Armenia like Poland, is rarcsled out
between three neighh"ring powsrs, Rus
al haY
children sitting down by the waters Of
modern Babylon and weeping when they
remember the past glories of Van and
Ami. Well can they weep, especially now
when the cities OF Asia Minor are run
ming with torrents OF the MOOD OF tbous-
ands of Armenian victims. Slaughtered
by hundreds, murdered in cold blood,
driven from their homes by fanatioal
kurds and no less fsnaticaI Turks. the
Armenian nation in Turkey will be sim
ply annihi!at-d II the EuropeaI powers
10 not hasten to their rescue. During
Crest Britain entered into a secret CON-
pact with the sultan by which she guar.
sntred to Turkey the integrity of her
Asiatic possessions on condition OF pledges
that the government should effect re-
forms in tne!r administration and should
protect the people of Armenia from the
Kurds and CIrcsssians. These pledges
however, have not been observed, in fact
they have been simply trtmpIeo upon |
and instead of reforms and projection the ,
poor Armsn finds oppression and death. |
10 the isme of our civilization the
Christian nations are looking OH while |
the slaughter is going on, or arc preparing |
sioalv, to make some demons ration in |
favor of the oldest of the Christian king. |
doms. disunited, jealous OF each other,
and afraid to reopen the vexed eastern |
question which will require yet untold
sscr fees before it will bs settled.
One nation alone is ready to strike the |
fist blow and acquire the lions part
from the tottering inheritance OF the Os-
manlis. This nation is the silent, slow,
tenacious. ever grasplng and treacherous
Russia. The colossus Of the north with
secrecy almost terrible has ma'sed large
army on the frontiers OF Armenia, ready
to enter and occupy it forever. With cun-
ninp worthy OF her, she kept the atten-
lion of the world riveted VI on Corea and
Japan, while in the meantime, without
giving any clue as to her whereabouts.
she concentrated her troops where she
wanted them, and is now alone OF all the
European powers prepared to act vigor-
ursly. Not TO help Armenians, not at
all. She dues not care more about them
than she does about The Coreans, hut she
wants Armenia ana will get 1t with some
m ore territory, If other powers will allow
il. or will be q ble. to force Russia to r,Iin-
luish her price.
1t is true that the profound conviction
prevails among Armenians of the Turk.
sh, as we'll as OF the Russian provinces,
that the annexation of urkish Armenia
BY Russia would be followed, in com.
short space of time, by the ut
ter blotting out of those distinctly. marks
Of national individuality which the peo-
pie have Jealously preserved from the
action of time, the violence Of fire and
sword, and the subtle poison OF corrup-
ion. The feeling that animates the
masses is the slow spirit OF political hate
hat endowed their hero Vaitan and his
men with almost superhuman strength
20 smits the armies of Persia 1900 years
ago. They feel that in the Russian EN-
oire, vast as it is, there is no plaos for a
united Armenian people, VINO are bound
10 disappear as their neigh bors, the Geor-
,ians aud Uasetinians in the Caucasus are
plum dts derium of every lover OF lib.
.rty ought to be tho re establishment of
armenia as an independent country.
he OPP rtunity for effecting this cLaIge
s far more favorahle than it ever was for
he Liberation of different Danu oian prin-
'ipaities ana Greece. A vitality equalled
only by that of the Jews, political apti 1
udes as marked as those of the Hunear-
ans, com bination of European love of
,rolrcss and Asiatic tact anG diplomacy,
ilence all doubts as to the qualifications
Afmenians to play the important part
hat would, OF necessity, devolve upon
me of the principal heirs of the sick
mans dominion. Tho logical outcome
II the present butchery of the Armenians