The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-25
THE VENERABLE AND FA-
NOUS MISSIONARY.
Was Once the President Of Robert
College.
HIS CHILDREN ARE NOW MIS-
SIONARIES In TURKEY.

SIONARIES In TURKEY.
He Spoke in Deering Last Night-Declared
the Sultan Has Resolved to Convert OF
Kill the Armenians-Said Russia's
Hand Is In It-Censured England and
Our Government-Fears for the Lives of
His Two Children.
At the Woodfords Congregational
church last evening, DR.. Cyrus Hamlin,
one of the most famous living mission
aries of the world, founder and president
of Robert College in Conslantinople,
builder of the first steam engine in
Maine, famous as a traveller of great and
varied. experience and remarkably vigorous
now at the age of nearly IS years, gave
an address upon the Armenian situation.
He said 81 must refer to the bloodiest
page of this century's history. the ex-
hibition of the most internal passions
that this century has ever known.
He explained just why it is that the
Turkish government has recently changed
it's character as to it's treatment of it's
Christian subjects. The former Sultans
of this country were fairly good men and
had an idea as to the proper attitude
towards Christians.
Therefore the Armenians and Greeks
began to feel that they had some rights
and have increased in this century. They
have been weighed down by tax gather
ers who did about as they pleased, but it
has been confessed by the Turks that
during this century Mohammedans have
decreased and Christians have increased
in number, and have advanced in modes
of living over their imperious masters,
| the Turks.
| This excited the latter's jealousy, es-
pecially when, about Is years ago, in the
| eastern part of the empire the
TURKS BEGAN TO SELL
their lands to the Christians.
| This was an unheard of thing. An Illus
tration of the results was the story that
when one of the Armenian farmers
bought field from Turk the Turkish
neighbors began to "ride over the grain
field on their horses and then spoiled the
crop"
Only year ago $75, 600 had passed from
Armenians in America and England into
Armenia in order TO buy up lands.
Inti ronontIC ho Ann, hor bcA
a certai:. kind of peace, but the terri
BILE change is the result of the present
Sultan. He is fanatical Mussulman,
also man of remarkable diplomatic
skill. He has such a fascinating person
ality that he influences everybody. He SO
FASCINATED GEN. LEW WALLACE
that the latter lost his head and really
did nothing there in his capacity as
amba ssador
The Sultan has played one great power
off against another and caused Russia
to protect him from England and vice
versa
He has feared only our country, because
he knows that no other power would
protect him against us.
! While playing off the powers against
each other, he has been doing his own
business. His plan has been to unity
his entire people religiously. He has
| 13, 000 900 who are not Moslems His
idea is that they must
BECOME MOSLEMS OR DIE.
| He has begun on the Armenians. Rus
sia will defend the Greeks. France will
protect the Armenian Catholics. Those
power will do this at all hazazrds.
The Sultanshas experimental in those
directions a little and found out. But
menians. England
is THEIR AP PPOINTED DEFENDER.
but she has done nothing
The Sultan has been trying to see what
he can do with American missionaries
with impunity. They have been harrassed
and insulted. Our minister has com
planned at the Sublime Porte. There
everything is promised, but nothing done.
Out of so cases of such complaints OF
violating our treaty rights only one has
J been properly attended to. When Mr..
Bartlett's house was burned there was 6
rumor that an American iron clad was
coming.
! THE SULTAN FASTENED
to pay the damages. Then it turned ou
that the iron clad was not coming, ant
it is greatly to the credit of our govern
ment that it did not command the return
of the money. (Laughter J No othe
government but ours would tolerate sucl
violation Of property rights as our mis-