Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-10
Turkish Treatment of Armenia.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
In the name of common humanity and
justice 1 must protest strongly against the
unjust accusations brought about against
my oppressed countrymen (Armenians) by
the Turkish government and the officers
in this country and other parts of Europe.
The Armenians are a peaceful. Industrious.
law-abiding, Christian people. and not at
all revolutionists, as being represented and
dealt with by the Turkish government.
The Turks are now trying to hide that
heinous crime of the wholesale Sassoon
massacre, where they have numerically
butchered thousands Of defenSeless men,
women and children. This horrible massa-
ere has been confirmed by the impartial
and disinterested American missionaries
and high ecclesiaStics. Shall We believe the
Turks or these men of the gospel? The
origin of the troubles: Some kurds having
robbed the ArmenianS of their focks, Ar
me mans pursued and tried to recover their
property, and fight ensued and a few
Kurds were killed. These kurds were semi
official robbers enrolled troops and arm
ed such, but not under control. The au-
thOrities vera telegraphed at CONSTANT
nople that the Armenians had killed some
of the sultan's troops. The sultan at once
ordered the infantry and cavalry to put
down the Armenian rebellion. and they did
1t, only, not finding any rebellion, they
cleared the country so that none should
occur in the future. The sultan Endorsed
this bloody work and conferred upon Zeki
Pasha, the commander of the army. the
decoration of the ImtiaZ in brilliants and
four new agS to the Kurdish cavalry on
the 18th of last November. One can very
clearly see from these authentic statements
the nature of the so-called Armenian re-
bellion.
extract the following from Rev. Dr.
Cyrus Hamlin's statements:
December 20. 1894.
"a cutting from the Herald has been
sent to me containing a letter of his ex-
cellency. Mavroyeni. on the Armenian
atrocities. 1 must strongly object to the
use he makes of letter of mine in the
Boston Congregationalist of last year.
The object of that letter was to show the
absurdity of the revolutionary plotters.
The Armenians are noble race, scatter
ed and unarmed. The Turkish govern
such movement; 1t knows we'll that there is
no place in the empire where one thousand
or even one hundred Armenians could as
semble with hostile intent. and besides,
customed to their use. They would be
lambs in the midst of wolves. Every one
knows this who knows anything Of Tur-
key outside of Cons tantinople. 1t is to be
greatly regretted that the Ottoman ambas-
sadcrs should attempt to cover up the path
of these horrid atrocities, which have agi-
tated the whole Christian world, and for
which Turkey must give account. 1t were
for justice and Judgment 1t may be that
time has passed when such deeds of blood
and torture committed upon unarmed men,
women and children can be condoned by
the civilized world. The plots Of the revo-
lutionists were harmless as to any eff
fective force, but were very pernicious in
arousing faraticism. The fact that a
few hair-brained young men in foreign
lands had plotted a revolution was a suf-
ficient reason in the view of the Moslem
fanaticism for devoting the whole race
to destruction. 1t was this which 1 fear
ed. and it Is this which has happened
His eXcellency's influence has been to mag
nifty the revolutionary plots instead OF
showing my letter did. their insignif-
canoe. and has led his government to give
to them an Importance which seems alb
surd.''
Turkey is now prosecuting its Armenian
subjects. the poor and defenseless peas
ants under pretext that they belong to
societies. The Armenians are
now being prosecuted and oppressed. as in
former years. solely for their Christian re-
ligion. Under the existing unfavorable
no man of common intelli-
gence can expect any good result from
the investigation Of the Sassoon massacre
II Is too true that the sublime porte has
taken necessary measures in the
Sassoon regions to prevent the truth from
being known to the civilized world. The