The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-03
WOES OF %ARMENlANS.
Concluded from First Pase.)

matter OF politics with incidental religion.
Before there can come an end to the Armen-
ian question the PRACTICAL Christian of En-
gland and America must reconcile these Two
conflicting conditions and administer Judg-
ment on them with a firm hand. Ii the
Armenians themselves would only tell the
whole of their side of the case, instead OF
carefully Suppressing about three-fourthS
of it, the situation would be much more
readily understood, but unfortunal eiy for
all concerned. they choose to tell only a
small part of what they know and leave
the Christian synpathizers to dig the rest
out of the snow of the Sassoun mountains.
A the situation now stands one is forced
to believe that both Turk and Armenian
are in the wrong. So far as the Turk de-
clares that he is try ng ~
lutionary movement he is unquestionably in
of this movement are no less shocking than
those of the Turks opposing it. No one can
blame the Turk for trying to suppress revo-
lutionary movements or for taking prompt
measures to maintain the integrity of his
empire; yet what must be sail of him when
he orders the destruction Of two dozen vii
lagos on the mere rumor that an uprising is
In progress? There is little doubt among
stantinople, that these things actually took
place. We have only to seek the counter
part OF its cruelty among some or che lead
ers of the Armenian revolutionary move
ment.
A DIABOLICAL PLOT.
"It is a fact that certain of these Ar
menian conspirators arranged to murder
the Rev. Edward Riggs and two other
american MISSIONARIES at N1dFSONdn Ait
fasten the blame on the Turks in order
that the United States might inflict sum-
mary punishment upon the Turkish gov
eminent. thereby making possible Armen-
ian independence. One will search a long
time in the pages of history for a more
diabolical plot than that for the murder
Of the Missionaries. DR.. Riggs has I'M
selfishly given his life to the. education
of Armenian youth in the missionary
schools and has done more than any Ar
menian ever tried to do toward making
Armenians worthy of autonomous govern
ment, yet the revolutionary conSpirators
apparently gave that fact little thought.
'In his hatred of Christianity and his
rage at revolutionary conspiracies the Turk
believes and would like to prove that the
the revolutionary movement. As a matter
of fact. the Turk Is much nearer right
responsible for the revolutionary movement.
but not in the way the Turk believes. They
are responsible for having educated the
man of him and brought him to know that
he has an immortal soul. The education
and civilizing influences of free America
have been brought to the wilds of Armenia
and the younger Armenian has begun. to
feel that he is a maj and not a Moslem's
slave. The missionaries are making men
of the Armenians and therefore they are
responsible for the revolutionary feelings.
1t is the story of Bulgaria over again.
The missionaries taugno the Pulgarians
to be men and when the Bulgarians knew
themselves to be men their bondage was
ended. 1t should be borne in mind with
this view of the situation that the mis-
sionaries of Armenia do not try to make
religious converts. They make no attempt
TO change the Turks religion. They merely
teach the Armenians. They would educate
Turks as well but the government of Tur-
key will not permit it.
The missionaries are doing q grand work
in the interest of civilization and human
ty and for the Turk to say that they are
directly or indirectly inviting the Armen-
ians to revolution is quite as ridiculous as
the Porte's assertion that the outrages in
the Sassoun villages were ommitte by
the villagers themselves"