The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-18
ATROCITIES BY KURDS.
Description Given in otter from Con
 stantinople to Boston.

an American in Constantinople:
 One great aim of the Ottoman gov er.ment is to drive the missionaries from the country. But if that is the case, why did the officials at Marsovan, Marash and Aintab protect the mis- sionaries? The dual system of govern ment explains it. The palace ordered destruction and the porte, under pres sure, ordered protection. This series of massacres has been ordered from the palace, not openly, but through the re- ngious hierarchy. According to Mo- hammedan theory such work is an act or religious worship, to be Eupern- terded by religious leaders. In some cases the civil functionaries were at a loss to understand what was expected of them. They were under orders which made it impossible for them to use mil itary force to stop the movement with out the Sultan's consent. In doubt as to the real wish of the Sultan respecting the people of Marsovan and Aintab the civil authorities gave them the benefit of the doubt.
 At Marash the civila governor was evidently hampered by some lingering respect for the capitulations. He pro- tected the missionary residences and the girls college, because Americans were living there. But he allowed the central block, containing the seminary, to be pillaged because no American was living in that enclosure (which is sepa- rated from both the others by streets). The result is disappointing to the gov ernment. They are sorry and surpris- ed to see that the missionaries show
 signs of intention to remain in the country, instead of fleeing on the out
 break of massacre. They are determin-
 ed to be rid of the missionaries at any cost of humiliating knavery.
 The government is now moving to-
 ward the expulsion of the missionaries.
 It has placed guards around the mis-
 sionary residences. But at Harpoot,
 Btlis and Marash the missionaries are
 practically prisoners in their premises,
 and the people are sure to get the
 impression that they are really so It
 has caused a paper to be drawn up
 charging the missionaries there as in-
 triguers, who have been giving seditious
 instruction in the college which caused
 the outbreak of Armenians. It has
 charged one missionary with having conspired with Armenians to prevent the
 success of the reform scheme by in-
 ducing Armenians to refuse service un-
 ha h nr-
 ganized Armenians into revolutionary
 bands, arming them with revolvers and
 killing those who refused to join; with
 inducing the Armenians to attack the
 mosques and giving the signal for at
 tacks. It has permitted, under the
 most rigid system of censorship, the
 sale of hundreds of copies of a Turkish
 paper in Constantinople, in which it
 was stated that the missionaries, under
 pretence of aid to the poor have been
 stirring and aiding sedition among the
 Armenians, and that the Ottoman gov
 ernment has now full proof of this,
 and is at last, about to eXpel them from the country. Foreign powers are dealing with peo- pie whose system of statesmenship is founded on the idea that force which makes peace eXpedient is the only pos
 siblc reason for treating Christians, native or foreign, on any other ground than that of the drawn sword. Truth and equity are unknown to Moslem ethics as regards "unbelievers."
 Even commentaries on the most holy Koran declare lying to be always per- mirsible for a good end and to be most pra aiseWorthy when used to the advant- age of the Moslem state. The present ministers at the Porte are mere pup pets set up to amuse the ambassadors, while the real power is in the hands of a parcel of low-li9ed rascals who have been elevated without education or ex- perience, to the position of chief advis-
 CTS to the Sultan and the controllers of the ministry. The proletariat govern ment of the French revolution was wise and able as compared with the present prOletariGt government of Turkey. The missionaries in this country can easily be defended without violence, if there is such a show of force as will convince these cowardly Wretche.s that they will not be permitted to crush out the missions. There must be immediate in- vestigation of those infamous calUm- nies on the missionaries by a competent United States commission sent to Bitlis and to Harpoot. These calumnies can not be met in any other way.
 There is no court to which they can be taken. If not instantly refuted and punished in the persons of the origina- tors of them, they will be repeated from mouth to mouth by the Turkish officials
 as proven. The moment that the Unit ed States government demands to make
 such an Investigation, the Turks will step down and apologize. There is nothing they dread so much as light
 on the real facts of the crimes that they have committed. These steps should be taken by the United States government, not as favOrs to mission aries, but as rights. to American citi-
 zens entitled to so much protection" The preceding letter was shown to the Rev. Judson Smith, D. D., secre- tary of the foreign department of the American Board, who said that no such allegations as are said to proceed from Turkish sources can be substantiated. When missionary starts for his field he is instructed not to interfere in the political affairs of the nation and peo- pie among whom his lot is to be cast.
 These instructions have never been ig- nored CT violated to our knowledge by