The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-18
The |
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Styles u
ALL FOR WAR.
rmenia Will Strike a Blow
for Liberty or Death.
tack Upon Turks to Avenge the
Butchery of Christian Humanity.
lCopyrighted. isQ5.l

Copyrighted. 1881
LONDON, April IL. - A correspondent
riting from Armenia, under date OF
arch 10, says;
/ consider IL to bs my duty In conneo-
on with the mission which has brought
% to Asia Minor to make public con-
ltion Of the Armenian question so seri-
as and alarming that the work of the
urkish commission Of inquiry and even
10 details OF the Sassoun massacre must
em Of little comparative Importance.
To obtain reliable information Of this,
ave visited Armenian colonies AS far east
the Caspian sea and as far south as the
ty of Tcheran. The matter Is of such
ave moment that ! have decided to
AXE public what i have learned only
ter the most careful investigation and
nifloation Of the facts.
As result of my Investigations I am
position to say that the Armenian
lestion will soon reach an acute and
iinful crisis. Goaded into frenzy by
ranny and continued injustice, and
uious with grief and rage over the awful
ltchery at Sassoun, Armenia has re-
lived to strike blow, which shall mean
eedom or extormination. Christian
ood will be avenged in Moslem blood
fore the snow Of Sassoun gives mp its
sad.
Revolution Contemplated.
In fact Armenia Is preparing for war.
he revolutionary party has now both
,oney and guns. Durng the past eight
eeks money has poured into the revolu-
onary treasury In steady stream from
amy Armenian colonies. Tho money
ised publicly has beon obtained by means
balls, soclals, theatrical performances
ld lotteries The affairs were more sue
,ssful than anything Of the kind ever
nown before in the communities where
ley were held. The willingness to con-
ibute money and the enthusiasm for the
,use were everywhere so manifest that
le could not doubt their sincerity.
The central idea Of the plan of cam
iign is a general uprising OF Armenians
iroughout the Turkish empire some time
uring the month Of May. The leaders
ave promised the people In the eastern
art OF Armenia that the chief attack will
made on the city Of Constantinople It
III and that the brunt Of the fighting
i'll be borne by the Armenians resident
lereln.
Tho suitan First.
The leaders have even gone SO far as to
eclare that the first attack will be on the
alaoc of the sultan, and the reign of
amid will come to a sudden end. There
re men who believe that in the over
lrow OF Hamid the Armenians will be
icouraged by the younger sfid more
progressive generation Of Constantinople
urks.
IL Is a very easy matter TO buy guns at
ills, as there are numerous gunshops
nd nearly every human being goes ,
rined, contrary 70 Russian law, which,
the Caucasus region, Is dead letter.
5 nine tenths OF tho business houses in
fiis are owned by Armenians, there
lould be no difficulty OF sending even
rge shipments OF arms into Armenia.
he only real difficulty in tho way of
luirping Armenians with guns and am-
|lunition is the raising of the purchase
honey and there is no doubt now that
40 revolutionary leaders have very sub-
antial fund on hand.
A very significant circumstance Is that
assoun refugees at Etchmiadzln are pre-
AIRED to return to Armenia. Moreover,
ley are going back with guns in their
ands. The spiritual comfort which the
|,fugees received at Etohmiadzin was sup
lemented by Martini. Henry rifles and a
|upply OF Russian cnrtrldges
TO the one who considers this movement
y the tangible facts alone, VI has the sp-
earance Of unutterable madness. For
andful OF unframed Armenians to de-
berately begin fight with tho regular
|roops of the Turkish empire Is folly too
olossLl for human conceptions; yet one
bust take into account the underlying
iotives of the revolutionary leaders be-
pre- passing final Judgment.
Intervention Expected.
The purpose is not to bring Turkey TO
srms in a fair fight. but to secure set
lement Of the quarrel by the intervention
II the European powers. Before the revo-
luton Is three months old. the powers, 10
|, believed, will be compelled TO inter-
pre-, for the cruelty, atrocity, outrage,
lood-lust and butchcry of the struggle
lin be so unthInkably horrible that
christian humanity will rise in wrath
nd demand that IL cease Then Armenia,
I is hoped, may get her freedom. and the
turkish empire may be torn limb from
NIB and thrown piecemeal to its expect
Int neighbors.
Thus there is a possibility that what the
crusaders OF old failed 60 do may be done
ow, and that Palestine, the birthplace OF
Christianity, may at last come into the
ossession OF a Christian natios. The
Evolutionary leaders are not looking as
ar as Palestine, however They will be
Ontent with Armenian Independence and
|evenge for the blood OF Sassoun and the
martyrs of Erzingen.
Awful to Contemplate.
"The dead OF Erzingen," they declare,
|'cry aloud for vengeance. But It will be
he helpless women aud children who will
|uffer most. They will be outraged,
|ortured and butchered by thousands, and
he mo untain streams will run red with
heir blood"
To what extent the plans Of the revolu-
|ionary leaders are approved Of by the Ar
|nenian people at large ~ Is difscult to
|ell. ani quite certain that they are not
Known mt oil ~ the poor wretchcs whose
kivcs and daughters and sisters are 10 be
|acrificed' upon the altar Of Armenian
|reedon. IL they know. they would be
|he last persons on earth to consent to any
|uch arrangement.