St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-17
HOW TO HELP ARMENIA.


possible. The massacre Of thousands
of helpless people, which attracts
the attention of the world, is only
the elimination of a series of daily
atrocities that have always existed
under Turkish rule, and that will
continue until it shall have been
abolished. There is no hope and
no help for Armenia as long as she
remains subject to the government
of Turkey. The Christian world
knows of old what is the temper of
the Mussulman in power, and he
has not changed with the revolving
centuries. He is the same cruel,
fanatical fatalist that he was at the
beginning, to whom it is doing a
service to Allah to doom any Chris
tan at his mercy to suffering and
death.
There is no reason to suppose that
the latest reports from Armenia
are exaggerated. These state that
the wretched people there are ready
to invite another massacre, and that
it may be expected to follow soon.
They have, in this, a double motive.
They would rather take a short,
sharp way to their fate than to en-
dure the daily and unspeakable out
RACES Of their prosecutors. They
imagine, also, that by one great
sacrifice of themselves they may so
impress the civilized world with
sense of Armenia's desperate need,
that help will come. That help can
come in but one way. The conven-
ton of Christian Endeavorers in Bos-
ton addressed a petition to the Queen
of England, urging upon her atten-
ton the condition of the Christian
subjects in Turkey, and praying her
to use her influence and authority
to help the perishing, and to give
to Armenia a safe and just govern
ment. This resolution was received
with great applause; and similar
petition, it is said, is to be presented
to President Cleveland. But not by
any one of the rulers of the great ma
tons of the world is this reform to
be accomplished. 1t is always easy
to petition some one else to per-
form an unpleasant duty. There is
no more reason why Queen Victoria
should move to the rescue of Armenia
than there is why such a step should
be taken by the Emperor of Ger
many or the King of Italy or the
president of France. All civilized
peoples have a common interest in
this rescue work, and there are rea-
sons why it can be done only by all
of them in conjunction.
The existence of Turkey is a blot
on the map of Europe, and a stand
ing reproach to all civilization. But
the existence of Turkey has a politi-
cal aspect. The old Pigment of the
balance of power still prevails in
Europe. Each nation fears despair
ately the aggrandiZement of any
other by its acquisition of new ter
| ritory. If Russia had been allowed
| to have her way, there would have
been no Turkey in Europe today
But no one nation will permit any
other nation to strike down the
heather barbarian, lest it should
win an overweening military and
naval advantage by the possession
of Constantinople. Holding up hos
tile arms against each other through
all these years, their internal jeal-
ousy has been the salvation of the
| Turk. The time has come when,
with the general indisposition to war,
and the general adoption of ar
| bitration as means of settling
| difficulties, the great nations of the
! world ought to be able to arrive cas-
| lily at an agreement for the destruc-
| ton of the Turkish government. His
| tory does not want for instances in
| which they have combined to con-
| quer and divide some peaceful and
happy country. Why should that
which happened to Poland, despite
| the sacrifice of her heroic sons, and
to the shame of liberty, not happen
now to the Turk, for the sake Of
| humanity and Of civilization?
| The great nations of the world
have but to agree in order to make
what arrangements they please for
the future of the Turkish empire in
Europe. There ought to be but one
condition. The government, as it
exists today, ought to be wiped out
and destroyed. Let the powers
make what disposition they please
of Turkish territory. Let them gov
ern it by common protectorate,- or di-
vide it into provinces to be assigned
among themselves. Let them make
Constantinople a great free city, de-
/ pendent upon and owing allegiance
to no other European power. Let
them rescue the subjects of Turkey
in Asia from the brutal tyranny
that now grinds them to the earth.
1t can be done without the striking
of a blow. 1t ought to be done, if
not in the name of the Christian
faith, then in the name of common
humanity. There is no other way.
The Turk is insensible and implaca=
BILE. He can understand nothing ex.
cept the overwhelming compulsior
of armed force. He is an interlopeI
in Europe and relic of an earlier