The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-04

London, March Especial Armenian
letter-Copyrighte 1894, by Associated
Press. 1.-The correspondent OF the As
ISOLATED Press who was sent to Armenia
With Instructions TO thoroughly NV vsti-
gate the stories told of the Turkish
atrocities in that country, under date
of Tiflis, Russia, january %, forwarded
the following interview with the father
of all the Armenians, Mgr. Khrimiran.
After a hesitation of several days, the
very Rev. Father granted the request
of the Associated correspondent for a
statement Of the condition Of Armenia
| and the causes which led to the Sa5-
SCUM massacre.
Additional weight is given to the
statement by the facts that Mgr. Khri-
miriam was at that time preparing a
memorial on The subject to the car of
Russia, and it may be inferred that the
substance OF this statement contained
in the memorial to the ear may be
found in this interview.
Mgr hhrimiran'S home is at
Etzehniadzin, in the Ararat region of
Russia, within a short distance of the
the house the Associated Press cor
respondent met monk in a black
habit and at the farther end of the
room Was a man dressed entirely in
red, holding a long mace. The sang
ulndry appearance of this man con-
trasted strangely with the peace and
quiet of the house. Some times four
men were in attendance.
Fluent ana Eloquent.
On the occasion OF the first visit of
the correspondent to the quiet house,
he was Introduced by an eminent
Armenian gentleman, editor of the
Ardzlagank: on the occasioI Ct his
second visit, sIgr. khriuuran having
| decided to make the statement asked
for by the associated Press talked
Auently and eloquently of the wrongs
I to the people. Among other tdiugS he
said;
'"rhe massacre in thu Sassoun noun
tdin5 Was the result OF a long period Of
Turkish nisgoverhnaent. in the Ar
| menian province of Turkey, d policy
of cruelty and oppression has continued
for long time. [, myself, have been
an eye witnesses Of all kinds " Turkish
oppression. In fact, about fifty years
| OF my life have been passed in Connec-
ton with the prosecutions in Armenia.
Twenty or thirty years ago the Ar
menianS were still very low and mar
row and did not understand the cause
of all the calamities Which befen them
They thought their troubles We're sent
by heaven as a punishment for their
sins. Such is always the belief 0f the
people deprived of education and the
printing press. But later. when they
began to think and to understand the
wicked acts Of their OppresSOrs there
came a change and they saw clearly
11n 0f
ArmeniIs SuHerings
One reason for their change was the
| war between Russia and Turkey in
1875, which ended so happily for the
Bulgarlans who received freedom and
fered from the misgoVernment of the
Turks much more than the BulgarianS.
who lived in the neighborhood of the
[ western European powers. whereas the
Armenians We're at such a remote dis
lance from the civilized world that
| their cries could not be heard. AT the
close of the Russo-Turkish war the
ArmenianS. encouraged by the i'm
proved conditions of Bulgaria, demand
ed the same guarantees Which were
given to that country. All kinds of
I complaints and petitions poured in to
| the patriarch Of ConStantinople. They
we're so numerous that il they had
been thrown into large room they
would have filed 1t as full as an egg,
In the meantime the European
! powers were compelled to sign the
Berlin treaty At this period, [ was
sent with another delegate to the
chief capitals Of western Europe to
plead the cause OF Armenia. [ visited
London, Paris, Vienna, Rome and
Berlin, but my mission did not pro-
| duce satisfactory results. ] presented
to the Berlin congress q memorial Civ
ing fun details OF the Turkish atrOci-
ties in Turkish Armenia. Moreover,
there Was printed in Berlin at the same
time my description of these atrocities.
But what we had worked for was not
realized as. with reference to the Ar
| raenian question, the Berlin congress
adopted what is known as the sixty
! first article of the Berlin treaty, and,
| although the treaty was signed. it had
no influence in lesseninS the precau-
tons.
Cruelty Did Not Cease.
Our hopes we're in vain. The cruelty
Of the Turkish government did not
eease 1t merely took, new form
But. keeping in view. that there was a
treaty, the Turks sought for some legal
means of justffy1ng their atrocities.
What happened? The taxes became
heavier and all kinds Of duties became
greater and the Turkish people receiy-
ed full powers to tax Armenian peas
ants
'aFhs cause-why should a people,
Who have not only a sufficient quantity
of land, even too much, and very
fertile and well irrigated land, leave
their native soil and emisrate to other
countries2 If there was no proof of
Turkish misgoVernHent in Armenia.
this circumstance alone would present
sufficient evidence OF those expressions
which the Armenians in Turkey are
enduring Nearly go 600 Armenians
seek work in Constantinople in order
that they may be able to pay taxes
which the Turkish government imposes
upon them. In the whole Turkish en-
pire including Asia. there are about
! 10000 Armenians."
Regarding the Sassoun massacre, the
! Rev. Father said
AS every action brings its result or
/ counter blow. the same may be said of
\ the oppression Of the Armenians, who
understood the actions of the Turks
and began to revolt. 1t was then and