The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-30
OUTLOOK IMPROVING.
An Americans Letter from Con
stantinople.
TELLS OF THE TRUE STATE OF
AFFAIRS.

AFFAIRS.
The Amenian Trouble Was the Result OF
Reversal of the SuItans Decision-Fur-
| ther Atrocities are Feared-Anxiety
| for the Missionaries.
| Boston, October 29-Additional and
even significant letters have been received
in Boston from an American resldent In
Constanstinople AWAKENING appfehensions
concerning the effect Of revolutionary
movement. The writer says
"The Armenians of the city have not
returned to business and the Armenian
churches Of Koumkapoou, Pera, Galata
and Hasskeny have remained full OF
refugees ever since the riot These people
are quite largely armed, and many OF
them are revolutionists who escaped from
the police while the police were engaged
in attacking innocent people The
government has repeatedly ordered and
entreated them to leave the churches and
disperse, but they have refused to do SO
| U6CituSo Unoy COulu uOb Do SIro eiiuo e.oJ
would not be killed instantly on leaving
their refuge. Their presence armed IN
the churches has been ii constant menace
to the peace of the city. for the turkish
| Iabble have repeatedly demanded TO Dc
allowed to finish" them, since these
men are really rebels. The government
decided to starye them out and cut on
| also ordered the families to leave Rl Uhe
| houses in that region, moved in troops,
and prepared for desperate fight. The
expectation was that the Armenians
/ under the pangs of hunger would make
Irush for escape. But the embassies re-
monstrated against these measures, as
! threatening to bring on another reign OF
terror throughout the CITY,. Accordingly
| the government relieved the strain by
\ allowing provisions to be carried into the
| church. Then the embassies OF the six
! Powers were asked by the Porte to use
1 their good offices to load the Ar1nenlans
4 to leave the churches and go home, the
4 Porte giving, what 1t has hitherto re-
1 fused q promise that no one shall be
molested as he leaves the church. The
embassies are engaged in negotiations
| with the Armenians, and it is hoped that
| the danger is over The Armenians have
| hitherto refused to believe the Turks,
and have said that if the ambassadors
| will give a guarantee of safety, they VIII
| dispense to their homes. Hasskeuy has
| the aspect of a deserted village. From
one house saw the people send little
| girl of ten to the fountain to get some
water. The whole family and all the
neighbors came to the windows to watch
! lest some harm befall her, and the child
! ran out and got the water and ran back
tas if In danger OF punishment II caught.
This shows the intense terror inspired by
| recent events.
s:It was very astonishing that the
| Turks were so foolish as to resist the
| effort of the Armenians to present thei1
petition to the Sublime Porto. 1t was
| contrary to the usage of the country to
do so. and could only be explained BY a
willwful act of hostility to the Armenlans
unless the Armenians had broken The
peace before the Turks attacked them,
which is denied. When the Grand Vizie
Said Pasha told the Sultan that the
demonstration as to take place and asked
for his will, the Sultan committed the
matter to the Grand Vizie and the
Minister of the Interior to arrange to-
gether, giving them full powers. They
decided to allow the petitioners to present
their grievance, merely taking the pre-
caution to have troops in the neighbor-
hood, out of sight, but so posted as to
prevent any surprise. IN case the
Armenians should prove to be riotous.
All was ready and the Grand Vizie was
Just setting out for the Porte to receive
the Arlnenians, when he was Informed
by the Sultan that he (the Sultan) had
decided against the demonstration and
had already ordered his troops to resist
and disperse any groups of Armenians
that might appear. So the whole respon-
sibility for the carnage falls upon that
foolish decision to override the plans Oh
the ministers. We have very serious news
from Aintah. Marsh and HadJln. Ihe
Armenian Hunchagists in those regions
are said to be intending to rise in force.
The Hunchagists intend to make direct
attack on the missionaries when they
rise. But they intend to make this attach
in Turkish dress, so that the blame may
be laid on the Turks. The situation il
bad We have trustworthy reports from
all the region looking in the same dlrec
tion. Mr.. Terrell has telegraphed hom'
th at ships, not one ship, ought to be SEN
again called the attention of the Porte t.
the need of vigilance to protect th
missionaries. The question has beer
raised whether the missionaries ough
not to send the women and children to th'
coast. But this question can only b
decided on the ground. In any case tn
risk of travel now, and the lack o
asylum at the coast weighs in favor of al
staying still where they are. 1t nov
seems probable that the reform schem
will be accepted by the Sultan in it
entirety Altogether the outlook here i
improving"
The Latest From Constantinople.
Constantinople, October s9--The ofticia
account of the troubles between Moslem
and Armenians at Marash, accuses th'
latter of murders and other outrage'
October "a and 2G Several OF th'
. Armenians were arrested with weapons
in their hands. The report says peac'
will be restored The band was led BY
Armenian agitators and attacked ant
pillages the Mussulman village o
Cavalry. The commander OF th'
gendarmes at Marish, was sent to enqulr'
into the matter. While returning ne ant
his companions and escort were ATTACKED
by 1000 rioters headed by an Armenian
commander and four or five OF tn
gendarmes were killed. Agitation on tn
Aleppo district and Gumuschdagh an ant
Kharpoot is ascribed to Armenians. IN
governor of Kharoot assisted by th
; American missionaries succeeded II
averting bloodshed and in restoring
order. Fighting at Bitlis resulted in tn
killing of 173 Mussulmen and 179 Al