The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-29


New Bedford, Mr.. Seaver of Tiverton and
Mr.. Stevens OF Newport
Rev. w. II. Spencer. Rev. Peul X.
Rockingham and Miss Dunbar were ap-
pointed committee on nominations.
The rest OF the forenoon session was de-
voted to ten minute addresses by eight
young people representing as many differ
ent societies, and then the delegates ad-
journed for the collation..
ADDRESS BY MRS. ISABEL Q. BARRows.
Mrs. Isabel q. Barrows of Boston deliv-
cred most interesting address to the
conference on 1.-THE Faith and Heroism
OF the Armenian Martyrs"
A summary of her remarks is:
The Oldest organized Christian church
Is the Armenian. The Armenians are an
old old people, with roots running back
into unknown antiquity, but with
cecrded history Of more than three
thousand years, the Oldest record being
In stone. Earnest, determined, pertina-
cious, fearless, they are Of the stuff OF
which nartrys are made. The very char
acteristics which have preserved them as
a people through ages OF suffering would
make trem cling to that which they had
adopted as their=ewa through life and
death, especially II 1t touched the highest
motives In life.
The legend, which probably has truth
that soon after the death OF Jesus of
Nazareth two of his disciple, went into
Armenia and preached the gospel. 1t was
accepted by many and among Others by
the daughter OF the king, who became the
first Christian woman martyr. BY how
many thousands mas that young girls
martyrdom been multiplied during the
last two years, and by how many tens of
thousands during the two thousand years
since the persecution OF these devoted
Christians began! Though the gosepl
was preached, as was said, by Thaddeus
and bartholomew late in the frat CEN
tury OF our ere, Christianity was not pro-
claimed as the national religion till a. out
two hundred ears later. From that time
till now the words Christian and Arme-
nian have been synonymous. The people
are passionatcly Christian and have never
faltered in their allegiance TO their rei-
gious faith as race. Here and there have
been individuals who at the point of
the sword have renonnced II, but as
whole they have stood manfully for the
faith delivered 10 the saints.
The liturgy of the Armenian Church Is
very beautiful ana the organization Of
the church Ia democratic. Naturally, in
these many centuries, they have departed
from the simplicity OF the Gospel, and err
rors and superstitions have sprung up and
crowded their way into church observan-
ces and into the lives of the people, but in
spite OF these the root of the matter must
be still strong and vigorous or it would
have been killed long ago. They have
had the Pereisns or fire worshippers TO
combat on one hand, the Greek and Rus
sian churches rave been opposed to
them, and for hundreds of years they
have been beneath the yoke Of the Mos
lem and have had to hide their Christian
light under the Mohammedan bushel.
No one In this country of religious lib
erty can even imagine what il is to live
in an absolutely intolerant land. Think
whose regular daily PRAYER, repeated by
tens of thousands with every rising SUI,
was the "otiicial prayer OF Isiam":
80, Lord Of all creatures q, Allah,
destroy the iniidels (that is, the Christ
ians) and polytbeists, thine enemies, the
e smies OF the religion. o, Allah, make
their children orphans and defile their
obodes. Cause their feet to slip, give
them and their families, their households
and their women. their children and
their relations by marriage, their brothers
and then friends, their possessions and
their race, their wealth and their lands
as booty to the Moslems, q, Lord OF all
creaturesl''
How literally the Turks have taken in
to their own Keeping the fulfilment OF
this dreadful prayer the frightful massa-
cres and rapine OF the last two years have
shown. And yet there has never reeu q
day, when by the acceptance OF the Mos
lem faith, these Armenians might not
have saved their lives and property. The
heroism with which they have met death
and fate worse than death ten thousand
times will be told of them while the
world stands.
1t Is not the men alone who have been
thus brave, hut the women and even tho
little children have cheerfully died rather
nf afr
prosecutors.
Many persons knowing that the Ameri-
can Hoard OF Foreign Missions has for
many years had missionaries IN Armenia
may naturally ascribe this Christian
fidelity TO the doctrines inculcated by
tho missionaries, but by far the greater
number of those who have perished in
the terrible massacre have never been
under missionary influence. They are the
product OF the old Armenian church ard
their faith Is the simple faith in God and
his son. They have died calling on his
name and with hymns on their lips.
We who belong TO another branch OF
the church universal may enter into the
sufferings and share the martyrdom OF
these unhappy people in but one way.
Even IL we were willing to give our
selves. to spend our strength in consoling
and aiding those who are left, we would
not be allowed TO do so. The more deeply
we sy n pathize with the Armenians the
more closely would the Turk shut
the door in our faces. Our money, how
ever. Is allowed to pass the Threshold,
and what we may NOT accomplish ourselves
we may empower the missionaries, who
are doing notle philanthropic wor. in
the country, OF the Red Cross, or DR..
Grace KimbalI, to do for us. The need is
pressing, growing greater instead OF less
as the supplies are used and the funds 20
purchase moro grow less. Death was the
least OF the sufferings these people have
had to bear, lhe agony Of seeing their
martyrdom which the widows and moth
ers are now compelled to endure. Let US
give OF our abundance, and as we can
only in this way show our appreciation OF