New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
va SYMPATHY FOR THE TURKS.
AN EARNEST PROTEST AGAINST AiIE"'i - -
rAr.f.IATE THEIR GRIMES.


To the Editor OF Tho Tribune
Sir. So many erroneous utterances nav ~
made bv irresponsible persons with regard 10 '"o
Iaue,,,blc Armenian question that 1t would NOT
have hc.n worth ones while 10 bother hmse" Win
answering and rcfuing every one OF 'h'n io'' me-
leading "a they Were. they nave ole" wv" 80
ridiculous that We have always thought the "''''-
gent public would know the amount OF ''"Io' '"
such u;tcrances could have. But II seems 10 me
,ho, tho discourse Of Miss Georgiana Roberts at the
home 81 Mrs John Drex"l. before gathering OF
promlu.nt ladies which is reported III TO-DAY
Tribune cannot be treated In the same manner
and that since her utteranc"s have been maze pun
If. through the press. few words III IN" Sh"Pe Vi
A., answer might be beneficial. both for those VINO
sr Interested In the Armenian question and are de-
sirous Of acquiring a true knowledge OF IN" matter
and for th. cause OF tho unfortunate AfmenlahS
Therefore, | undertake TO say Few WORDS IL you
will kindly grant the favor OF your space
Will. declaring herself not to be an apologst OF
the Turk Miss Roberts seeks to know whether 'here
l. nothing I'm justice be said on behalf or the con-
d.mned Turk She goes on 10 give her opinion that
.rurkry mast be Judged not In the light OF her pres
ent condition but In the past. when In the pienitune
OF her power she was mistress OF herself =
Turkey" she SAYS -, the zenith OF her power
treated her Christian subjects fairly ana kindly IN
fact she IS suffering to-day from the liberal con-
c.Ssions made 10 the different Christian scots.
The statements OF Miss Roberts cannot be sup
ported by history In fact history tells us just the
opposite to what this lady says. tn" authority or
Sutherland Mcnzes cannot be questioned VIII
quote jus, one paragraph from his History OF the
Ottoman Empire" that We may learn how fairly
and kindly" Turkey has treated her Christian sub
jects when she was mistress OF herself In tho zenith
OF he. power. Miss Roberts vii! please read the
following words OF Menzes In regard 10 the reign OF
Sultan Amurath I:
"A great number OF Christian captives having
been taken BY the Turks. Kara Ilabil Pacha. the
Prm. Vizcr rccommcn led the Sultan 10 appro-
pirate a portion OF them to the service OF the Court
and the army. An cdct was accordingly issued by
which every NTH captive was claimed for the pur-
and seize the most robust and handsome OF the
Christian youth and great numbers OF thes. were
faith. and trained "a regular militia to form the
strength OF the Ottoman army: lIhey were Or
ganiZed into "A corps known as the Jani-sarlesD The
original number OF the corps appears to have been
asn Wink" hsaa w By at ana sSs
rose under Mdhomet III to 1000. under Solyman
to 900. and under Mahomet " To 1000
when the extension of dominion had put an end
to personal captivity. this body WAS supplied by
tax on every nth male child levied on the Chris
Of Mn pHI vha is to say at the period when
was not oihcrwisc r~crui,ed so that the number OF
Christian children has been estimated to have been
centuries were thus converted by force and sacri-
feed to the barbarous policy OF the Suans. 1t was
the most frightfu tribute OF human flesh that has
been levied by victorious religion over
vanquishcd faith. II gives the measure OF the pro-
found mbeciliiy aud su6Ieciion into which the
Christian populations had fallen under the unmiti-
gated dcspotism OF the M)slem cCrquerors. Ii may
be- observed that by this strang, method OF recruit
ing the Ottomans found at one and the same time
method OF carrying OFF the most ylrile portion
from the Christian populations. and OF doubling tho
strength OF their forces without putting arms Into
the hands OF the conquered
And this ~ not the only instance OF Turkish out
rage in the history OF the Ottoman Empire. which
Is history Of crime and shame Miss Roberts
SAYS: while deDlOre and condemn the atroci-
ties committed In listening to the hystercal out
bursts OF dcouncIation against Turkey. let not
forget that Christian nations have done the same
thing
Can the Turk be justified by arguing that Chris
tan nations also have enacted shameful outrages?
II Christian nations have also done the same
the bloodthirsty Turk Is continuing his crimes on
an appallingly augmented scale on the very thresh
old OF the twentieth century! What would you say
II you heard lawyer In n court In New-York say
Ing In defence OF his murderer client: while we
deplore and condemn the crime that my client has
committed In listening to the hysterical outburs
there are lots of people vino do tho same thing In
Patagonia? Can such a defence secure acquit-
tal' Wouldn't everybody say: Why. Patagonia
and New-York are not the same" Then. tho
fifteenth and nineteenth centuries the same? Can
1; be that Miss Roberts should mean to say that
"Chrstians have had their sport In shedding blood
and now II would not be fair to not let the Turk
have a show enjoy hims III in the same manner? ?
] hope not
Let us earnestly hope that Miss Roberts Is mis-
taken In imagining tina; the solution of the de-
plorabe Armenian question Is still far on be-
cause OF the greedy rivalry OF the European Pow
ers who have allowed that monstrous atrocities
ury May the Turks bloody career find speedy
| termination. and may the world no more witness
such unspeakabie horrors as those p.erpetrated
ARMAYIS p VARTOOGUIAN.
New-York, Dec. 16. 1886.