The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-03-21


Greeks have been pressing forward the
Moslems have been standing still or
actually retrograding. These. with their
stupidity. their fatalism, their Incidence
and sensuality, their wilfully blind and
ignorant fanaticism. are really so far
below their Christian neighbors that
they seem to belong to another world
With Islam progress is forever impos-
sible Thus, while the Oriental Chris
tians, with all their faults, do really
belong to our nineteenth century, the
Moslems, with few exceptions, forever
dwell in the ninth. Left far in the rear
in the race for wealth and intellectual
power, and yet stubbornly tenacious of
a creed that forbids his advance. what
is left to the Turk but bitter envy and
hatred of those who once were his com
panions in ignorance and degradation,
but are now pressing on. most eagerly
and successfully, to become the friends
and associates of the dreaded infidels
of the west?
The relations between a Moslem gov
eminent and it's Christian subjects are
those of absolute, irresponsible power
and command on the one side and I'M
qualified submission and obedience on
the other. Government, in all it's bran
ches, executive, military and judicial
(there is no legislative) is wholly in
Moslem hands. The right to bear arms
is with them alone. No Christian can
enter the army No Christian can oc-
cupy any but the most subordinate
places in the civil government. No
Christian can be a judge. No Chris
tian's testimony is worth anything as
against that of a Moslem. If the former
has Justice done him in a lawsuit or a
criminal process it is mater of grace,
not of right. He has no rights that his
conquerOr and master is bound to re-
spect. 1t is plain that this state of
things makes massacre and pillage of
Christians here to be a matter wholly
depending upon the mood and the will
OF the ruling race. The Christian has
not single safeguard against these
things save as it is afforded by outside
powers
There cannot be the slightest doubt
that these horrible massacres were de-
liberately planned by the sultan and his
advisers, and accomplished strictly &C
cording to their orders. The massacres
with three or four exceptions easily
explained by proximity to Zeitoun.
where the Turks have been eXasperated
by the only armed resistance they have
encountered-have all taken place in
the six vilayets named in "the reforms"
In those provinces. according to the
new plan, certain share was to have
been given to the Christians in the adj
ministration of affairs, according to
their numbers as compared with the
MOGlpnG -
bloody events of the last three months
has been to reduce the numbers of the
Christians in each place in order that
the reforms may become a dead let
ter. 1t is in accordance with the cynical
utterance not long ago of a prominent
Turkish statesman: The best way to
put an end to the Armenian question is
to put an end to the Armenians."
We see in a few newspapers that es-
cape the Turks and get into our hands
that the agents of the Ottoman gov
eminent assiduously represent to the
world the present disturbances as caus-
ed by the Armenians themselves. We
are told of attacks upon Moslems while
in their mosques at prayer; of Armen-
ians firing upon Turkish officers; Of
Christian raids upon defenseless Mos
4
here 1t is simply astonishing that Amer
lean and European papers will publish
such outrageous lies 1t is the old story
Of the wolf and the lamb Let it be
known, once for all, that in no case
save Zeitoun-where the sturdy Armen-
ian mOuntaineers. being numerically
strong and additionally at feud with
the Turks, took up arms in self defense
Il MI
resistance even been offered by the
Christians. They have simply been
slaughtered like sheep by the butchers.
II there has been an exception, and
even that but a single one, it was in the
case of the riot in Constantinople.
To speak of aggression by the Chris
tians is absurd. Everywhere save in
the Zeitoun region they are in the mi
nority. Everywhere their houses and
churches were searched before the mas
sacre, and any old flint-locks or daggers
they might have were taken away from
them. Everywhere, with one or two
exceptions, the Armenians are inoffen-
slVe' quiet, Woodworking people living
IN such fear of the MOslems as to make
the very idea of an attack upon the lat
ter thing not even to be dreamed Of.
1t is true that so-called Armenian rev.
dictionary societies have been formed
in Europe and America. 1t is also true
that few emissaries from these have
found their way into Turkey. But it
may be most truthfuly maintained.
nevertheless, that not one Armenian
in thousand ever seriously intended
taking up arms against the Turks
The Armenians are the bankers. the
merchants, the Christian teachers and
preachers, the physicians, the silver
smiths, watchmakers, weavers, carpen-