The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-02

called for the purpose of discussing them,
| but we are here to assert our common
brotherhood with suffering humanity and
to stretch out helping hand to the desti-
| tute and starving survivors who are cry
| ing for bread. Across the great water
comes the news that those who have es-
capped the sword are dying from famine
and exposure, and that thousands more
are doomed unless succor comes
quick and sure. The cry has not
been heard in vain; the Red Cross So
| ciety answered to the call, and that
grandest organization for the benefit of
| suffering humanity which the world has
| ever known has fastened to fill the breach.
Miss Clara Barton, known as an angel
of mercy wherever the English language
| is spoken, and in many lands where it is
not spoken, has assumed the leadership
| and long since entered upon her arduous
duties, and now for the first time true
account of the awful condition Of that
| unhappy country comes to us from the
heroic men and women of America who
| are labOring to succor the perishing thou
| sands. The Atlantic cable brings to us
the news that the funds of the Red Cross
society are exhausted; that the country
has been reduced to a desert, the villages
| burned, the stores of grain destroyed and
the wretched inhabitants by the thou
sands are wandering around desolated
country dying of hunger and exposure
The greatest tragedy of the nineteenth
century is drawing to a close and the last
cry of perishing people is being heard.
To freedoms people in freedoms chos
en- land this last appeal is made; we who
enjoy the blessings of a constitutional
government and protection Of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, can not even
realize the awful condition of this people:
we, standing as 1t were, upon the noun
tain top, with the sun of prosperity shin
ing upon us, and breathing the pure air
of freedom, can not pierce the vapors that
hang over the dark wales of humiliatio
and horror in which the surviving inhab
itants of Armenia lie. But we are here
tonight to show our sympathy and give
succOr as best we can; every section of
the Union is answering the call, and /
appeal to the Christians in the name of
Christ; to those who are not Christians.
in the name of humanity, and to all in the
name of that charity which blessed him
that give and him that receives, to give
and give literally.
In conclusion, | desire to say that were
it not for the efforts of our townsman this
mission of the Red Cross society could
never have been begun. and that man is
known. to every man, woman and child
within the sound of my voice. his intlu
ence with the sultan and his diplomatic
skill secured the admission and protection
of the relief parties in the stricken region,
and he has done more for suffering Ar
menia than the guarantee of all the ma
tons of Europe more than the combined
ministers of all the governments repre-
sented at Constantinople, and that but
for him this relief movement would not
be possible. He once belonged to us. he is
now the property of the nation: his fame
is international, and his name is \. w.
Terrell. and as the good ship bears him
home tonight across the dark blue sea,
let the moral sentiment of this great con-
tinent gather its thunderous applause to
greet him upon our shores and hail him
as its honorable representative. and let
u.s. his fellow citizens. greet him as. be-
comes his services to humanity and the
honor he has reflected upon our city.
Governor Hogg was next introduced
and created somewhat of futter among
his hearers by the drift his remarks took.
He said in substance:
Ladies and Gentlemen-I am rather at
a loss for words to express my sentiments
me tonight by the people of Austin
through their ministers. The object of
the meeting is charity, and the work is
broad enough to elicit charity at home
and abroad. The ministers insisted on
my coming, and | shall therefore freely
express my feelings. Austin has the
most intelligent set of ministers that ever
graced any city. She has the most ele.
CANT women enlisted in the cause of char
ity of any city in the Union. They are
doing daily work and good work here
among the poor and deserving of our city.
Now, my friends, this is a serious ques-
ton. This war in Armenia and Turkey
is religious war. You know it and /
know it. 1t has been waged for hun
dreds of years. | am not going to quote
Scripture, or, rather misquote it, but
history tells us, and you know we all
swear by history, that long years ago an
Armenian king wrote to Christ to come
and cure him of leprosy or some other dis
ease. Christ could not go then, but after
His crucitiXion one of His disciples went
to the king and made most miraculous
cure. He Immediately became Chris
tan. | do not know whether he was
sprinkled or immersed. Since that time I
the religious war has been going on over
there.
This meeting is for charity. If that
is the real reason, l say godspeed. but if
it is to change the Christianity of the
country | say halt.
Armenia is a country known for its
agricultural development. There are To-
600, 900 people living there, and the coun,
try is a most prosperous one agricultural
ly. And yet there are very few Chris
tians among the people living there. The
few who espouse religion at all are Mo.
AS for myself. | believe in
Jesus Christ. | believe in His great
works. | believe in Christ as | believe
that George Washington was the father
of this country. Those people in Arme-
mia think that they have their Christ and it
is the foreigners who go among them who
create all the mischief. If we can render
assistance to those Christians who are be-
ing prosecuted l am willing to lend a
helping hand. Foreign nations have
been sweeping down on Armenia for HIM
dreds of years past and Strengthening her
inhabitants. This will continue as long
as Armenia is prosperous. Over in Lon
don this very night | venture to say they
are holding meetings just as big as this
to send missionaries over to Texas to re-
form us. Quite frequently | read in Lon
don papers of the frightful crimes COM
mitted in Texas, and there is plenty of |
literature circulated about the crimes
in this State. Not long ago
remember that they started a crowd
over here from England to reform the
South. Instantly West Virginia began
bowling, Georgia snorted. and Alabama
chimed in. all saying that they couldn't
come in their neighborhood, claiming that
it would be an invasion of foreign
rights. Now, ladies and gentlemen. l |
have said this much in qualification of my
IL