The record-union., 1896-02-21
THE MISSIONS IN ARMENIA AND
JUSTICE.


The missionaries in Armenia, who
have been so prominently mentioned
in the news reports for a year or more,
from that unhappy section are Ameri-
cans. They went into the country un-
der treaty agreements and some nota-
bly, strong guarantees. There was no
compulsion upon Turkey-that country
could have refused to engage to admit
them and we would have had no cause
whatever for complaint. 1t is stated
by the officials Of the missionary boards
in this country that these missionaries
have expended some millions of dollars
in schools, colleges, teachers expenses,
mission buildings, books, printing Off
ces, charity, orphan and refuge asy-
lums, and the like.
At a meeting held in London a few
years ago the late Earl of Shaftesbury
said that not in the history of any
missions. nor did he believe in the his
tory of diplomacy, nor in the history
of negotiations carried on between man
and man, is there to be found any par
allel to the wisdom, the soundness, the
pure energetical truth of the body OF
the men and women who constitute the
American missions in Turkey. He went
on to declare, as he said he had declared
many a time before (and that he knew
whereof he spoke). that they are mar
velous combination of sense and plety.
Every man who comes in contact with
these men speaks in praise OF them.
Persons in authority and persons IN
subjection all speak in their faVor'
travellers speak well of them, and
know of no man who has ever been aDle
to bring against that body a single
valid objection Thus they stand, test
ed by years, tried by their works, ana
exemplified by their fruits; and be-
feve it will be found that these ATnerl-
can missionaries have done more to-
ward unfolding the truth and spreading
the gospel of Christ in the East than
any other body of men in this or any
other age.
Even if it is granted that this is some
what too warm commendation, never
theless it remains, coming as did from
a man Of strong convictions, unblem-
ished character and wide observation,
a compliment that must make every
American feel proud Of these mission
aries, even if he is not of their faith, or
is disposed to doubt the wisdom of
missions anywhere.
Such Endorsement, therefore, may
well be taken into account when there
is a disposition in some quarters to lay
the blame of all the Armenian troubles
at the doors of our missions in Turkey.
Indeed, it has been charged by so dis
tinguished writer as Professor f.
Hopkinson Smith, that the missionaries
have preached discomfort among the
Armenians and have stirred up rebell
ion. Possibly there is an element of
truth in that statement. The mission
aries could scarcely avoid teaching
these people, Armenian or Turk, that
manhood is a right carrying with it
independence and self-government
They could scarcely come from America
and teach their converts that their
captivity-it is little above that-to
the Turkish Government is what Amer
leans would not endure for a day.
But the missionaries deny most
strenuously that they have stirred up
revolt or taught anything that would
incite it. On the contrary, they affirm
that they have taught obedience to the
powers that be, the supremacy of the
laws Of place, submission to the civic
authority and to the State, and con-
formance with the laws of the land.
They say that had they taught any
thing such as is charged against them.
they would long since have been de-
ported and justly so, since no Govern
ment is more watchfuI concerning the
inculcation of doctrines that tend to
create discomfort than that of the Sui
tan.
we must not forget the exceedingly
difficult tasks of these missionaries
how in the very nature of things they
had to be diplomats, to be as wise as
serpents and as cunning as foxes. in or
der to meet the Turk on his own ground
and hold their own. Except they had
been picked men, of much learning,
business tact and diplomatic skill, they
would have been unable to make any
progress In Turkey, since the Turks