The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-05
A DARK CLOUD.
0bscures the Light Of Christianity In
the Turkish Empire.
LETTER FROM REV. DR.. BARNUM
Presents an Awful View OF At
fairs In Armenia.

Bosroy. Feb. ~5.-Today's Issue OF The
Congrcgatlonalist contains a letter from
Rev. II. n. Blrnum, DID,, the missionary
agent mt Harpoot, Turkey. He Is the first
person 70 make public a letter from the
stricken district over his W signature.
DIR. Barnum says:
In such n disaster rs has come upon this
country it is impossible TO secure accurate
information. Even where an attempt Is
made to secure reports in a village they
are somotimes much exaggerated, n In
some cases there Is an underestimate The
reign of terror is not yet over, aud many
of tho prominent Christians whose lives
are sparcd scarcely venture from their
hiding plac.s. and oftentimes do not
know what has b2fallen some OF their
nearest %neighbors.
The desolation is almost universal.
Even the Christian viiiuges that have been
spared have suffered SO much In one way
and another that in ordinary times they
would be considered TO have met with
calamity. The reports OF deaths in II
own field that have reached us amount TO
some 5000. We now know that in many
eases they have been much exaggerated,
but there are large numbers OF yiliages
from which we have heard nothing except
that there have been plumber and massacre,
and we are confident that IL we had all
the facts our reported aggregate would be
less than the reality.
There is another feature OF the case OF
which we arc just learning, and that Is
the death Of children. This has not previ-
ously been reported. Men, when they
found their own death was Inevitable,
have killed their daughters TO save them
from "a fate worse than death. Even
mothers In their flight cast away young
children, and some were thrown into
streams to save them from the Turks. In
some cases families who had secreted
themselves strangled their infant children
lest their cries should reveal their loca-
ton.
Died In the Faith.
The forciblc conversion to Mohamme.
danism Is perhaps the darkest side OF this
awful picture. Many men have died as
martyrs, Gregorians rs well rs Protestants.
They would not for "A listen TO
the proposition 20 save their lives by
changing their faith.
A still larger number. some through the
natural fear of death and some out or re-
gard to their families, have professed a
CONVERSION TO Islam, uni INV submitted
TO its rites and nre practicing It's worship
in the confident expectation That relief
will CONG from this pressure. Some OF
this Inter class are among our best breth'
rem, and our hearts are rent aud torn by
the recital of their distress.
The pressure in tho cities Is not open
and strong, although In the height of the
massacre it was severe, but In the villages
&c still abides, though / believe the govern
mcnt has taken some mild steps to relieve
IL.
Christian public worship is suspended
almost everywhere. Even where tho
Christians have not changed their ffith,
and where churches and chapels are not in
ruins, they arc afraid 60 meet lest their
coming together might invite attack.
Very few houses OF worship remain unin'
jured. Where they have not been burned,
they havc been badly damaged and are
unfit for use. Some have been converted
into mosques.
Five pastors and four licensed preachers
have been killed, another preacher Is
wounded, n pastor Is In prison and most OF
tho remainder arc fugltives from their
places OF labor or are afraid to show them
selves In public. There seems TO be spe-
cial luminosity against Professionalism.
In some places tho Turks declare that
they will not tolerate Professionalism any
longcr-that they will recognize hereafter
only one Christian community. There
has also been n large sacrifice OF Gregorlan
priests. Many places have neither priest
nor preacher. In some cases the priests
have accepted Mohammedanism.
1t is n cruel, relentless Mohammcdau
crusade, such as one could never have
dreamed possible In this age Of the world
l have even heard OF Moslems catching
the blood Of Christians in their hand,
and drinking IL ms u draught refreshing
to their souls. Thus It will be seen that
Christianity Is under n dense, dark cloud
Turkey Sinking the blame.
The government makes n desperate ef
fort TO lay the blame OF all this on the Ar
menians In its official report. l presume
TINT the samc charge has been made by
the central government for this region
although tho Christian population were
like frightened sheep, and, In the hope OF
relieving suspicion and averting disaster
they voluntarily surrendered their arms
to the government before the raid.
In all the massacres, the plundering ano
burning of houses aud the firing OF sol
diers In this vicinity. l have not heard
that u single Kurd or Turk was even
wounded, or that n Christian offered any
resistance, This attitude Of the Christians
doubtless saved q great many lives.
Nevertheless, the mayor OF this city hao
the e~ffrontery 10 tell mo the other day that
the riot In this city was caused by an Ar
mcnian firing gun. aud the chief Of police
at the samo time said hat the massacre In
Malatia began by an Armenian barber
cutting the throat OF n Kurd whom he wa,
shaving. An Armenian did cut n Kurd'.
throat, but not until he saw his brother
md others cut down nc the door OF hi,
shop md realized that the Turks and
Kurds had begun n massacre in the streets.
In Malatla and Arahkir the Armenians,
when driven 60 their houses and churches,
saw that no quarter would he given, So
they defended themselves rs best thcy
could, but this, doubtless, greatly IN.
creased the mortality ON their own side o