Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-06
Moral Cowardice Of Christer dom.


come accustomed to shocking sights and
passively resigned to brutality. Much
more easily. but in the same manner, they
are stirred less and less deeply by reports
of horrible outrages as those reports CON
tinuc to come to them until the awful
record of crime, slaughter and torture of
human beings ceases to attract especial
attention.
Since the time, months ago when Lord
Salisbury cndcavored to make it appear
that the Armenian outrages were grossly
exaggerated, and again when he said that
the powers were united in endcavor to
put an end to the crusade of Mohamme-
dan against Christian and that the Sultan
of Turkey was cooperating with them i'll
this purpose, there has not been day
when some report of frightful outrage has
not been presented to the public gaze.
And so one is inclined to pass over, with
at least not more than passing glance
such an account as the letter from Rev. H.
\. Barnum of Harpoot, Turkey, and
published Wednesday morning in the
Congregationalist.
This letter written from the scenes of
the massacres by an eminent divine,
whose vcracity cannot be doubted, al
though there have been equally horrible
stories of the dreadful deeds by which
Christian people are being exterminated
by fends in human shape should be care
fully read. 1t was written on the oath of
last December There is in it no sus-
picion Of attempt other than to convey
truthful idea of the awful condition Of
affairs in that country. \ new feature
contained in the account is the killing
of children by their own parents, who be-
lieve that death is preferable to torture,
outrage and slavery or starvation.
Another feature, which clearly disproves
Premier Salisbury's latest perversion of
the truth and leaves no doubt Of the
Interior purpose of the fanatic who is the
despot of Turkey, Is the wholesale attempt
to convert the Armenian Christians to
Mohammedanism DR.. Barnum writes
of many instances where the Christians
preferred martyrdom and of many more
where in order not only to save their
families but the people of an entire village
the leading men have protested CONVEX
sion to Islam. 1t is only surprising that
more Of them have not accepted this way
of physical salvation. 1t is cruel, re-
lentless, Mohammedan 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 Chris
tians in their hands and drinking it as a
draught refreshing to their souls In
another part OF DR.. Barnum letter he has
something to say concerning the silly
stories that the Armenians have brought
the trouble upon themselves: lin all the
massacrcs, the plundering and burning of
houses and the firing of soldiers in this
vicinity have not heard that single
kurd or Turk was even wounded or that
a Christian offered any resistance This
attitude of the Christians doubtless saved
many lives. In another place he tells
how American publications sent there
are mutilated or stopped altogether, to
prevent spread of the reports contained
therein. The writer says the missionaries
at Harpoot have lost nearly all their
worldly possessions, also that much dis
appointment is expressed among the
Turks in that vicinity because not quite
all the buildings were destroyed.
Can any one longer doubt the truth:
Where is there the slightest doubt that
crimes, which shocked the world centuries
ago, are being repeated with added bar
barity in the land of the Sultan today:
The almost inconceivable atrocities of
Indian warfare were no worse than those
now being perpetrated within the domains
of the Moslem. The Indians were
wronged and exasperated and they fought
anu hlilcu tHOsc WIN IOukHu duu
them. Religious faraticism and natural
lust for blood are the incentives for
Armenian outrages, the Christians OF
that country are being offered up as
living sacrifices on the altar Of Moham-
mechanism. And yet England's premier
has announced to the world that England
is only required to exert moral in
fluence" to prevent this. But recently
the domain OF the barbarian King of
Ashantee was invaded by English troops
and the country placed under British
control, the excuse being, though I'M
proved, that this king was in the habit of
making human sacrifices to his gods.
England seems to have had more than
moral influence" to offer in that in
stance.
But Salisbury absurd statement needs
not to be disproved by any such compari
son. A brief review of the facts is all
which is necessary to place the English