The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-17
CONSTANTINOPLE AFFAIRS.
IT Is EVIDENT THAT MATTERS IN
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE HAVE
REACHED a CRISIS.
ARMENIAN MASSACRES MUST CEASE
The Powers Have Tired of Promises
From the Porte-.All Turks Tried for
Completely Have Been Acquit-
ted of the Charge.

Constantinoplc, via Sofia, Bulgaria,
Sept 13.-(Copyrighted, 1886, by the AS
sociated Press. To those who have eyes
to see, there is more and more evidence
of the approach of crisis in the affairs
of the decrcpit Ottoman empire. But
the Turk himself offers no sign of apprc-
citation of the fate that is impending over
him in the limit that has apparently been
reached in the affairs of the European
powers with the process of determination
of the Armenians that has been steadily
and relentlessly pursued by the Turks.
There is no diminution in the rancor dis
played by the Mussulmans towards the
Armenians and no sign of the relinqush-
ment of the Turks contention that the
Armenians are persistent and determined
revolutionists and agitatOrs against the
sovereignty of the sultan. Said Pasha
invited the stringent oppressive measures
! that have been used against them.
Some color has to be admitted to this
that some of the ENJOYS of the powers
have received Il circular note from the
| Hintchak revolutionary committee de-
claring that if the reforms demanded by
the Armenians at the time of the raid
by them upon the Ottoman bank are not
granted, there will be more serious
outbreak against the Turkish authorities
and over much wider area than was
the last, which resulted in the apparently
indiscriminate slaughter of Armenians in
this city.
Since Friday there has been a large in
crease of the patrols of cavalry in Thera,
pia, the suburban town of Constantine
pie. in which are situated the French
and English ambassadors residences, and
in Buyukdere. This is the sultan's pre-
cautionary measure against future out
RACES, in compliance with the warning
contained i'll the note to the powers
These troops, it is understood, come un
der the authority of those who are warned
that they will be responsible if the out
breaks involving the destruction of prop
erty and loss of life occur. But the
troops are ut the same time instructed
that they are authorized to use their arms
in self defense if they are attacked
These So-called precautionary measures
have not improved the situation and hav
rather served to extend the feeling %
terror on account of the feeling of doub
as to what secondary meaning may b
hidden behind the letter of instruction
to the troops. Meantime the. British re
lief committee is busy with the work o
helping the distressed Armenians. TIL
official Turkish estimate of the humble
of victims of the massacres in this cit,
is 100. Other estimates run prett.
much all the way upwards from thi
figure.
The official estimate is coupled wit
the allegation that many of those kile
were Turks, but that they were bure
by mistake with the Armenians and tina
so their numbers went to swell the sup
posed number of Armenian victims. Thi
is undoubtedly designated as an apolog
and explanation of the assertion con
tanned in the note of the powers that tn
savage bands which murderously attack
ed the Armenians and pillaged thei
houses were not accidental gatherings o
fanatic people or undirected mobs, hu
that there was every indication of thei
special organization and of its ben
known to, if not directed by, the author
tiles. In foreign circles here the state