The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-20
THE POWERS AND TURKEY.

plumber and fanaticism in religion. During
that period he was a conqueror. He over
ran Greece, occupied the fairest provinces
of Spain. laid siege to Vienna and. on the
ruins OF early so-calied Christian civiliza-
ton. built up another civilization, if a civil
lization it can be called, which at one time
threatened to bring under its tyrannical
sway the whole of the European continent.
The power of the Turk was broken be-
cause, with all it's splendor, learning and
power it was without a moral basis Sen
suality. RIGHTEOUSNESS and polygamy de-
stroyed the power to hold what it had won.
For centuries the Turk, as a representative
of national power, has been losing his
grasp until to-day he exists by the indie
feasible sufferance of European govern
ments. His religion prevails in India and
other lands. but he is longer a recog-
nized ruler in them. To-day his actual
power in Europe is confined to the ancient
provinces Byzantium and Macedonia, and
in Asia to a portion of Asia Minor, Pales-
tine and Arabia Over the tribes of Arabia
the Turkish Sultan is a religious father
countries which the Sultan holds sway
of the population.
But If the Moslem has lost his power for
conquest, his spirit has not been touched
by the influence of that civilization which
has softened the Christian world Bereft
of power for aggressive warfare, the Turk
is capable only of mere cruelty and hate,
which have found their chief exercise for
a century in prosecuting the luckless people
who are not of the Moslen1 faith, but who
reside in the territory over which the Sui
tan has political sway. Any one of the
powers-Great Britain, France, Germany
or Russia-could have destroyed the Turk
as a nationality at any time within a hum
dred years. and would have done so if the
others had permitted The Crimean war
grew out of the proposition of Russia to
possess itself of Constantinople More than
any other government, Great Britain is
sponsible for Turkish rule at the present
time, because 1t sees in the capture of Con-
stantinople by Russia menace to it's
power in India Germany and other gov
ernments would not permit any one of their
number to make war upon Turkey lest it
would destroy that balance of power"
which has made Europe an armed camp for
years.
The successive Sultans of Turkey have
known that, should one European govern
ment undertake to destroy his rule all the
others would interfere to save him. Know
ing this, the Turk has visited his venge-
ance upon the Christians within his bor-
ders. AS the years increase, his cruelties
have been intensified and multiplied. Dur
ing the past year they have been continu-
Gus. More than 10000 people have been
slain. The country in which they live has
been devastated. and 100000 Armenians have
been driven from their homes, and, if re-
ports are true wandering half-naked
among the hills, looking for shelter and
subsistence for the approaching winter. 1t
is believed by those who are most con-
versant with affairs in Turkey that the
recent insane attempt of Armenians to cap
ture the Ottoman Bank was a plot of the
Turkish rulers. designed as a pretext to
murder thousands and to show to the world
that the Armenians are lawless people.
OF late there has been much talk of the
Intervention of the powers to destroy Tur-
key There has been such talk before,
there is reason to fear that now, as hereto
fore. it will end in talk. The powers may
have sent a joint note to the Sultan de-
handing immediate suppression of the re-
voting cruelties in Armenia and else
where, and the Sultan may have "trem-
bled" upon it's reception. There was no
cause for trembling unless the Sultan had
information that the powers had agreed
upon a partition of his estate to pre-
serve the balance of power. Whenever
that can be agreed upon the days of the
Turk will be numbered The British gov
eminent has already practically given no
tce that it cannot proceed in the matter
alone. The British government doubtless
fears that a religious would follow its
attempt to discipline Turkey, which would
rouse the millions of Mohammedans in
India. Russia probably will not join
alliance until it is assured of the possession
of Constantinople.
One of the latest propositions is that
alliance comprised of Great Britain, the
United States and Italy shall take the Turk
in hand There is nothing natural in such
an alliance. We have no business there ex-
cept to enforce a demand for reparation
for destruction of property of American
missionaries, made some time since. and
probably this demand would be complied
with If our ships now near the OAR
danelles should be instructed to shell Con-
stantinople. To secure what is our due no
such alliance is necessary, and no such
alliance can be considered unless the
United States as a nation proposes to turn
its back upon the warnings of the fathers
of the Republic. 1t will be a long time be-
fore the American people will do that, or
acuuiesce in the sentiment expressed re-
Gently that it lis better that all Christen-
dom should be involved in war than that
the world should suffer the moral gangrene
which must follow continued and cowardly
inaction in the presence of such monstrous
wrong" The idea of all Christendom get
ting into a general war because Christian
governments cannot agree upon the method
of Winning out the Turk will not commend
itself to many people in this country. There
is nothing heroic much less Christian, in
sacrificing the lives of Americans in gen.
eral war about Turkey.
COERCIyG A SENATOR.
The constituents of Senator Gallery, of
I Louisiana who disapprove of his opposi-