New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-28
protect THE ARMENIANS.
,,r t,oIrsE REAFFIRMS THE SENATE'S
MESSAGE TO EUROPE
.,,,cvess PLEDGES ITS SUPPORT TO THE PREsI-
nrSr IN ANY ACTION HE MAY TAKE TO
Stop THE MURDER OF CHRISTIANS
BY THE TURKs-EUROPEAN Ma
TloNs URGED TO ENFORCE
THE TREATY OF
fay TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l ]
BERLIN.

TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlBtNE.l
,,,.h;rgton Jan. 27.-After lively debate.
.-,,ch lasted nearly four hours. the House OF
..,esentotives to-day passed by a vote of 143
- os tho Senate concurrent resolutions on the
.r,renian outrages The House Committee on
,,aro,gr Affairs had already adopted and re-
.ortea similar resolutions. but when the Senate
ou,ions were received to-day. Mr.. Qugg. who
"a roace tl.e report from the House committee.
sped and obtained unanimous consent for their
,uediate consideration and the resolutions
..or, the Committee on Foreign Affairs were not
,aken from the Speakers table.
Tho opposition to the Senate resolutions was
cot strong in numbC 8. nor was 1t united out IL
contributed several vigorous speeches to the as
cussion Colonel Hepburn. Of Iowa was OPP
rosed 10 the resolutions because they did not go
,ar enough in his opinion and he offered an
amendment providing for the immediate sever
ance of diplomatic relations between the 'hteu
States and Turkey amendment against
which Chairman Hit vigorously ana strongly
ro,estej General Grosvenor attacked the
nreamble 10 the Senate resolutions and took
.,des with Colonel Hepburn. whose amendment
was finally rejected by n vote of 19 to III nays
Mr. Adams of Pennsylvania who Is member
NJ the Committee on Foreign Affairs, also spoke
against the Senate resolutions, taxing the
ground that they committed congress " u fOS'-
.on which was utterly inconsistent with It's at
ttude in regard to the Monroe Doctrine MT
Turner. of Georgia delivered an impassioned
speech ir which he not only attacked the reso-
Iu,ions-which he characterized as an act Of i'm
rertinence-but opposed any action whatever
BY Congress in regard to the subject he espe-
c,allv condemned tho last resolution of the
Senate which pledges Congress ITO support the
President in the most vigorous action he may
take for the protection OF American citizens in
Turkey and to obtain redress for injuries COM
mitted upon the persons or property or such
citizens" BY virtue Of that resolution, Mr.
Turner said. the Executive might send Meet
of war vessels to lombard and destroy Con-
etantinople and lay waste the coast OF Turkey.
The speeches in favor Of the resolution were
temperate. considering the nature Of the sub
feet and IL was evident that at least seven
eighths Of the members present sympathized
with the speakers When the vote was taken
II was found that nearly all the opposition was
confined to the Democratic section. In the
course of the discussion Chairman Hit, OF the
Committee on Foreign Affairs said that so far
as the State Department had been able to ascer-
tain not single American citizen. native or
naturalized had been murdered since the Ar
menian outrages began. and. moreover. that the
Turkish Government not only willing and
ready but anxious and even eager TO pay FOR
the losses of and damages to the property owned
by American citizens in Turkey
THE DEBATE IN DETAIL.
Mr. Ouigg opened the debate by urging the adop-
ton OF the Senate resolution. He thought the time
had now come when the people Of the United States
should express their sentiments on the crimes ana
Atrocities committed against the Armenians. Our
interest in the situation chiefly humane. and
po.it he
had mentioned the murder in these raids OF citizens
Of the United States. but official reports received
at the State Department showed that such was not
the case. and the committee unable to find that
any American had been murdered there. except.
perhaps. the b!cyc.st, LenZ.
Replying TO question. Mr. Quigg said there was
no doubt that American property in Turkey had
been destroyed in the raids o. the kurds. The Turk
ish Government did not deny responsibility there
for. and had promised TO look into the matter. The
question restitution was now the subject Of dip
lonatic correspondence.
Mr.. Quigg recalled how. after the war between
Russia and Turkey. the former Power wished to
appropriate certain Turkish provinces Inhabited By
Armenians. and how the Sultan had turned TO Eng
land for protection. In the treaty that followed the
Sultan agreed TO carry out certain reforms In the
condition OF Affairs in these provinces and England
agreed to protect Turkey by force of arms If
necessary. And he wished to place the response
bility for the failure TO carry out these reforms
where ii belonged England had not insisted on thei:
being carried out. There no need to inquire
into the motives OF England which upheld with one
hand and menaced with the other. We not in
teres,ed in the jeaousies among the great Powers
But. assurance had been given the Christian
world that the Armenians would be protected and
reforms instituted in the provinces In which they
resided and these promises had not been carried
out the American Government had the right TO
summon the delinquents before the court of high
tonor and good faith and ask why they stood by
with Idle hands while 10000 Christians were being
murdered or worse Simply because they wouid not
acknowledge Mahomet as the Prophet.
IT WOULD HELP FIX RESPONSIBILITY.
This resolution he said. would be answer to
the allegations from Constantlnople that the dis-
orders were purely political and 1t would also heip
10 fix the responsibility for their continuance The
time had gone by in the development OF the human
race when any nation could shut its eyes and say,
"Am l my brothers keeperT' while such ihhuhah
atrocities were being committed
Replying TO Mr.. Sayers Dem.. Tex Mr. Quisg
said the Foreign Affairs Committee desired to ex-
press the opinion that Minister Terrell had oohe
his duty with zeal ano the most signal ability.
Mr.. Bailey (Dem. Tex doubted the propriety OF
this Government undertaking to question the faii-
ure 10 enforce treaty TO which II was not party
and especially at time when we were denying 10
European powers the right 10 interfere with the AZ
fairs OF nations this continent. He would eiimi-
nate from the resolution all reference to the treaty
and confne 1, to a denunciation OF the outrages
Mr. McCreary (Dem.. Ky.) heartily indorsed the
resolution. The civilized world was astounded at
the outrages and Grim committed In the last few
years by the Turks. The Armenians had been
murdered their property destroyed and their chi
dren condemned to worse than slavery. Devasta-
ton ana ruin were everywhere over the Armenian
districts. He could reason why Congress
should not express. In diplomatic but strong Ian
guage. the regret Of the American people at the
deplorabe condition of affairs In that unfortunate
country. The purpose OF the resolution as he un-
derstood IT, TO plead with the European Powers